USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Hartford > The fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church of Hartford, Connecticut, March 21 to 28, 1915 > Part 4
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us about their people and the countries where they lived and worked. All this was a large part of our general development as well as of our spiritual growth.
Sunday School, or "Sabbath School," as we always called it then, never seemed dull to us. The warm, loving enthusiasm of our beloved superin- tendent, Mr. Tryon, was a wonderful impetus, and, with such a staff of teachers as he had, it is not wonderful that the school proved a success. Its whole atmosphere was that of a large, harmonious family, and there was always a genial air of en- joyment about it. Sabbath School was something to look forward to, partly, it must be confessed, because there were so many things that we could not do on Sunday, when children suffered much from bottled-up energy. We could not go to walk, nor loiter about together, nor visit, and even writing letters must have a very good reason for not being put off. Legitimate entertainment, such as Sabbath School afforded with its social ele- ments, was a great relief. The teachers could not have been very comfortable, for they had to sit on the little fixed chairs between the desks and twist round to their classes as they could. The young men used to perch on the desks, sometimes, the better to keep the attention of their scholars.
On February 9, 1862, it was announced that four prizes would be given to those who could bring the four longest lists of names and titles of Our Lord to be found in the Bible. On June 1st the prizes were awarded. Twenty-nine lists were offered. [ 55 ]
The record is incomplete and ends thus: "The first prize consisted of an elegantly bound . . . " There it breaks off, and in another handwriting is added, "Information is wanted on this subject." Well, if any one is interested, here is the Bible. I hap- pened to be the one who received it. Information is still wanted in regard to the recipients of the other three prizes.
On October 6th an innovation was announced. It had been decided at a meeting of the teachers that the school was to recite the Lord's Prayer every Sabbath. This does not appear to have ex- cited any opposition or criticism, such as followed the introduction of the same custom, many years later, in the church service.
During 1863 the school seems to have gone on its placid way with few happenings. The enroll- ment continued to be 20 teachers and 169 scholars. The attendance was very fluctuating, and, accord- ing to the record, it was a noteworthy circumstance that the inclement weather seemed to affect the at- tendance of the boys more than that of the girls.
In this year was started another auxiliary of the school. Dr. Calvin Stowe, who had recently come to Hartford to live, came to Mr. Tryon and asked if he could not have a Bible Class in the school. It was found that there was no room, but Mr. John Beach immediately offered his parlor for the new class, and it was held there until it was transferred to our chapel in 1865.
Of all the various activities of a Sunday School, nothing is more important than its response to the
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needs of the world. If we love Him who went about doing good, we cannot help giving-it is the very breath of our spiritual life. In the early days of our school, it does not appear that this duty and privilege was much enjoined upon us, perhaps be- cause we had some children among us who could not bring many pennies. Such calls as came were met from the treasury, which treasury seemed to us a bottomless purse for whose replenishing we felt no responsibility. If Chaplain Trumbull called for money for Bibles and hymn-books for the soldiers, "some ready hand," to quote Mr. Tryon, "would be lifted as a sign to the superin- tendent that the boys wished to make a motion, and then, invariably, all the money we had in the treas- ury was given on the spot." The children's gifts were inconsiderable. The first record of a contri- bution being taken up was on January 9, 1861. The amount was two cents from the Infant Class- the object not being designated. The next Sunday our gifts were swelled to the large sum of six cents, four from that generous Infant Class, one from Miss Mary L. Collins' class and one from Mr. Hurlbut's. Once in the course of the year as much as $1.20 was raised ; but this noble effort was followed by a barren period. However, on No- vember 24th it is recorded that the contribution amounted to one cent, and the school sang, "Stand up, stand up for Jesus!" In 1863 and 1864 we began to feel our responsibilities a little more, and the record makes a better showing.
On June 26, 1864, it was noted that during the [ 57 ]
previous week a new society had been formed on the Hill, styled "The Asylum Hill Ecclesiastical Society." The project had been in the air for some time, and at last final action had been taken.
