Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-03-24
MAIDSTONE.
BY HON. MOODY RICH.


ing from home he would take the
precaution to fasten the windows
and doors to keep them out; as soon
as he was out of sight, they would
climb upon the roof and get in at
the chamber windows, and work till
about time for him to come, taking
care to put every tool just where
they found it. But he soon suspect
ed them, and concluded they might
as well follow the bent of their in
clination; and not one of them was
ever a farmer.
We would notice particularly one
of the youngest daughters, Eliza
Augusta, born June /, 1928. She
was a person Of very delicate health,
but of great energy and persever-
ance. When a child she could not
endure what most children can, yet
it was very hard for her to refrain
from engaging in what her active,
aspiring mind prompted. She would
insist on attending school when she
was not able to do 50. She entered
into all the amusements for young
people with an eagerness natural to
a lively disposition, and in whatever
she engaged rendered herself very
agreeable. She had an impression
from a child that she should die
young, and was often DESTROYS of be-
coming familiar with sickness and
death, when occurring among her
friends. She always entertained an
idea that she would sometime be
Christian, but it was not until she
was eighteen that she manifested
that bright and shining example
which always marked her after
years. Then her character matured
rapidly, and she engaged in every
thing good and worthy with an
avidity which indicated short life.
The Sabbath School became her de-
light, the Bible her constant COM
panion, and the house of God was to
her truly a sanctuary. Still she
gave much time to all the literature
of the day which is entertaining or
beneficial. Her journal was to her
as a dear friend. The Missionary
cause was, to use her own words,
her darling theme, and she
would without doubt have devoted
herself to it's work, but she still felt
that her life would be short; and it
soon became evident to her friends
that she was fast ripening for the
grave. She was a cheerful Chris
tian, and she performed many duties
faithfully. Yet she claimed no mer-
it of her own, but often said, my
salvation is through amazing grace"
Consumption claimed her as its vic
tim. She felt admonshed to set her
house in order, and she did so. Not
one of the numerous friends who
visited her in her sickness but re-
ceived word Of Christian counsel.
She arranged her affairs to her en-
tire satisfaction, and in affiXing her
signature to some last business doc
uments it was with as much alacrity
as one would pen a note to a friend,
and gave directions for her funeral
with as much cheerfulnesS as one
would prepare for festival, choos-
ing as a text, For know that my
Redeemer liveth, and | shall be sat
isfied when | awake in thy likeness"
On a beautiful Sabbath, Aug. 8,
1859, her freed spirit entered its
everlasting rest-not as one who
dies prematurely but as one who
has performed lifelong work and
is ready to depart.
DAVID GASKILL
and family moved to Maidstone
about the year $780, He bought a
lot of meadow-land on the Connecti-
cut, and in few years, by industry
and economy, they cleared their
land from a wilderness to a we'll
cultivated farm, and placed them
selves in comfortable circumstances
in life. In the year 1888 Mr.. G. was
elected justice Of the peace, and held
the Office as long as he lived, by an
nual election. He performed more
service as magistrate than all others
in town. Towards the close of his
life he united with the Methodist
church.
Mr.. G. was a singular man in
many of his ways: When upon his
death-bed, Col. Rich Stevens called