USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Norfolk > History of Norfolk, Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1744-1900 > Part 37
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Always pecuniarily independent, a fact which the keenest judge of men would never for a moment guess of that shy and almost excessively retiring man, he has yet done his Master's work most laboriously, faithfully and well, till the limit of three score years and ten warns him that the shadows of life will soon draw near.
I have drawn the picture because it is the best one that I have ever seen, of the power of religion and its institutions in our towns and villages, and the necessity that there is of maintaining Divine worship on the hill tops, even in the back country of Connecticut."
Dr. Eldridge had often expressed to some of his friends a purpose to resign from his pastorate when he should reach the allotted age of three-score years and ten. During nearly his entire life he was strong, vigorous, and had ex- cellent health, but for a few years previous to reaching the mile stone which he had mentally set up, his health began to fail, and repeated attacks of very severe suffering and sickness caused him to realize fully that his hold upon this life was weakening, and strengthened his purpose of re- signing his pastorate. Accordingly, in the summer of 1874 he formally resigned the pastorate of the church, where he had labored for more than forty-two years, solely on ac- count of increasing age and infirmity; his resignation to take effect the first of November following.
A committee of the church and society was at once ap- pointed and instructed to try and persuade Dr. Eldridge to withdraw his resignation; some arrangement being sug- gested by which he would be relieved of a portion of his
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care and responsibility as pastor; but his decision to resign was final, and he could not be turned from his purpose. The closing months and weeks of his pastorate were most impressive times, and his last Sabbath a day never to be forgotten.
Sunday morning, November 2nd, 1874, Dr. Eldridge preached his farewell sermon to a crowded house, many of his old friends and former parishioners returning, some of them from a long distance, to once more see their dear old pastor in his familiar place, and hear again his voice from the sacred desk, as in former years.
The Scripture reading at this service was the Psalm which Dr. Eldridge had so often read from his pulpit and in the homes of many of his dear old friends upon funeral occasions; the ninetieth Psalm: "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations." Never by mortal man was this Psalm read with more of meaning, more power, more heartfelt earnestness, than upon this occasion, espe- cially the fitting prayer of the closing verse: "And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it." In the afternoon the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered, the house being again filled, the galleries as well as the body of the house. Sev- eral persons were at this service received into membership of the Church.
At this service Dr. Eldridge spoke briefly from the pas- sage, "Ye are the salt of the earth, ye are the light of the world." His thought was, in brief, that, standing as he did at that hour, realizing that with that service his ministry closed, his work was done; and as in thought he looked for- ward to the future of the church, which had been so long very dear to his heart, and of the town, in all the affairs of which he had taken the deepest interest, the question, what is to be the hope, the saving power for this church and community? found its only answer in the words of that passage. The Christian people of this town must keep and save it from ruin and darkness if it is to be saved, and
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naturally a large measure of that responsibility must rest upon this church. "Ye, ye are the salt of the earth; ye, ye are the light of the world. Take heed. that the salt lose not its savor, that the light that is in you be not darkness; let your light shine."
This farewell sermon, so excellent, so characteristic of its godly author, so full of permanent historic interest, is omitted from this volume only for lack of space. Copies of it can be found in the Norfolk Library.
Dr. Eldridge was an exceedingly social, a most enter- taining, interesting and instructive man, and most thought- ful of others, sympathetic and kind of heart.
Those who thought him otherwise had doubtless been unfortunate in their time of calling, as in one instance the writer heard him relate as follows: "I had given several days of close study and thought to a theme, had just got steam up, and had fairly begun to write upon my discourse, and felt that I could not be interrupted, when a man from an out part of the town came into my study and sat down with the appearance of having come to spend the day. He was a good man, who seldom came, and I would not for the world have done anything that might make him think I was not glad to see him, and could hardly tell him that I was very busy, and ask him to excuse me. After devoting some time to him, I moved around this way and that, took up my pen, dipped it in the ink, wrote a word or two; and there he sat, and sat, and sat; talked about the weather and kindred topics; had no purpose or object in calling, only simply to call, or I could have got through with him and got at my work, but it did seem as though he never would go. He simply called at an unfortunate time for us both; as though I had called to talk and pray with him some summer afternoon when he was getting in hay, and a thunder shower was rising. He surely would have hoped that my prayer would be a very brief one. I could have seen his work, but he could not see mine."
