A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume I, Part 69

Author: Lincoln, Allen B
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co.
Number of Pages: 930

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY

Roderick W. Hine, at one time principal of the First District Model Schools of Willimantic, and now, as for many years past, superintendent of schools at Dedham, Mass. At Mansfield, pastor for twenty-three years (1869-1891), Rev. Kiah B. Glidden; at Chaplin, pastor for thirty-four years (1858-92), Francis Williams, whose daughter, Mary Williams Phipps (wife of Rev. Wm. H. Phipps) is now living at Waterbury, and has for many years been a leader in the State Federation of Woman's Clubs. At Columbia, Rev. Frederick D. Avery, pastor there for forty-five years, and at Willimantic, pastor for nineteen years, Rev. Samuel G. Willard (1849-1869) and whose life and work are spoken of more fully elsewhere. These were all men of marked positive faith and were still holding firmly to the orthodox fundamentals. In remarks about "orthodoxy," I mean no disrespect to these noble men-far from it! For their work and influence were of positive beneficence to all who truly believed and practiced; and especially was it a dependable inspiration to have positive faith in a future life if "saved"; meanwhile a constant restraint from "temptation" and "evil living" because of fear of "eternal punishment."

Realize, then, the religious atmosphere in which the church members and especially the Sunday school children of that day lived. These "orthodox" influences were especially felt in times of "revival," which, as I have said, were periodically planned during or following "the week of prayer." Even the Congregationalists had revivals in those days. I recall one in particular, I think it was in 1876, when the Rev. A. B. Earle was engaged to hold a series of meetings in the Willimantic church. He was a' man of large and imposing stature, with powerful and impressive voice; and the church auditorium was filled to hear him. The plan was to preach a tremendous sermon, arousing those still "unconverted" to "repentance" and "confession," then an after- meeting was held in the vestry, where any who had come "under conviction" were prayed with and the process of "conversion" completed. This Earle revival, as I recall it, was "very successful," and many additions to the church membership resulted.

There was one particular sermon, however, which had a distinctly reaction- ary effect upon some of us young folks. It was supposed to be the climax, and the speaker's subject was widely heralded-"The Unpardonable Sin." It was understood that if one had really committed that sin, his case thereafter was hopeless ; he was sure to go to hell and there was no help for it. Just what that "unpardonable sin" was, we youngsters could not find out, and you may imagine the fearful anticipation with which we awaited the revelation.

Well, the fateful Sunday evening came, that great sermon was preached ; and it was finally revealed that "the unpardonable sin" was "sinning away the day of grace" or "grieving the spirit," so that the call to repentance would never come again. It was somewhat difficult for the younger minds, steeped in an orthodoxy which was otherwise positive for heaven or hell, to understand just what was meant by this "sinning away the day of Grace"; and just when one could have done it, if done; or when one would do it, and how, if still to be done. It was pointed out that if we persistently put off getting converted, the time would come when the appeal would be no longer effective; we would keep putting it off until we were "goners"! But somehow, the appeal seemed too vague for some of us high-school boys, who were then at the apex of youth- ful wisdom and prone to question everything. Some of us "rose for prayers" indeed, because we dared not take any chances, and our mothers were so anx-

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ious; and some of the boys perhaps thought they had truly started on the safe path. Yet a partial sense of incredulity, which is more than "doubt," was steadily permeating our minds. We were asking ourselves questions. "Do you believe in a heaven where there are 'pearly gates' and 'streets of gold'?" asked one of my Natchaug classmates. It hadn't occurred to me before to doubt it; but doubt it I did, then and there, and thenceforth. "I guess we'll get another chance on that 'unpardonable sin'," said another classmate, who was quite of the skeptical sort. And so the great climax of that "revival" left many in doubt about the reality of the great danger. The farther away from it we got, the more we felt like the small boy whose mother told him he must not swear, or break the Sabbath, or be "sassy" to his parents, for those were sins in violation of God's "ten commandments," and God would "surely pun- ish him" if he did it again. The threat held the lad for several days, but one mid-forenoon he had a peculiar grin on his face and his mother asked: "What are you laughing at?" "Busted three of 'em this mornin' and nothin's hap- pened yit," was the triumphant reply. The "doctrines" of those days taught us to look for some special act of punishment from "on high"; we had not yet learned the sure "nemesis" of wrong conduct !