Echoes from the war appear continually upon the records. On July 11th the bulletin was, "Rebs in Maryland," but even then many of us had very little idea of what it all meant, except as we saw the gravity of its events reflected upon the faces of our elders. But when, on May 22, 1864, it was announced that Lieutenant Metcalf had been killed at Fort Darling, it brought to us a more definite feeling of its solemn issues. Mr. Metcalf had been a devoted friend of the school from its beginning.
The year 1865, which was to see our last days in the old schoolhouse and our first in our new church home, opened with an attendance of 21 teachers and 116 scholars. Our farewell to our first shelter, on March 5th, does not seem to have been a formal one, and the next Sunday found us in the new chapel, where we felt very proud, but not quite at home. The service was given up to dedica- tory exercises. Col. George P. Bissell and Father Hawley reviewed the history of the school from its beginning in 1860, recognizing Mrs. Metcalf's share in its formation and in its life and work. Mr. Nelson Kingsbury made the school a birthday present of $500 for new books for the library, and requested that Mrs. Maria Strong should be asked to expend it for that purpose.
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The Monthly Concert came on the next Sunday, and it was noticeable that the recitations could scarcely be heard. The platform was then at the west end, in the recess now occupied by the west vestibule, and our seats were long rows of settees facing it. This arrangement made it seem much larger than it does now, and also more difficult for speaking.
Mrs. Metcalf resigned her office, though she continued to help as a teacher until she went to live elsewhere. Her hopeful zeal had started the school and had been a large element in its success, and we owe much to her. Mrs. Maria Strong was chosen to take her place; Mr. Burnell was elected Secretary and Mr. Joseph Kellogg Treas- urer. Another Assistant Superintendent was added and Mr. C. H. Gildersleeve was elected.
On June 1st Mr. Twichell preached for us for the first time. His sermon was upon "The Ten- dency of the Human Heart to Worship." On the following Sunday was held our first Communion service. It was administered by Rev. Dr. Daggett and Dr. Noah Porter. Eleven members of the school were admitted upon confession of their faith-Willard Roberts, John Knapp, Henry French, Clarissa Larned, Alice Longley, Louise Cleveland, Ellen Root, Mary Strong, Anna Terry, Mary Bartlett and Margaret Bartlett. To quote from the record, "The service was very impressive and its influences were manifest in the school to- day-an unusual thoughtfulness and seriousness pervading it." [ 59 ]
On November 5th the time of the Sunday School session was changed from half-past two to two o'clock, so that we might attend Professor Stowe's Bible lecture at four. We needed plenty of time for Sunday School then. This lecture was a con- tinuation of the Bible Class already mentioned. It was held in the church for several years, and many came from other churches to enjoy with us the privilege of listening to Dr. Stowe's luminous expositions.
On December 7th the school was visited for the first time by Mr. and Mrs. Twichell, and on that day, unknown to them, a special contribution was taken up for a welcoming present. Mr. Twichell was installed during the following week.
On Thursday, December 28th, we had our first Christmas tree. "A Song of Welcome," com- posed for the occasion by Mr. Bartlett, was sung; and then the presents were given out by our new pastor, who stood near the tree in the blaze of its many lights, in all the glory of his splendid physique and his manly beauty, and we gazed upon him with great interest and approval. His won- derful wife we came to know and love later, as her quiet, winning personality made itself felt more and more as the years went on. Mr. Twichell entered into this our first celebration of Christmas in our new chapel with much enthusiasm. His un- familiarity with the names and ages of the scholars added greatly to the hilarity of the occasion, as when he called, "Willie, Willie, come and get your present; don't be afraid!" and a tall, awkward
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youth had to go forward reluctantly, with the school laughing at him.
At the end of the year we had gained in numbers and had a registry of over 200 and an average attendance of 155.
On June 15, 1866, our new church was dedi- cated, and thereafter the chapel was no longer used for the Sunday services of the church.