In contrast with the above: One of his neighbors had at one time been sorely bereaved by a death in his family,
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and as the man said years afterward, "Dr. Eldridge would come over when he was not busy and knew I would not be busy, and talk with me sometimes for a long time. He was the most entertaining man to talk with I ever saw. If he had read or heard something that specially interested him, he would come over and tell me all about it. He knew and seemed to remember how sad and lonely I was, and I knew that he tried to cheer and comfort me in this way."
While calling at a parishioner's, he once met a man whose bump of conceit was large, and who was consequently easily flattered. This man said: "Dr. Eldridge, I was in a certain town not long since, and a gentleman said to me, Dr., I trust you are going to remain in town over the Sab- bath and preach for us. You see, he mistook me for Dr. Eldridge." The rejoinder was: "Yes, such mistakes do happen. I was in a certain place once, and was mistaken, and came near being arrested for a horse thief."
During many years of Dr. Eldridge's ministry there was quite a French population in the town, mostly natives of France and a few Canadian Frenchmen, for the most part employed in chopping wood and burning charcoal for the furnaces in East Canaan and Huntsville. They lived in log cabins in the coal-bushes, as they were called, in the out parts of the town; were most of them Catholics, but there being here no resident Catholic priest, when a young French man and woman wished to be made man and wife, and when the children of these French families died, as frequently happened, they invariably called upon Monsieur le Pasteur Eldridge to perform the marriage ceremony, as he spoke the French language readily, used a French mar- riage service, and served them most acceptably. At fu- nerals and in the burial service he spoke to them in French and offered prayer in English, and satisfied them fully ex- cept in one instance. A child had died in one of the coal- bushes, and as usual he was called upon to officiate at the funeral. Upon arriving at the cabin he was met by the sorrowing father, who with a look of surprise said, "Did not Monsieur le Pasteur bring one coffin for our little
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child?" The father had rested in the belief that 'Monsieur le Pasteur' would provide a coffin and at least see that a grave was made ready. Dr. Eldridge was exceedingly sorry to disappoint the family, as he had to do when he in substance told them that he was neither the undertaker nor a grave digger.
Wishing a native French teacher for his children, he secured a thoroughly educated French lady, born in Nantes in 1829, educated in Paris, who had lived in Brooklyn, N. Y., for a short time, to come to Norfolk as a teacher.
Madame Charpentier, with her husband, Monsieur Leo- pold Charpentier, in the spring of 1852 came here, and lived for some time in the old Robbins house, teaching not only Dr. Eldridge's family, but quite a number of other persons, and in about two years she secured a more permanent position in Farmington, through Dr. Eldridge's influence, where for twenty-eight years she was in charge of the French department of Miss Porter's school. During their residence in town Monsieur and Madame Charpentier, as was natural, became acquainted with some of the other French people, and among them a young man whom they found to be exceedingly bright, intelligent, finely educated, and evidently fitted for a much better position in life than that of a wood-chopper, as he then was; roughly clad, un- kempt in every way, and at times dissipated, like most of his companions. He had thoroughly learned cabinet-mak- ing by a seven years' apprenticeship in his native country, and had served several years as a soldier in the French army in Algiers, but possibly not the required seven years.
As Madame Charpentier was to leave town, and her pupils desired to continue their lessons, the question arose, where shall we get another teacher?
