Gloucester County Democrat., 1906-07-05
A FRATERNAL ADDRESS

Delivered in the Friends Meeting
House, MuIlica Hill, by Cap
tain w. HI. Snowden.
1t seems very good and pleasant for
me to again have the opportunity of
meeting with friends within the walls
of this time honored edifice.
Nearly four score years have pass
ed since first, when very small and
wondering boy, my father led me by
| the hand across yonder threshold.
From that time, through the years OF
my boyhood, was accustomed to meet
here with the good people of the sur
rounding neighborhoods to wait with
/ them in the silence for the prompt,
I ings of Gods still small voice" in the
soul. In those days the congregations
| to this place were more numerous
| than now These rows of benches
were well filed at every meeting, and
in these galleries, sat SO many of the
! aged fathers and mothers-the faith
ers and mothers in Israel, and how
vividly their faces rise up before me
this morning, as stand where they
were accustomed to come and take
| their seats Sabbath after Sabbath
through the summers and winters of
the long ago. have not forgotten
| the lineaments of those worthless
have not forgotten the awe and rever-
ence which I felt when they took me
| by the hand and seemed to shed a
blessing upon me from their benign
looks. Patriarchs they were-some
of them bent and feeble with years
! of usefulness and honor. Some OF
them were grown to the age and sta
| ture of manhood and womanhood
when the oaks were felled for the
building of these walls. Down those
aisles they passed one by one, all of
| them at the end, in the times for
them appointed with weary steps and
bended forms, after their several life
journeys, bearing their burdens of the
years and their records of usefulness
| to return no more to their accustomed
places.
All, my friends! the SUGGESTIONS of
| the years have brought so many
changes since the passing of their
generations-ch changes which, when we
contemplate them, bring sadness to.
! the heart and tears to the eyes.
To-day. look chiefly upon the
| faces of strangers the faces of men
and women, boys ana slris VINO nave
! mostly grown up since I rounded out
/ my half century OF plfIhday annlVef.
saries Only once since, has it been my
happy privilege to enjoy the favor af-
forded me THIS sappatn morning.
Since then, my 1eet nave strayed
many dlVergenL patns III ne Jour
ney, Dut TINS Ola laDernacle OF my
1athefs, nelgnDors, ana tne lrlenus oi
my youth mas never Deeh lofgotee1.
Ii mas Deen one OF tne neaolanas al
ways visible 10 me-one OF tne Stars
whlch Deamed pefennlally IN my
heart, Wherever Went and Whatever
the circumstances Wnlch surrounded
me. In the blessed llfne OF peace, OF
al my avocations-ln Ine Vlclssltuaes
OF war tlmes, III camp, OF IN ehe lonely
nlsne wa.cnes :. sns .oueposss ~ .ne.; -?
eiue ~ pa.1ioia ~ sne e, 'amiul eApsnl Isl :
eAcSs u plioon pse ili0' ily 'no9sh.o ~ -.
lonuiy isSel e @ ~ - =, an ana - - Az
wastes % seas anu osoans eno
gleae cle,es - ~ 1isI .,.a,aa ialii -
sleIs anu caenSuidlS lenlenipSi go =
EYER, loI nay - ol.en leaiu = -, ~
those gaiierles tue preceplS WHICH III
pressed themselves lnueiipis upon nis
inward peing ana polheeu lol nie ene
way ana helped me 70 snun .ne pll
Iaiis, ana Wlehstand ene 'ehipeaeiohs
" t1e Woilu.
+ba aood ,tsa1 oo7,5it;on of +iis b,,ildino and
;ts ;tse s,1.ro,,r Syv d;,,os son,eIodv @ hos had
~ core fl,a+ tbo oroy,nds and
he lS,, =, o,.ar md
,,,.t;o,,Io,l,r 4Iat +,a huria1
pa ,,s;.l,+ 10 oSa,s,re,1,,,, ;s
eo e,s'ef oftaT ~, sae,, With cbolSing weeds
tba.,, AZ 49, 80 ,,,lslas mis- bosnaa lss
no, ,,;r;+ ' ' ~ b,,n,an . % sTmna4ly and row
ara1.ao spes ond tbat Mons . ragard for The
faelino e othars guss p,J, which n,alyas nc al
ALI, sI ;,, fl,a ,ro,.ld-a s,;,.;t which + am
e, alad - sas, hoao,,,i,,o ,,,ora md noore
9revaIonf 9,au o 20 amono '- al Gbristian Chr com.
n,,nifias =, ftitssS ''t-'S'-7 - -
:. e.... = a,u.+ - 49,
= Meie n.s.ns ~ sp,.Ie ~ "a anu atSa ~
lHdt tHe loWly leStinS pidcoo VI enC