From the beginning of the school until Novem- ber, 1866, the Bible study had been entirely in the New Testament. The verses of the lesson were always learned by heart and recited in the classes before being explained by the teachers. Our first lessons were in John's Gospel, the other evan- gelists followed. The courses of lessons were pre- pared, for the most part, by Mr. Tryon, Mrs. Strong, Miss Mary F. Collins and Mrs. Bartlett. A series of lessons was taken up in November, 1863, which was prepared by Mrs. J. Hammond Trum- bull, upon "The First Works of the Apostles." This course continued until March, 1866, when it was followed by one on "The Parables and Mir- acles of Our Lord," arranged by Mr. Tryon and Mrs. Bartlett. In November of the same year a course was begun which was presented by Miss Collins. Besides giving her time and strength for this work, Miss Collins had had the course printed for the use of the school. Other schools asked the privilege of using it, after we had intro- duced it. The next course, prepared for the year 1871 by Mr. Tryon and Mrs. Bartlett, was upon "The Life of Our Lord Arranged Chronologi- [ 6] ]
cally." For 1872 we adopted the International lessons.
Our Concert Lessons became more elaborate and were carefully prepared by Mr. Tryon, with the help of the teachers. Of one of these exercises it was said by Dr. Hammond Trumbull, "It was the first of its kind in the country, and started the preparation of such lessons in other places than Hartford." Dr. Trumbull himself prepared the lesson for one of these Concerts; it was upon "The Existence and Attributes of God as Revealed by the Psalmist." To give you a little of the atmos- phere of these Concerts I will quote the description of this one from the record :
"The recitations all being from the Psalms, included the most eloquent, glowing and inspiring of the old poet's utterances, as well as the most tender, touching and beautiful. At the con- clusion of the recitations, Mr. Twichell addressed a few pleas- ant, practical remarks to the school on the value of having the head, and especially the heart, stored with the glorious truths of the Bible, and closed with a touching appeal to the children to all embrace Christ and experience the joys of salvation. Al- together a very delightful service, and enjoyed by an unusually large number of visitors."
Singing was a large part of these services. In one we sang seven times. No two services were alike; the goddess Method, whose other name is Uniformity, had not yet been enthroned. The con- tent was more to the teacher of that day than the process of teaching. What to teach came first, not how to teach; that was left more to the individual and to inspiration; and original ways of teaching and of carrying on the exercises of our school were instinctively and successfully chosen and carried
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out. Mr. Tryon, especially, was much too indi- vidual and original to walk in any beaten path.
At the beginning of 1871 Mrs. Strong resigned her office, and Mrs. Bartlett was chosen to take her place. As a teacher Mrs. Strong had, from the beginning, given her warm interest and greatly valued help. Her six years' service as Assistant Superintendent was of no less value to Mr. Tryon and to the school, and her retirement was much regretted. Mrs. Strong and her much-loved sister, Miss Mary Frances Collins, were true exponents of the type, lovingly remembered, of the gentle, Christian lady, whose courtesy never failed and whose kindliness was expressed with the charm and grace of a day that has passed.
Mrs. Bartlett was re-elected to this office every year as long as she lived, although for many years before her death, in 1907, she had been unable to perform its duties. In 1893 Miss Susan Clark was elected to assist Mrs. Bartlett, and she continued to be Assistant Superintendent until the end of the year 1910, when she resigned the office which she had most ably filled, after an uninterrupted con- nection with the school of thirty-six years-the longest, without a break, of any of its mem- bers. In Mr. Atwood Collins' beautiful trib- ute to Mrs. Bartlett, in his history of the church for 1907, he says, "Mrs. Bartlett's personality was wonderfully benignant, and the reflection of the Christian virtues. She imparted unconsciously to all who knew her a desire for a like purity of motive and life." Mr. Twichell wrote of her, "A [ 63]
right royal, good woman she truly was, as good as she was modest, a servant of God, worthy of all honor, who filled up her days with duty and un- selfishness, who in the highest and best sense made a success of life." He was accustomed almost from the beginning of his ministry with us to call her "Mother," and his love and friendship were always most precious to her.
During the seventies the school grew to an en- rollment of 538, and on one memorable Sunday there were 404 members present. Its activities also were greatly increased. A Mission Band was formed by the young girls. The Young People's Meeting, the Broad Street Sunday School and Prayer-meeting, and, later, similar ones in Glen- wood, the Sewing School, the Boys' Prayer- meeting-all these were started and maintained by teachers and scholars of our school. The com- ing of the Chinese boys of the Educational Com- mission, and their share in the life of the school, would form in itself an important chapter, which must be omitted here.