Meantime the educated wood-chopper had heard of Mr. F. E. Porter's cabinet-shop on Wood Creek, had applied there for work, and a chance being given him to show what he could do, proved that he was a very superior workman, and so had bettered his condition materially, going to live in Mr. Porter's family, then not being able to speak English
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at all. Madame spoke of him to Dr. Eldridge, suggesting that he see this man. So an arrangement was made for him to call upon Dr. Eldridge, which he did, clad doubtless in the best he had,-coarse, rough clothing, red flannel shirt, cow-hide boots, etc. In this interview, with his keen insight, Dr. Eldridge discovered the "angel in the marble." An arrangement was made that he should make a trial as a teacher of the French language, and come to Dr. El- dridge's house to instruct his children. He came at the appointed time, succeeded admirably, was encouraged, con- tinued teaching, improved greatly in his appearance, thor- oughly reformed and became under Dr. Eldridge's teaching and influence a sincere Christian gentleman and citizen, married a refined, educated lady, a native of Norfolk, taught Dr. Eldridge the art of fencing in addition to pure Parisian French, and after a number of years secured a fine position as teacher of French in the public schools of Hartford, Conn., which position he filled for fifteen years with great acceptance to all and honor to himself and his friends. This man was Monsieur Victor Alvergnat, well remembered by many people still living in this town. In 1877 he was severely bitten by a dog that made its way into the building where he was teaching in Hartford. Hydro- phobia was the result, and so this noble life went out in that most terrible way, when he was 53 years of age.
Upon Monsieur Alvergnat's removal to Hartford, Mon- sieur Lallier taught French here for a time. He was an educated gentleman, about whom there seemed to be some mystery. He was an exceedingly bitter anti-Catholic, and some of his acquaintances here surmised that he was pos- sibly a deposed priest.
It was earnestly hoped, and perhaps unduly expected, that, upon being relieved entirely from the burden and care of his long pastorate, Dr. Eldridge's health would materially improve, and as President Porter expressed it, "that an- other ten years might be added to his life"; but his health did not improve during the winter, and about March 20, 1875, he became seriously and dangerously ill. Everything
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that medical skill could suggest, or the most devoted friends could do in his behalf, was of no avail, and on the 31st of March, scarcely five months from the day when he laid down his pastorate, "his spirit returned to God who gave it"; he "passed over unto the other side," and "en- tered into the rest that remaineth to the people of God."
Shortly after the death of Dr. Eldridge, obituary notices of him were published in a large number of the local, state, and other papers, from which extracts will be made. In an article in the "Christian Union," signed "N. P., Yale College," it was said:
"On Saturday, the 3d of April, the Rev. Joseph Eldridge, D. D., of Norfolk, Conn., was followed to the grave by the people of the town in which he had been pastor a little more than forty-two years. He had resigned his office and preached his last sermon on the 2d of November preceding. We trust that his character and career will receive more than our passing notice. There were, however, certain peculiarities in both which merit immediate at- tention, while his memory is fresh. That he was no common man and no common minister was indicated by the honor which was rendered to his memory on the day of his burial. The house of worship in which he had preached was thronged by a sorrowful assembly. The pastors of all the churches in the vicinity, and not a few from a distance, were present. Very many prominent lay- men from the neighboring villages were there with their families. Although the audience was disappointed in not hearing an eloquent and moving tribute to his memory which they expected from his neighbor and life-long friend, Rev. Adam Reid, of Salisbury, yet they listened with attention to the unstudied words which two or three of his brethren supplied. Everything in word and act and demeanor testified that all the assembly knew "that a prince and a great man had fallen in Isreal." Dr. Eldridge never aspired to be a great man, nor did he know that he was a great man. The review which he gave of his labors and experiences in his final sermon is as simple and plain spoken as the utterances of a child. But simple as the sermon was, it indicated a man singularly com- prehensive in his knowledge, sound in his principles, humane in his loving sympathy, and earnestly Christian in his aspirations and hopes. . . . In laying down his pastorate he refused to re- tain a nominal connection with the church, that he might free himself and the parish from any possible embarrassment. This was not because he loved his people the less, but because he loved
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them the more, as he delicately and tenderly intimates in his an- ticipation of the time when he should be called to see their love transferred to another.
