The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1907-09-19

q a. eela. and besides they bad 70
nan. ,hs eloah and rloshing fof The 4
fnmliy. My father hA'sricven children 4
And M mother spun. wove and made .
.ss garments ior lansiiy u ~ besides
het other wort. and she lived 10 be ~
and died only iss years ago. s"s'
Of you rssnenber Der. have worn
clothes from cloth o. her Manufacture
and have SQUAD the spcols OF booeins
~hile She vas weaving.
A. thc.c people became settled 10
lhsir new homes. like their pertain
fathers Who Tough. The world, ths
eesh AID The devil Nth the school
house aud the shGrph, they turned
their st.salIon 10 ihese masters a
few terms ~ school were keps 10 a
private boase by Reuben Bigslos. bui
as The number Of pupils increased .
larger room beeame necessary and
large hog school bouse Was erected
near NJ. b, Lyons present residence
II had rude benches and large hfe
place aud Was used for town meeiings
and reiigA,as meetings for some years.
-Four or i've years late, ixa more iog
school houses were built. one la The
south aud The other in the north part
OF the town.
The Congregational church was or
gained IN 1897 with less than dozen
members but others were soon added
and meetings were held regularly and
someone read, but only once year n
preacher came 10 administer the com
muniou aud hold services. II Was no,
until 1885 were they able TO support
regular preaching. Some 20 years
earlier than that thsy determined TO
build meeting house" They were
siill too poor 10 hire much labor and
must do nearly all the work themselves.
They dubbed together and built n
saw mill on The brook near the pro-
posed building 10 which some drew
logs, others got out aud kawed the
large timbers, still others shaved the
shingles TO cover the roof and others
hammered out the nails, for all nails
at this time were made by hand. After
two or three years Of hard work the
building was eomplsted and dedicated,
and it was n joyful day for those who
had labored so hard In ils construction.
Though exceedingly plain In all its
parts believe il was more acceptable
in the sight Of the Godtbey worshipped
than the most costly temples ever con-
structed; more acceptable than the
Parthenon at Athens. the Pantheon At
Rome or even Solomon's Temple on
Mount Zion. The Parthenon was
erected TO show the marvellous skill Of
the sculptor Phidas and to enhance
the glory Of Pericles; the Pantheon
was built by Agrippa in honor OF his
who claimed descent from
the Gods, and Solomon's Temple was
built by the hired labor of the Ph9-
nicians aHd adorned by spoils taken
from their enemies. but this plain tenn
pie was bnilt by the hard. self denying
efforts OF these men and women. Like
the widows two mites il was worth
more Than MI the others.
The old meeting house Was long ago
torn down. the bones of ifs builders
have long been crumbling In ths grave
but may we not believe. nay. how can
We help believing that they are this
lay worshipping in that Temple not
made with hands, eternal in the
have the same feeling OF
generation for these men and women,
most Of whom ! well remember, that
nave for the heroes and heroines Of the
Bible.
As remember 1t ths Old meeting
house had an appearance OF dignified
'olemnisy, being quite large and tall
with two rows Of windows on the sides,
with galleries ON three sides and pull
pit on the same level on the fourth
tide. II WAS reached by long flight
II steps. The pews were large and
'quare with seats on three sides, which
were very hard 10 sit upon, at least
or SMALL hoy, The pews would hold
light or ten psop{s. large families
'eing the rule in those days, The
inging was without the aid OF any in.
trnment. but was very good, as Peru
was noted for its good singers. The
eader took the pitch from a small pipe
which be blew. The house was gen.
rally well filled at two long services,
rom 1890 10 IL, and from l pm m. TO
Don't $50. The interval was filed
With eating luncheon in the porch or
IN the common with the usual com.
'lement Of news aud small gossip.
This building was used tor about 40
ears, when there was a growing de-
nand for new church" The old
me was out Of style" and the loca.
ion did not suit the majority Of the
nembers. After much talk and bitter
opposition il was decided to erect
ew church edifce. 1.-THE present one)
| the village. and. a. the people had
y this time acquired money to spare
contract was made with tbs late J.
{. Hapgood 70 build il for si00s. He
lso acquired the old church building [
nd used some Of the interior (which
nd been made Of the finest pine) in
he new building. The outside he sold
, the town Of Londonderry for town
onse.
In the meantime several Of the mem.
ers Of the church in the north part OF
DC town joined the Methodist society
repairing and enlargina their church !
nilding in which we are met today.
. process Of time the new building /.
AS completed and occupied but the
der members. | think. never enioyed :