Connecticut western news., 1921-06-30

at the piano, Miss Florence c. Wright, violin and Miss Minnie w. Edmond, soloist.
 Howard w. Carter, chairman of the memorial committee, presented and unveiled the tablet. Set on the west wall of the church, just below that for her father it reads:-
 To
 Isabella EldriG.e
 1s49-1919
 Her Loving Kindness Overspread
 Our Town Like Angels Wings.
 Rev. W. B. Johnson, the pastor, accepted it in behalf of the church, Dr. William H. Weleh of Johns Hop kins University, delivered the prin- cipal address and Dean Robbins of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, a great grandson of Rev. Ammi Rob bins, the first pastor, made an elo- quent address of acknowledgment for the family.
 pr. Welch, a native of Norfolk, where for many years his father, Dr. w. w. Welch, was the beloved phy- sician of the people for miles about, IS man of worldwide distinction, one of the best known medical men of his day. He was childhood com panion of Miss Eldridge. He said:-
 esteem it a great privilege and honor to be invited to assist at the unveiling of this tablet in memory of Miss Isabella Eldridge, and to be permitted to pay tribute to her beau tiful and beneficent life and work in this community.
 There are those here present who could speak more adequately and with more intimate personal knowl- edge of all that she has meant to the life and welfare of the people of Norfolk, but there are not many whose acquaintance and associations with Miss Bella have been of longer duration, and perhaps a certain de- tachment makes one all the more appreciative of the significance to this town of her influence and good deeds.
 HeredIty and envir oaudnt, nature and nurture, which largely determine our characters and our actions, were happily blended for Miss Bella to produce qualities of mind ani heart of rare excellence and a life of sim gular beauty and useful accomplish ment. How especially fortunate Miss Eldridge was in her ancestry haa been set forth admirably by the Rev erend MT. Barstow in his memorial sermon, delivered shortly after her death in June, 1919.
 To the influence and ministry of over half a century of her great grandfather, the Reverend Ammi Ru- hannah Robbins---to me always an awesome name---this town almost from its origin owes it's earliest, most distinctive and peculiarly tenacious spiritual and intellectual traditions, continued, enriched anl enlarged even to the present day by successive generations of the same family. It is delightful that a distinguished de- scendant of this remarkable man is to respond on this occasion in behalf of the family.
 There are some here present who must share with me the charming impressions, among the deepest and most enduring of my life, of Miss Bella's father and mother of beloved and revered memory, and of their household, In the fifties and sixties of the last century l felt, as even youth may feel, and later ] came to appreciate more completely the strength of character, the high in- tellectual qualities, the wisdom and the moral and spiritual force of the Reverend pr. Eldridge, whose intu- ence extended far beyond the local community.
 Scarcely less significant and for tunate than the influence of heredity was that of environment in determir- ing those interests, traits of charac-
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