The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-01-20
ROLL CALL
OF SAINTS
Leonard Keith'S Diary of
Methodist History.
EARLY CAMP MEETINGS
Formation of the First Sewing Society
Doings and Sayings of the
Fathers and Mothers in Israel
of Old Time.
VIII.
[continued.l
An Early Diary.

Among the most active members of
the Methodist church in the forties we're
Merrill Bassett and wife. Bro. Bassett
was an official member of the church,
and was an earnest and faithful man
who always sought to do with his might
what his hand found to do. Leonard
Keith and wife were also well to the
fore. Bro. Keith was man of very
methodical habits. He was Sunday
school superintendent for many years
and held many other offices OF trust and
responsibility in connection with the
church. For many years he kept a
diary, and always wrote down the text
of the sermon, the name Of the preach
er, the date on which the sermon was
preached, and what he thought about
the sermon What would a peep into
that old diary be WORTH He also wrote
a history Of the church from the earliest
times, as far as he knew it, and made
copious additions from year to year, as
new history was ready for record Mrs.
Keith still lives, being a member of the
family of Judge w. A. Boyce. She re-
Gently celebrated her 93rd birthday, and
was bright and keen in her entertain
ment Of her guests.
Another Dorcas.
Nor should be forgotten Sarah How
ard, "a little old maid who lived next
to the parsonage" and made her living
by the practice OF tailoring. While ii
il true that she was tailor, she did
that kind of work to "pay expenses,
and her principal business seemed to
be to serve the Lord. Often acting as
a nurse in times Of illness, helping to
lay out the dead, ministering to the sor-
rowing, comforting the discouraged, she
made everybody her debtor. She was
also a teacher in the Sunday school, and
held together large class of young mar
ried people.
Fathers and Mothers in Israel.
David French and wife were then among
the fathers and mothers in Israel, and
their home was often stopping place
for the weary itinerant on his travels
from one part OF the circuit to another.
1T Is snid that they entertained II al
one time during session Of the annual
Conference in Barre. Among the other
members were Martin Keith and wife,
the latter of whom was sister Of Mrs.
David French; Larned Lamb and wife,
who lived where the Universalist church
now stands; Sawin Gale and wife, who
lived next to what is now the Smith
stock farm beyond So. Barre; Asa
Dodge and wife OF Beckley Hill, who
entertained Bishop Hedding during his
presidency of the Vermont Conference
at Barre; Brown Dodge and wife of
Beckley Hill and Joseph Dodge and wife
and Wesley Dodge and wife, who also
lived in the same part Of the town.
Beckley Hill Camp Meetings.
The foregoing records naturally give
the impression that the section of the
town Of Barre known as "Beckley Hilr
was pretty solidly Methodistic. Such
was the case, though the church has
scarcely family there at present. So
strong was the UNCONVENTIONAL feeling
there, and so aggressively eyangelistie
were the people, that it was decided to
hold annual camp meetings in grove
on the hill. These meetings We're start
ed and were a feature of the fall for
many years. With no permanent i'm
provements the grove was filed with
TENTS an lHipioNtstu ll0lluIm Was CpiA-
structed, and the people gathered from
near and far, the outside world as well
as the church. The conversions were
many, and the tide OF religious emo
tion strong. Very many strong men
and women dated the beginning 0f their
life from those camp meet
ings on BecIley HILL" After a time
they were suspended, but later resumed
under the pastorate Of the Rev a. T..
Billiard.
A Boy Worth Saving.
When William Moves was a class
leader, among the young people who
came to the weekly meeting at his house
was a lad by the name Of Chauneey
Leonard Chauncey was full of fun
and animal spirits and the good class
leader had hard work to keep him quiet.
at length it seemed as if patience had
ceased to be virtue and he told the
youth to keep away and not TO come
again until he could behave himself he
did stay away from the meeting but