The mid-week and Sunday night "conference and praise" meetings for the winter months following a "revival" often had large attendance, with marked "spiritual influence" and later conversions. On the whole, I would say that the influence upon the majority, not only of the elders but of the young people, was restraining and uplifting. Even among those who were tinged with "doubt," there was enough to it to make it seem dangerous to wander very far afield in "temptation" or "sin"; and yet all the while the more active ones among the young people felt a restraint which would some- times break loose in some form of reactionary conduct. During the revival season, we of "religious families" were expected to attend all the meetings on Sunday anyway. There was morning service, Sunday school at noon; young peoples' meeting at six; evening meeting at seven-thirty; with the "inquiry meeting" afterwards.

One of the boys-the lad above mentioned as venturing to suggest that we would "get another chance on that 'unpardonable sin' "-nearly broke up a conference meeting one Sunday night after the Earle revival. His father was especially active in all services, and saw to it that his children attended, and this elder son was growing rebellious. Between young people's meeting and evening service, he had told our group that he was hungry and had had no supper and was "awful hollow" and had a mind to go home and eat; but he didn't dare. The evening meeting was opened by "a service of song and praise" and several "selections" were sung. Among them was one beginning :

"Have you on the Lord believed ? Still there's more to follow. Of his Grace have you received ? Still there's more to follow."

Six or eight of us boys were seated together near the rear of the room, and we were all "in the same boat" as to "no supper," and quite of the mood of our mate who had confided his discontent to us. Suddenly we realized that he was singing the refrain of each verse :

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"Still I'm awful hollow. No sup-per have I received. Still I'm awful hollow," etc.

We quickly "caught on" and before we realized it ourselves our united version of the refrain was distinctly audible to those nearby, and thus threatened to rival the regular version. But just before the matter went too far, the leader's father heard and quickly came to our seat and we subsided. The incident had its effect, however, for we were better "fed-up" between meetings after that.

Kindred with this incident was one in Sunday school which may indicate even in these later days that it is well to understand boy nature in trying to train it. The old-fashioned Christmas tree was still in vogue, with different gifts for each pupil, and before the reaction came from that practice, teachers would sometimes try to do a little better by their own classes, which often led to disagreeable feeling between classes; and so that practice later gave way to uniform gifts of a simple inexpensive sort, or better yet, as often in later days, to making the Christmas tree just a beautiful vision in itself, with the "gifts" sent outside for the sick and needy. But on the occasion referred to, one teacher of a class of "pesky" boys who nearly worried the life out of her- boys then ten and twelve years of age, five of them still living as I write and holding responsible positions-their teacher was beside herself as to what sort of a gift to make. She was earnest and faithful, and taught the "gospel" every Sunday as it was in the "lesson book"; but she knew nothing about boys and they made life miserable for her; and yet she loved them and they loved her, and often during the week would have a genuinely good time at her home, where the restraints of Sunday did not prevail. Probably observing that one or two of the boys were disposed to be "dressy" to "comb their hair slick" (as the current phrase then had it), she conceived the idea that these boys would be pleased with each a bottle of "hair oil"! Mad ?- you never saw a madder set of boys in your life! And yet, somehow, they had regard for "teacher's" feelings at such a time, and suffered serious embarrassment in striving to seem pleased. But as soon as the "exercises" were over, they left the church and gave free vent to their indignation. If one or two had a sneak- ing desire to use the stuff, the prevailing sentiment was too much for them, and as they all steadily moved along down Valley Street to Church to Main and "over the river," where some of them lived-it was the custom of those living this side of the river to walk over there; they were still too young to "go home with girls"-they kept up a lively discussion of the "greasy gift," and what to do with it. As they were passing over the Main Street bridge-then much lower than now, the bridge since that day rebuilt, as it was originally built by Lyman Jordan-as the boys were midway of the bridge, they stopped as by a sudden common impulse, faced in line toward the east, and with a "one-two- three, throw!" from the leader, they hurled those pretty bottles of hair oil into the rapidly-rolling river below; and you would undoubtedly find the remains of those bottles there today if you could but drain the water low enough !