Two large Bible classes, one for men and one for women, belong to this period. The first was called "The Old Men's Class," and was taught first by Mr. Bartlett and later by Judge Carpenter. The "Old Men" were the most light-hearted of all the scholars, to judge by the sounds of hilarity that used to come from the platform at the west end, where they sat. The ladies' class was taught by Judge Barbour. The Infant Class also had a large place in the life of the school. In its earliest days
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Miss Lily Gillette's and later Mrs. Coleman's and Mrs. Chapman's loving Christian nurture of the little ones reach over these first twenty years of our early history, and their helpers all deserve honor- able mention, which want of time forbids. Also the good work of the Missionary Society, estab- lished in 1866 and kept up in various forms to this day, with its adoption of a special missionary and its gifts to many home and foreign missions, should have a large place in a full history.
It would be a pleasure to speak individually of the men and women of fine Christian character who so generously gave themselves to the work of the school, and who so greatly enriched and strengthened it; to dilate upon the virtues and great abilities of each one, the invigorating im- pulse to the Christian life given by Mrs. Ezra Clark, Jr., and later by Mrs. Twichell, to the large class of girls who afterward became teachers and carried on their work; to recognize the re- markable personal influence of Mrs. Charles Howard, with her witty and convincing way of putting things; the intellectual quality of Miss Margaret Blythe's teachings; the faithful and af- fectionate devotion of Miss Julia Burbank; the manifold and valued usefulness of Mrs. Frances Palmer-there is really no place to stop, and yet it is impossible even to mention the names upon the long roll-truly a roll of honor.
Time fails as well for even a catalogue of our various doings and happenings during those event- ful years-of the Christmas and Easter services so [ 65 ]
carefully prepared and so beautifully carried out; of our picnics, Christmas parties and other festivi- ties, including the famous tea-party when we gave a substantial supper to over seven hundred people, and the no less famous fair and spelling-match that have passed into tradition.
At the beginning of the year 1880 Mr. Tryon insisted upon giving over to our pastor the charge that he had so faithfully cherished for twenty years, except for an interval of five years, from 1872 to 1877, when he was obliged to be out of town a great deal, and when Mr. William Willard took his place most acceptably. To do justice to Mr. Tryon and to his work for us would be quite impossible. As the trusted friend and loving father of the school his memory is treasured in the hearts of all those who were his children and who later were co-workers with him as teachers. The spirit of Christ shone from his face and inspired his whole life, and his wonderful intuition and sympathetic nature gave him a remarkable power of influencing others. Never was a Sunday School Superintendent more loved.
Mr. Twichell's leadership belongs to another chapter of the school's history. He became the inspirer and teacher of its teachers, and the friend of every one of its boys and girls. As pastor and superintendent in one he made the relation of the school to the church closer than ever, and the love that he gave and received kept undisturbed the wonderful harmony that has given our school so great an amount not only of happiness, but also
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of strength. Of Mr. Twichell, our friend and pastor, few words have been left to this historian, after all the tributes of the past week ; but he knows that the days of the years that have bound us to him and to his beloved wife are like the beads of a long rosary, each one standing for a silent prayer for them.
And now we who are so very old, and who have had our day, and have done things in our own way so long, are glad to turn over our beloved school to you of the rising generations. We do not even insist upon giving you the benefit of our experi- ence in the way of advice. "The old order chang- eth, yielding place to new." You have everything in your favor-you are starting out with a fine new minister, a better-than-new church, and, we trust, deep and earnest consecration to your work in God's kingdom on earth. You have a bright fu- ture before you, and we give you our blessing and wish you God-speed.
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גרו
THE SUBSEQUENT HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
PROFESSOR WALDO S. PRATT, MUS.D.
To-day, as on other days of this anniversary, it is natural that our minds should revert more than once to that passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews where we are told of the "great cloud of wit- nesses" who encircle the arena of Christian life- that vast assemblage in the vivid sense of whose presence and observation we are bidden to cast off every check and clog, that we, like them, may press forward into triumph. We speak of looking back to them and their bygone days, often with a certain hopelessness of matching their fortitude and fer- vor. But they, with the sublime insight of eter- nity, are perpetually looking forward for us, seeking by some spiritual telepathy to share with us that superb hope and zeal of which the motto is always, "Not yet having attained, not yet being made perfect!"