Dr. Eldridge was not only respected and beloved at home, but he was honored and loved in the churches, and by the pastors in the immediate vicinity, and in due time throughout all the State. The churches of Litchfield County have been singularly united in feeling and action from the first, thus fulfilling the proverb, "when dwellings are far, neighbors are near." No one who has not made experience of that hill country life can have any conception of the heights of the hills, the depth of the snows, the tenacity of the mud, and the fierceness of the winds, which make an ordinary mile of travel in winter and in storm equal to two or three in other situations; and yet in no part of New England has there been a closer sympathy and more ready concert of action among ministers and churches.
Dr. Eldridge appreciated the value of this union and co-opera- tion. He was placed in a position which would have tempted a man less generous and faithful than he to excuse himself from many of the exposures, and wearisome, thankless services, which were made easy to him by his interest in the fellowship of the churches. To the last he cherished these feelings, as was remarked at his burial by one of his brethren who knew him best. Even after he resigned his pastorate, he invited his brethren to meet at his house as often as they should choose in their ecclesiastical pastoral as- sociations. He was a believer in the Consociation of the churches, and he repeatedly vindicated this organization from the assaults of its opponents. Though public spirited when practical objects might be furthered, he had little taste for denominational coun- cils, large or small, and no narrow notions of Congregational sec- tarianism,-but only ardent and intelligent zeal for the advance- ment of the kingdom of God, by Christian spirituality and Chris- tian intelligence, under the simplest possible ecclesiastical forms which are compatible with organic strength and harmony. It was worthy of notice how, in the last fifteen years of his life, the in- terest which had previously been confined to the churches of his neighborhood and county was extended to all the churches of the State; how interested he became in the practical questions) and en- terprises which were brought to his notice in the meetings of the State General Association and General Conference. Not a few of his brethren retain vivid remembrances of the zeal and power with which he surprised and delighted them in these assemblies, even when suddenly called upon to arouse their respect for them- selves and their office, or to analyze and reform any weakness of faith in the pastoral office and the truths of the gospel. In all
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deliberative assemblies and meetings of trustees and Committees, Dr. Eldridge was eminently characteristic. He was usually silent, often impatient of long and wordy harangues, or needless and petty discussions, but he was always sagacious to discern the point at issue, prompt in action, and singularly transparent and honest minded. He was a pillar of strength in the Corporation of Yale College, and in the many boards of trust of which he was a mem- ber.
His intellectual habits and tastes were his own. He was fond of history, and from the beginning to the end of his student and pastoral life, he read with a never-flagging interest. He was fond of traveling and observation of men and their enterprises. He was in close and wakeful sympathy with the great political move- ments of the world, and read the newspapers with an intelligent judgment. To his sermons he brought a solid understanding, and a heart that was uniformly Christian in its principles and sym- pathies. His sermons were eminently his own,-fresh, strong, and unique in thought and language. His manner was his own,-emi- nently manly, earnest, and believing. He had little consciousness of what he was, or how he was acquitting himself. The truths which he uttered took strong hold of his being, and he gave im- pressive utterance to his convictions.
"While he mused the fire burned; then spake he with his tongue,"-at first with hesitation, but as he proceeded his spirit was stirred, and strong thoughts forcibly uttered broke forth from their hiding-place, and those that listened could not but feel, Here is a man. . .. While he was gentle among his people, as a nurse cherisheth her children, yet he uniformly did homage to their self- respect. He dared to oppose them when his own convictions were strong, but in an earnest and manly way. One of the most con- spicuous achievements of his life was his success in enforcing his own views in respect to the location of the railway, which threat- ened to invade the center of the meeting-house green, and to di- vide it by a yawning gulf. That a minister should be able to set aside the wishes of so many of his parishioners on such a ques- tion, without mortally offending them, and should succeed in con- vincing them that he was in the right, is a most honorable testi- mony to his wisdom, goodness, and sagacity.