Young persons who were aroused to respond to the revival appeals would for a time thereafter give short "testimonies" in the Sunday evening prayer meetings. One notable instance of this sort followed the Earle revival. Among the "converts" was a high-school boy famed among his mates for a natural gift of poetic expression-he is today a professional man in a large city. It

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was understood that he would make his confession on a certain Sunday evening, and the event was awaited with keen interest by young and old. The meeting of prayer, praise and testimony proceeded, and at what we would now call the psychological moment, the eloquent lad arose and said: "I have broken my bottle of ointment at the Savior's feet, and I trust that its perfume may pervade my whole soul." It was a deeply impressive moment for his schoolmates, who felt that something worthwhile had been said; and the elders maintained sympa- thetic interest, even if perhaps they smiled inwardly.

For the real thing in those old-time revivals, however, as already recounted, we of Willimantic went down to the Methodist Church where "the moving of the spirit," begun in the week of prayer, would sometimes carry through even to "camp-meeting week" in August; or if latent for a while in early summer, would blaze forth again at the camp ground.

THE OLD-TIME CONFERENCE MEETINGS

Among the many strong men who have occupied the pulpit of the Willi- mantic Methodist Episcopal Church, under the rotation system of that denom- ination, none was ever more popular in the community, nor more suggestive of the later-day term of "live wire," than Edgar F. Clarke. Of earnest, devout and spiritual nature, he was also full of energy and enthusiasm, of jovial, genial temperament, a "man among men." One of the most coveted privileges of companionship with him was to join him on a trout-fishing expedition. And in the art of conducting a genuine revival meeting, he was past-master.

In such a meeting he would at times give an impression of absent-minded- ness. Alert in opening the meeting and in calling for the songs that would best arouse spiritual enthusiasm, he would seem alive with energy; but with the meeting well started, and running its course of prayer, song and testimony, under the high degree of energy which he had imparted at the outset, he would · settle down in his chair, bury his face in his hands, and seem almost at times to withdraw his visible presence. Yet not for a moment would he allow the meeting to lag. As some "brother" or "sister" would utter a pointed testi- mony, with his face still bowed in his hands he would exclaim "Thank God!" or "God bless you, sister!" or a hearty "Amen !" "Bless the Lord !"-each punctuation giving a new impetus to the meeting. His prayers were always as cheery and hopeful, as fervent-never a word of doubt or discouragement in his petitions to the throne of grace, nor indeed in his daily intercourse. He was always an uplifting influence.

There were some amusing incidents in those old-time prayer Methodist meetings. There was one good brother who loved to tell of his reform from drink and how long he had stuck to it. When I first began to attend the Sunday evening conference meetings, this brother would rise regularly in the same spot in the vestry, Sunday night after Sunday night, and tell how "twelve years ago, my Savior called me from the depths of the gutter and put me on my feet, and by His grace I have been able to stand until this day. Pray for me, my good brothers and sisters, that I may hold out to the end." "God help!" Pastor Clark would exclaim; "He will keep and save you, brother; only trust Him, He will save you. Let us sing :

'On Christ, the solid rock, I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand,' "-

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and as the melody of that solid old song would rise slowly throughout the audi- ence and fill the vestry, the brother's soul would be comforted and strengthened.

The amusing part of this genuine reform experience was that, just as regu- larly as the calendar advanced and the New Year rolled around, this brother would advance his familiar story, so that the next year it began: "Thirteen years ago my Savior called me," etc., and he would go on with precisely the same story, and never failed to receive comfort and strength from the pastor and the song. Some nights, when new converts were plenty, he would refrain from testimony, but it seemed as if he was always on hand. It so happened that I was twelve years old when I first heard him, and I followed him in those meetings from twelve to seventeen, and his account was accurate. A few of us boys attended those Methodist meetings regularly-it was the moving pic- ture of my day, and our parents knew where we were. After I had been away to school, I went in one Sunday evening, and the old man was on the eighteenth year! I am told he proved faithful to the end.

