The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-01-18
EAST HAVEN DAYS OF YORE
BOYHOOD SCENES IN THE OLD
TOWN RECALLED.

Backed Pews-SermOns That We're
Sermons-'DeBOrah stream.-Lono-
tOnOnI1et Mountain.
To the Editor OF the Journal and Cour-
Ter:
Il love to think OF East Haven Town,
With it's old stone church in the East
'Countrie,
Where Deborah's stream goes winding
down,
murmuring sea-"
The above misquOtation fairly f1ushes
my mind with the scenes of a glorious
boyhood. With what surprising details
the events of our morning life come
back to us at the evening hour. The
old church, with its never-ending mem
cries. '''
Often at the meetings incoming would
the old Mortality of the town, in his
quaint suffering style, pointing. with
his "Sabba' cay" cane, give the history
of this sill or that stone. How this sill,
slipping from it's sling, broke the back
of his nigh neighbor, and that row of
stun toppled over and killed one man
and broke up others so they never did
a days work arter.
In fact, he claimed to have had a
handling acquaintance himself with ev-
cry stone in the church. -
This church has unique record fdom
the fact that it was built by the colo
l nj t oc p,-1fs NunSeix - f1aa
giving a number of days work in get
TING out the timbers and stones. The
walls were put up with only the help of
one mechanic to- see that they were
plumb and ship-shape. These were the
days of free labor union; free to work
or not to work, when, how and for
| whom, with free grace ever abound
in"
| But free travel was 'agin the law"
Upon the Lords day, from the rising of
the sun to the going down OF the same
chain was stretched across the street
from the church post to the tavern post.
| Query: Was that the way the devil
climbed into the belfry?) Travellers
were asked by the. tithingman If it was
| an errand of necessity or mercy. If so
God speed We; if not, tarry until we set
] tin SUM- No autos to venomise the
pure air or trolley to shake off the APP
plies in those happy-happy days.
Was it not strange anomaly in our
blue stockin' fore-pa's customs that the
| tavern was usually located (as it were)
under the very dripping Of the sane
! tuary?" $500
| That the sacramental bowl of the al
tar was often only across the way from
4 the punch bowl of the tavern. Particu-
larly when Holy Writ proclaims "Wine
is mocker and strong drink is rag
mig" .=-seEss'2 ~ = p
| But we must not throw stones into
our daddies' glass eyes, for our own
glasses may be closed by our environs.
Their heads may have been stronger
and their strong drink weaker than the
gold-addled heads and the aqua-fortes
drinks of the present day.
| Then again they may have retained a
smack of their pagan ancestors belief
| that the Z se' VI
| spirit of wine was spirit divine"
| However, for the youth and inexperi'
ence OF, our seventeenth centenarians we
must have charity.
Before the interior of the house was
changed, .'slicked up it was truly a
colonial meeting house, with its wide
door at the front, its door at the back
and Its small door at the end, bewilder-
ing the colonial youth as to which of
the doors his coy girl would make her
exit. My grandmother told me that
girls in her day and time were mar
vous about taking beau's arm at the
meetings. door. re-
The old time Huldah never hooked on
to the crook of Kiah's arm under the
Pickering flare of the church door tai
Ter dip" until the marriage ban had
been cried before I'VE meetin" that 1t
should dignity the union to We holy folk.
1t is a great pity that in ''slickin up"
our old-time "meetin' houses the
quaint and unique features were not re-
tanned.
The poets corner, where the town
poet of a Fourth of July afternoon was
won't to relieve himself of his store of
tavern patriotism in verses and his
pockets of sixpenny and ninepenny
pieces for boys scramble, anticipa-
ting the present fight for dollars and
dimes, and realizing for the rest of the
year that San empty pocket is the worst
of crimes"
In our day and time the Fourth of
July was day of joy, not of Tartarus.
Its high pews, its galleries, right side
for girls, left side for boys; it's pagan
and negro pews built high at each cor
ner, nigh side pue for Indian, and ne
gro bucks and off side for wenches and
squa.
The most interesting feature of the
house was it's bird-cage pulpit perched
half way to the roof, with cpu-shaped
sounding board for all the world like a
candle extinguisher, and a narrow,
winding stairs upon which were seated
I'VE ainaiene and hard er hearing folke
Identifying We meeting" and up which
the parson Waddledr his ponderous body,
filling the pulpit when seated as an
egg is full Of meat 81!
Three single gentlemen rolled into
one." He looked like, "Dickins Fat
Boy" seated in a child's high chair,
with his double chin hanging in folds
over this white choker.
The wonder to us boys was that he