Dr. Eldridge was happy in his home. Hither his heart turned when absent, and in the intelligent, merry, and ardent household that was gathered there, he found his rest and joy. During the latter years of his life, acute bodily and mental suffering, with sharp bereavements among his kindred coming thick and fast, somewhat shaded his life; but his affections only mellowed and elevated his spirit, making him more lovely without weakening
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his dignity. It was the hope of his relations and friends that an- other ten years might be added to his life, and that so useful and beneficial a career might have been ended by a glowing yet serene sunset of love and wisdom. But a dark cloud suddenly sprung out of the west and hid him from their sight. His kindred, his people, and his friends will long cherish and bless his memory, and his name will stand forth conspicuously in the honored line of the many successful New England pastors who spent all their lives in one parish, and spent them wisely and well."
(FROM THE ' WINSTED HERALD.')
"The funeral services of the late Rev. Joseph Eldridge, D. D., were held in the Congregational Church, Norfolk, on Saturday last at one o'clock. After prayer at the house by Rev. William E. Bas- sett of Warren, the body was carried to the church, preceded as an escort by several ministers from abroad and neighboring par- ishes. Not only the people of Norfolk gathered in great numbers, but people from adjoining towns, and notably from Winsted, to pay their last profound regards to the memory of the noble man and Christian minister.
The pulpit was draped in black as well as the sides of the galleries. In the center of the drapery back of the pulpit, in large letters, was the text, "Remember the words that I spake while I was yet with you."
The flowers in bouquets, crosses, anchor and crown were most beautiful, and interspersed with tiny sheaves of wheat, spoke elo- quently of him so long a toiler in spiritual harvest fields.
Dr. Adam Reid of Salisbury, the ministerial neighbor and in- timate friend of the deceased, was too ill to preach a funeral dis- course, greatly to the disappointment of all.
The services were conducted by Rev. J. W. Beach, acting pastor of the church, assisted by Rev. President Porter, of Yale College, and Rev. Dr. Perrin of Wolcottville, the latter gentleman giving brief but eloquent testimony to the worth of the deceased, and some interesting personal reminiscences.
After the services the remains were looked upon for the last time, and then the long procession filed away to that silent city on the hillside, and laid away the body of him who had followed to that same resting place, through so many years, the bodies of those that sleep around him.
Aside from a natural sadness that impresses itself on the soul on such an event as this, we see no reason for sadness or gloom, but a spirit of joy and rejoicing, thankful to God that this man was spared so long, and was such a power to instruct and mould human character for good; thankful that a long and noble min-
REV. JOSEPH ELDRIDGE, D.D.
MRS. SARAH BATTELL ELDRIDGE.
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istry was so well rounded out and finished, and that before the pains and troubles of extreme old age overtook him he was called to the palm and the crown."
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."
MRS. SARAH BATTELL ELDRIDGE.
It is eminently fitting to speak of the family relations of Dr. Eldridge, but especially so as they were the most happy and helpful to him during his entire ministry, and as he at every opportunity gave much credit to his life com- panion for what he was and what he had been enabled to accomplish as a pastor.
About the time of his settlement here he was married to Miss Rachel Purple of New Haven, a lady of great force and beauty of character, who in a brief period accom- plished her work. Roys most briefly says of her :- "Mrs. Eldridge died in 1833, endeared to us as an active Chris- tian."
"That life is long that answers life's great end."
The companion and helper of Dr. Eldridge during the most of his long pastorate, was Sarah, the eldest daughter of Esq. Joseph Battell. They were married October 12, 1836,-Mrs. Eldridge surviving him a little more than three years.
Soon after her death a beautiful and fitting memorial of Mrs. Eldridge was published, which contains many worthy tributes to her life, her character and her work, by those who knew her best, and from these tributes extracts will be taken.
Of her early life, as well as of her maturer years, her sister, Mrs. Urania Humphrey, most beautifully said in a letter to her nephew and nieces soon after their mother's death:
"It has occurred to me that it will not be amiss to note down some recollections of your mother, which, as I read the many- sided views of her character by others, suggest themselves as be- longing peculiarly to her domestic life. In her childhood she was our "glee-maiden," tripping, with song and laughter, in and about
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