Another quaint character, a dear old soul, then beyond "the allotted age of man," who always sat behind the altar rail, was especially fond of uttering "a warning to the young." In a low monotone, Sunday night after Sunday night, he would stand in his place and give identically the same testimony. Meanwhile Pastor Clark would sit with his face in his hands, with an occa- sional cheery monosyllable in marked contrast to the low monotone of the testi- mony-the latter scarcely audible save to those in the audience near the speaker. One night his usual testimony ran substantially like this: "I wish to tell you how good the Lord has been to me; many long years has he kept me safely in his fold. When I was young I was led to give my heart to Him, and I have never regretted it. Oh, come and taste and see that the Lord is good. I wish to utter a warning to the young while yet there is time. We know not the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh. I know that my time cannot be far distant. In the course of a very few years, I shall be laid away in the cold and silent grave"-a pause. "Amen, bless the Lord," cried Pastor Clark, who, of course, could not hear the exact words, but knew there was a pause, and need for a brighter note.

There was still another brother who could not seem to resist an occasional recurrence to the drink, but he would get converted anew at each revival season and by this influence was often held in sobriety for several months. He loved to tell his troubles in his testimony, and just how bad he had been. One night he told an especially woeful tale, including an account of how he had beaten his wife. She also was a regular attendant, and on this particular night she rose as soon as he sat down and said: "I wish to say that every word of my husband's testimony is true. He did all those things to me, and a meaner man I have never known when in drink." This was rather too much for the con- fessor-it was all right for him to tell it, but to have her corroborate it-that made him mad, and he never told that again.

Another of these "rounders" was one of whom it was sometimes said that the only Methodist doctrine which he consistently practiced was that of "fall- ing from grace." He would occasionally appear at the altar for re-conversion, and after that event he would lift up his voice in fervent prayer, beginning, "Oh Lord, we come to Thee because we have nowhere else to go"-and he didn't seem to understand why some of the listeners tittered.

These, of course, were extreme cases, and thus vividly fixed in memory. Vol. 1-36

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And yet it is to be said that every one of these persons and others similar were held to "the straight and narrow path" by this revival influence and in the case of those reformed, it undoubtedly held their lives to much of useful- ness, in spite of the occasional lapses of a few.

One of the most peculiar features was the testimony of a certain eccentric character who would recount his experiences and conversations with "the devil" during the past week. He would tell how the devil had tried to tempt him to cheat in business; would paint the advantages offered him in money gain; how the devil would argue with him that he could do this and that and no one would ever know it, and he would sometimes confess that he had yielded, always to his sorrow; but more often he would tell how he had beaten off the devil and put him to flight. All this was related with seriousness and had evidently been a real experience in his mind; and he was listened to with mixed feelings; sometimes he would put over a skillful story of real interest, but more often he was interpreted as merely eccentric. He was, on the whole, a successful busi- ness man, but some of his business deals were regarded as peculiar, if not dubious in character.

None save those who witnessed it can get an idea of the genuine intensity with which some of those Methodist laymen would enter into the spirit of prayer. They really believed they were communing with God-and who shall say they were not? There was one good old brother who would become so absorbed in his prayer and so earnest in his approach to the throne of grace, pleading with God as if in actual conversation with Him, that he would steadily hitch along the aisle on his knees until he actually moved several feet from where he started, and he would be unconscious of the fact until the season of prayers was ended, and then he would quietly rise and walk back to his seat.

One instance of what might be called an effervescence of brotherly love occurred when young Dwight Jordan was "coming out" and revealing his won- derful gift in prayer. Evidently one of the elders was in doubt whether Dwight . needed any further manifestation of God's favor and yet one Sunday night the fervency of the young man's prayer brought forth from the elder this out- burst : "Oh, Lord, bless Brother Jordan whether he needs it or not."

