Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-10-20

fcTcnanCc we'll one Gay meet the heathen
Our pennies helped know about heaven.
1t was great day in our history
when library, tiny in size
But containing short stories for children,
opened up to our wondering eyes.
Then, as now, the Sunday School prospered,
1t was taught and differed we'll;
And most of its permanent members
Could Of its good Influence tell.
Those who served eur. church longest as
pastors,
And had homes in the parish as we'll,
Were Wooster, Glines, Duren and Hopkins,
Parson Raton sojourned quite spell.
The wives of the first four mentioned
Did much in motherly way
TO brighten the lives OF the children
And help them to make work seem like play.
Mother Wooster loaned us good books of
travel,
Mother Glines taught us letters to write,
And how to compose simple essays
without quite expiring from fright.
In her reign was bought the first carpet
The women sewed many weeks for it,
As labor, in those days, was cheap.
No bell called the people to worship,
Neither belfry nor bell had we then;
One family, new to the parish,
Entered first just to hear the amen.
Ny father long led in the singing,
And the preacher depended on him
To show by his entering the choir loft,
When it was time to begin.
Two sermons were preached US each Sabbath
With Sunday School coming between;
When Parson Glines reached his sventeenthly
Twas time to awake from onr dream
About FIVE we had prayer service
To round out the day quite complete.
Poor mother managed between times
To get her tired flock food to eat.
Parson Glines spoke with much moderation,
But consistent and clean was his life,
And e'en had his ways been less pleasing
We'd have kept him because of his wife.
One Sunday, couple was married,
Right in service, as we'll remember,
Even though unattended by splendor
The very first deacon who served in our church
Was an Appleton, good Ashley A.,
He seemed to us children of very great height
AS he stood up before us to pray.
Both he and his wife were cordial and kind,
And it made a red letter day
When we were allowed-not too often-to go
To their home through the woods far away.
If we went the old church road, the Rice
homestead we passed,
Where a big open fireplace gave cheer
And sometimes we stopped to see Uncle
George Wells,
Whose home was conveniently near.
The Matthews, the Fords, Hannums, Boyces
and Wells,
The Carpenters, Buzzels and Shores
Were among the old families. Some of their
kin
Still are with you and keep open doors.
Though burdens seem many and pleasures
but few.
And the graveyard holds more than the pews
we've a memory cherished of church and
school
We'd all be much poorer to lose.
The old singing schools delighted our hearts
We learned somewhat Of tune and of time.
The melody fingers and some of the words
To remind us of Aud Lang syne."
The spelling bee, too, we love to recall
AS among the exciting events,
Although we were sorry for those first spelled
down,
The winners went home quite content.
When the sad Civil war took the boys we had
known
AS our big brothers-friends, true and tried,
We all unreproved laid our school book aside
And with heads bowed on desks softly cried
still have some letters our soldier bows wrote
Grown yellow and musty with age.
The hands that penned many we ne'eI
clasped again,
The owners in Southland were laid.
am talking too long, but fsnd memory cling,
To old faces and forms still so dear.
We can never forget them, though some hav.
been gone
' ''6 III ~hu hohies many year.
While the cottages empty so fast here OH eartt
The mansions are filling above.
reunion awaits us where ther'll be no deatf
But forever we'll see those we love.
Than let us be faithful and brave while weir,
here,
BE helpful and kind to each one,
That when we are called to our Heavenly HON,
We may hear the dear Lord say, We'll done :