Year: 1878

MN. LOlIOR - L Ills WAS ILc SUI
ject of our first communication to
the CITIZEN and written with the
view of introducing our small viii
lage to the county at large, and the
rest of mankind through its enter
tanning columns. Years have flown
by since then, bringing to it changes
of which we are justly proud, and
we hunt up our pen to record them.
The beautiful valley which gives
picturesqueness to the village still
stretches away in the distance, al
though the hot summer sun has
parched the pleasing prospect that
once met the eye of the beholder,
and gave promise of a bountiful
harvest. The cedars, planted by
tender hands, and watered by the
tears of kindliest sympathy, still
wave their green bows over the
grave of the gallant Kentuckians
who fell in the memorable battle of
the 25th of Sept, 1868. The village
Squire still dispenses justice from
his old stand, and the veteran joker
of the forge may still be occasion
allv seen and heard in the place
that knew him in the days slang
syne." The village lawyer has
grown ruddier and his smile more
genial, hut he still surveys the fields
of duty around him, and measures
ont his span as of old. But the shop
with it's weather beaten sides has
passed away, and in its stead an
elegant two-story building marks
the thrift of the Squire, and the
spirit of progress that has left its
slightly impress upon the village
But the great change that gladdens
our eyes and causes our hearts to
rejoice is the bright new church
which has been recently erected on
the site where in younger and, per-
haps, happier days, stood 'old Re-
hoboth." The old church was torn
down by vandal hands during the
late civil war, and for fourteen years
desolatlon has brooded over the
sacred spot.


"Old Rehoboth" has long been
consecrated IN our hearts, for here
our grandfathers and fathers wor-
SHIPPED when they were struggling
to subdue the wilderness, and our
childhood's memory retains a PIC
ture of the old log house and the
venerable heads that used TO bow in
worship at its altar. We love the
spot for the old memories and for
the cherished recollections of our
boyhood and early manhood, that
cluster about it, and often in fancy
resort to the scenes of our youth
and happy schoolboy days spent in
its sacred precints.


The first building we remember
here was the old log house referred
to. 1t was succeeded by a more
stylish one, though primitive in the
style of it's architecture, which was
destroyed as above recited Had
we consulted our pride alone our
lew church would have been "a
thing of beauty" 1t is, however,
neat and commodious, and not the
less priced by US, because its un-
pretending simplicity will ever re
mind us of the "hard times" that
forced us to guage our plan accord
ing to our means.


But the old log house was a tenn
pie of the Most High, when Metho-
dism was unadulterated, and men
worshiped in spirit and in truth.
Our new church may be invested
with the rarest style of architect
ural beauty-the Divine presence
if those who go there to worship
will carry with them pure hearts
aid honest purpose. But whilst
we are rejoicing over the consum-
nation of our long deferred hope,
let US not forget how much we owe
to the generous munifcence of one
of our oldest and best citizens,
whose liberal subscription alone has
enabled us to build the church, and
properly crowns his long, pure, up
right and irreproachable life. Let
us hope that he may long live to en-
JOY the fruits of his timely gener
osity, and still longer may the re
collection of the unostentatious
piety and uncompromising sense OF
right which characterizes the life Of
John II. Newbi'l live in our hearts
and increase our reverence for the
chu. ch he loves, and our respect for
the Christian virtues he illustrates
in his daily wslk and conversation.


We trust, Mr.. Editor, we shall
never be required to resume our pen
to record IN our lifetime any sadder
changes than those which have Oc-
Cured since we laid it down, eight
years ago. With the assurance OF
our best wishes tor the prosperity
of the CITIZEN, we are still


OLD Issue.