St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-08-15

Mrs. c. H. McClary of Evanston, ILL.,.
and vase and gold shrt.stud from Mrs.
Jessie c. Reider OF Madison, Wisconsin.
The children present at the wedding
oldest, and Ernest B. Morse, the youngest
son, with their families, both living in st. |
Jonnsbury; Mrs. Harry W. Blake with
her three daughters, residing in Hoosick |
Falls, N. Y; Joseph F. Morse and wife,
professor in Medell High School, Chi
cago; Miss Flora Morse, living with |
the old folks at home; Mrs Emma Shat
tuck and family, wife OF Rev. Willard l.
Soattuck Of Easthampton, Mass and
Miss Lila Morse, teacher OF Biblical Lit
erature 10 Mt. Holyoke College. Mrs.
May Benton and youngest child arrived
from Seattle. Sunday, August IL. The
only members OF the home circle unable
to attend the reunion were H. W. Blake,
now in Europe on business tor the Walter
A. Wood Harvesting Co., H. H. Benton.
detained by business in Seattle, and Will
W. Morse, located in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Mr.. Morse was born iu Derby, in 1925,
the son OF Col. Joseph Morse. Leaving
home at the age of 21, he worked his
way through St. Johnsbury Academy
and was graduated from Amherst Col
lege in 1858, and three years later from
Andover Theological seminary. On
August 10, 1856, he was married to
Miss Eliza Winter, daughter of Aaron
Winter OF West Boylston, Mass. Soon
after their marriage they sailed for Con-
stantinople as the first missionaries of
The American Board to Bulgaria. After
mastering the language Mr.. Morse pub.
lished bulgarlan-English and English.
Bulgarian dictionary. This was the first
work Of its kind, and has been used to
this day by missionaries, traders, and
students. He also translated into Bull
garan over 1000 pages OF tracts, some
of which have passed through many sue
cessive editions. For the last FIVE years
MIR. Morse has been revising and enarg.
ing his Bulgarian dictionary, putting it
in shape to be republished in a still more
serviceable form. After IA years OF ser.
vice in the mission field Mr.. Morse re-
turned to this country in 1870 to edu.
cate his growing family. For the next
IA years he preached in various Congre.
gationa churches in New England, and
then settled in St. .Johnsbury TO make
business OF educating his children. To
obtain the necessary funds he became
agent for the Peoples Cyclopedia, and
later was assigned the general agency
for Northern New England. Since under.
taking this new line OF work Mr.. Morse
has scattered over 5000 sets Of cvco.
pedias through the homes of New Eng
land. 1t speaks much tor bis versatility
and strength of character that he was
able to achieve such decided success in
business after devoting the prime OF his
life TO mission work and preaching. AS
result of their parents untiring and self
sacrificing efforts five OF the nine children
are graduates of colleges-three OF the
daughters having received diplomas from
Mt. Holyoke College, Mrs. Morse's alma
mater, and two OF the sons holding de-
grees from Amherst College. The rest of
the children have obtained excellent high
school aud academic education.
Throughout his business career Mr..
Morse has retained 9 keen interest in
missions and the religious life of the COM
munity, not infrequently occupying the
pulpit for Sunday. or speaking in be-
halt OF missions at some gathering.
Chess is Mr.. Morse's tavorite recrea.
tion, and visits of the sons to the old
home usually see some hard.fought bat.
ties.
While centering her life in the home,
and doing all mother could for her chill.
dren Mrs. Morse has found time to be OF
great assistance to her husband in both
the mission field and the parish. She is
at present member of the st. Johnsbury
Woman's Club and the St. Johnsbury
College Club. She is charming conver.
sationalist, and a ready speaker. One of
her most marked characteristics is her
unwillingness to hear, speak, or think |
evil Of any one.
For nearly quarter of a century Mr..
and Mrs Morse have been members and |
active supporters of he South Congre-
gatonal church
.