Among those who sat within the altar rail was Henry Hinds, who worked for the thread company many years. His daughter, Eliza Hinds, married Arthur Barr, and after his death married Andrew Chester, a Willimantic jeweler. She was a very popular and accommodating clerk in the postoffice for several years when James Walden was postmaster, and the office was in the store where Wm. J. Sweeney has been located for the past twenty-five years. Mr. Hinds also had a son, Fred, who became a very successful detective in Chi- cago. The elder Hinds always took his religion very seriously and during his testimony and prayers the tears would stream down his cheeks with the inten- sity of his appeal to the unconverted.

The winter meetings in the vestry, where these peculiar testimonies were given, were largely attended, and on the whole pervaded by a deep spiritual power which resulted in many "sound conversions," especially among young people, and undoubtedly exerted a marked influence for good in the community. Often the revival spirit aroused during the week of prayer would be sustained all through the winter months until early spring, and for several years the chief sustaining power was in the prayers of Lyman Jordan and the wonderful

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singing as led by several of his children and their friends of similar melodious and sympathetic voices.

Let me draw you a pen picture of one of those Sunday evening conference meetings. The old vestry is there now, just the same in its general dimensions. The altar rail has been placed at different times along the west, north or east sides-never, as I recall, on the south side of the room. In the days of which I write, about fifty years ago, the altar rail was placed along the east side; the rooms now at the south side had not been partitioned off, and the entire space was occupied by the evening audience, closely seated on the old-fashioned set- tees, the women on the north side, the men on the south. Behind the altar rail with the minister would be seated half a dozen of "the elders," occasionally augmented by others specially "gifted in prayer." The minister sat at the north end, and next him sat Lyman Jordan. Promptly at 7 o'clock in the winter months-changed to 7:30 in the spring months-the pastor would call for a song, then for another or another, until the enthusiasm soon developed would inspire someone else to start a favorite hymn. Occasionally Brother Jor- dan would start one, and his wonderful tenor voice was always evident; but his leadership in song would more often come later in the meeting, when the spiritual power was at its height. After a brief service of song, the pastor would read the scripture lesson and offer prayer, followed by a few words of comment, sometimes upon the scripture, sometimes upon events in the church and community and their religious bearing. He would then ask some of the brethren to "lead further in prayer." Often he would not need to ask as those in the altar would lead in turn. Sometimes Brother Jordan would follow the minister, but more often, during a revival, he would wait until the season of prayer was well advanced, and then would offer a peculiarly fervent appeal for "the power of God to descend upon us here tonight."

After a revival was actively in progress, and many of those already con- verted were ready with testimonies, a brief period of testimonies would follow the opening songs and prayers, and would consist of short, happy phrases of personal experience : "Jesus saves me"; "Oh, I am so happy since Jesus came into my life"; "I have sought and found Him"; "God has answered my prayers" ;- sometimes a score of persons would rise one after the other and give testimonies like these, in a vein of radiant joy. Then some more experi- enced elder soul would tell a longer story; often reciting the date and circum- stances of conversion many years before-perhaps it occurred at the camp ground. Sometimes quite as many men as women would testify; but usually the men prevailed in prayer and the women in testimony; in fact, as I recall it in those days, rarely if ever would a woman pray in public, except a few at the camp ground. Interspersed with the testimonies were frequent outbursts of song.

The atmosphere of the first half-hour or more-sometimes for an hour- would be one of prevailing joy from elder Christians or the newly converted. Then would come the serious business of rallying the sinners to repentance. The pastor would make a fervent appeal to the unconverted to "give your heart to God tonight, this very night." He would dwell upon the uncertainty of life and the certainty of eternal punishment if the soul were ushered into the presence of its Maker without due repentance. Passages of scripture were read or recited telling of the "outer darkness" and "the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth" in those regions of eternal torment. If some timid soul

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A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume I, Part 69

Author: Lincoln, Allen B Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co. Number of Pages: 930

Author: Lincoln, Allen B
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co.
Number of Pages: 930