St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-09-08

| Olu'hohSS VI DdpllSHl. his LuIIlera
Wing knew quite well 60 years later,
then Mrs. Abel Shorey. In her 94th
year she wrote me, being then in another
state. You will readily see why | am
so much endeared to the dear old church
where was baptised. From my earliest
recollection | used to meet with others
weekly for recitation of scripture and
catechism. When l review the discipline,
the satisfaction, the religious training
and instruction that | there received,
my heart cries out, Praise the Lord,
that the lines fell to me in pleasant and
profitable places"
Thus pleasant in all after life was the
recollection of those scenes in the cold,
homely old meeting house on the hill
because of the warmth of parental solic-
itude (and care. Family religion was
held to be of vital Importance. In the
| fifth year and for several years there
after, the church met as households,
small and great, before God, to entreat
| the God Of Abraham to be their God,
and to bless their children forever"
have letter from one of those same
children, written in answer to my
inquiries in 1876. He says, II well
remember those days and scenes. On
Saturday nights we boys would be at
ball play on the street. Toward D. m.
DR.. and Mrs. Jewett and others would
be coming out of their yard and going
to the evening meeting in some ones
house. We knew what was then to be
done. The play was to stop, and we
boys were to go with our parents. But
this was so in keeping with other arrange
ments that it became to us part of the
course of things rather than any hard
ship" By the end of the first decade as
many as hundred of the children were
committing to memory the New Tesla
ment and Wilbur's Biblical Catechism.
This was before the arrival of the Sun
day school, so called.
The spirit of fellowship and kindness
was carefully cultivated. II thought to
myself" said young girl, whose family
was not of the number, how these
christian people do seem to love one
another" An unconscious expression
of the first century times. This was
how it seemed to girl of the
period; what the boy of about the
same age thought will appear from
| letter which he wrote me long after: II
| have never seen a church that came so
near the New Testament standard as the
early members of that one did in
covenant, watch, mutual helpfulness,
and simple conservation to Christ. l
judge, of course, from early impressions,
for / left st. Johnsbury at IL years OF
age. My father died when was eight,
and l remember how much the women
OF the church were to my widowed
mother after that event, helping and
comforting her. The night before lett
home, neighbors were invited in, and in
the midst of this circle of praying people,
| was committed to the care of the
covenant keeping Cod" Now this
widow was the same of whom have
spoken twice, the wife of Dea. Hubbard
Lawrence, and the boy, whose reminis-
cences are so interesting, was known in
after years as the Rev. DR.. Edward A.
Lawrence. Prof. of Theology in what was
then East Windsor, Mass, now Hartford
Theological Seminary.
The gifts and graces of the covenant
keeping God continued down to her
children's chill dren, for her grandson,
Edward A. Lawrence, D. d. Jr., was a
man of distinguished usefulness in the
Congregational ministry. The brilliant
promise of his life went out suddenly in
his early death in 1898, but not until he
had left his mark as a preacher, an
author, and citizen, whose name is
lovingly perpetuated in the|social settle
ment founded by him in the city of Balti-
more, known as the Lawrence Home"
Whether by reason of poverty, or re-
moteness, or other cause, the church
wasn't able to get man for minister
till the coming of Pearson Thurston from
Somersworth, six years after organiza-
ton.
How salaries were raised will ap-
pear from the following in the hand
writing of Calvin Stone: Demand
Note. / promise to pay 8 mid
ding likely eve sheep as to size, age
and quality, on demand: and to keep the
three said sheep FIVE years free from ex-
pense to said society and to pay their
wool to the committee in June, and the
lambs on or before the first day of No
vember yearly. All the wool and all the
lambs and all the profits arising from
said sheep to be laid out for Congrega-
tional preaching"
In fact up to her Oath year, only
two years settled pastorates did she
have. All this while then, was she
dwindling down, drawing nigh unto
death? The very reverse. She held on.
She kept the faith Few III numbers but
each one counted. A feeble folk in popu-
lar estimation. Yes, of the feeble sort
that were used to walking four and five
miles over rough roads to worship God
in great barn-like meeting house on a
bleak hill, finding. warmth only OF the
sort that is kindled by the word of God
and the fellowship of kindred minds. 1t
does not appear that they had any
thought of discouragement,t though with
out doubt it required stout hearts to
meet the strain. Somehow they kept |
very. much alive and growing. In ten
years they had increased from 10 to $50 |
and had, as we've just seen, 100 young |
people memorizing Bible verses and 157 |
children given up to God in baptism.
The quarterly communion service was
most lovingly observed; Rev. Leonard |
Worcester coming down from Peacham,
or Mr.. Goddard from Concord, or the |
stalwart Scotchman, Father Sutherland,
from Bath, to oficiate. Sabbath and
week day meetings were kept up, minis
ter or no minister. Davies Sermons or |
Hunters scripture biography, or other
appropriate matter would be read from
the pulpit by Deacon Stowell or HUB