For us to-day how full is this familiar place of forms and faces invisible, though clear to mem- ory and affection-minds and souls not only woven indestructible into the fabric of this church, but stamped indelibly upon lives manifold and inter- ests multiplied, both here in this community and thence to the very ends of the earth. These fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, friends and com- panions, teachers, neighbors and fellow-townsmen -rich and poor, old and young, illustrious and [ 69 ]
unknown-how they seem to sit beside us in the pews, to move up and down the aisles, to gather in groups at the door, even to crowd about the steps of this pulpit! We ourselves are a goodly com- pany. But how much greater and more majestic is that encompassing "cloud of witnesses" !
We cannot interpret for each other this spec- tacle of onlooking spirits. By no cunning artifice of words can we express what they mean to us. Language is vague and feeble when it tries to voice the heart in times of such quickening and overflow. We can but silently give ourselves to the mystic touch that stirs the hidden depths, with its summons to unwonted solemnities, to forgotten aspirations, to unexpected tears. There will be moments in these days when we would fain be alone, that we may commune with our memories in secret.
Yet it is natural, too, that we should gather here, seeking for some united utterance of our common sentiments of tender retrospection, of fresh-kindled admiration and respect, of fervent gratitude and love, as now we contemplate the long line of persons, circumstances and events that have concurred to make this church a power in our lives, in our homes, in this community, and in places and lands far distant.
To me, for no obvious reason, has been assigned the clearly impossible task of sketching in the space of a few moments the story of near half a century-impossible, both because much detail
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and comment are needed to make it vital, and be- cause what gives dignity to it is largely intangible and inaccessible. To-day is not the time for ex- hibiting tables of statistics, or even for recounting the whole chain of events. We must not linger over any one factor or feature. We cannot even pay full tribute to the agencies that seem conspicu- ous. A few topics out of the many, some rapid outlines and summaries, an allusion here and a hint there-this is all that can be expected.
The chronicle of our years contains nothing sen- sational. Having had, until lately, but one pastor, our church policy has been continuous and uni- form. Having used but this one church building, our associations center in a single spot and edifice. Our record has not been disfigured by any exten- sive quarrel or division. The relations between our members and their chosen officers, between the two constituent bodies, known as the "church" and the "society," between the congregation and our leaders in praise, between ourselves and neigh- boring churches-all these relations, which afford occasion for strained and even hostile feeling, have been strikingly harmonious. There has been no lack of variety of opinion, and some strenuous debates. But these have not disrupted or destroyed fraternal unity.
Hence our minds can rest to-day upon the essen- tial worth and glory of a church career that has been quietly and normally developed. We do not know whether we have really fulfilled the hopes of those who boldly planted this Christian outpost [7] ]
on Asylum Hill, or have been quite all that a church in a community like this ought to be. · Much less dare we claim to have risen to the heavenly and divine ideals. Yet we are sure that in this church have operated forces of human and divine potency which have lifted the routine of appointments and activities into genuine spiritual effectiveness, so that we have been enabled to ren- der substantial service as a part of that majestic agency in the world which Paul calls "the embodi- ment of Christ."
For inspiration and guidance in all this we owe an incalculable debt to our ministers. Of Mr. Twichell's work for us I shall speak at a later point. Here let us record our warm appreciation of the supplemental service of the two choice young men who from 1905 to 1913 were his effi- cient and devoted helpers. We rejoice that Mr. Walcott, from his near-by parish, can join us in our celebration and thus receive in person our grateful greetings. To Mr. Walter, also, though distant by thousands of miles, will go similar words of esteem and love. Their cumulative work, especially among the young people, was of utmost value in preparing us in 1912 to welcome as our second pastor him about whom we now gather in affectionate loyalty, and under whose spiritual leadership we approach a second half-century with assurance and energy. Though Dr. Voorhees cannot really share our anniversary memories, he knows that to-day we are looking backward only that to-morrow we may face the future under his
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