USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Pittsfield > Jubilee of the South Congregational Church : November the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth and sixteenth, nineteen hundred > Part 5
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faithful to a high standard of duty. Here we see the influence of a godly heritage, for surely the mantle of grandmother, and mother has fallen on worthy shoulders. Mrs. Seth Morton was for years one of the most active members of the society, and to the day of her death, her interest was unabated. She was loyal always to church, and pastor, and gave freely of her abundance, Mrs. Deacon Peirson, so full of kindly impulses, and generous deed, has left a rich legacy to our church in the sons, and daugh- ters who carry on the work of father and mother. What memories of devoted service cluster around the name of Mrs. Andrews. "Being dead she yet speaketh" to us in the daughter who follows in her footsteps. Mrs. Willard Carpenter, our first directress, Miss Cornelia Lamberson, Mrs. Page, Mrs. Jane Tower Tolman, Mrs. Deacon Day, Mrs. Deacon Robinson, Mrs. Sturtevant, Mrs. Fuller, Mrs. Watkins, Mrs. Van Valkenburg, Miss Parthenia Fenn, Mrs. Dr. Reed, Mrs. Henry Chapin, these are all names that suggest much out of the past. So the roll- call might go on of that great majority who in our midst have kept the faith, and gone to their reward. A few of these early members are left us, to leaven the lump, -our secretary Mrs. Tolman, Mrs. D. J. Dodge, for many years active and constant in her labors, and one upon whose wisdom, and experience we still rely, Mrs. Charles Robinson, long faithful to her office as collector at the teas, Mrs. A. W. Crossman still working "in quiet ways apart," Mrs. Richardson, Mrs. Brewster, Miss Lamberson, Mrs. Chapman. "Honor to whom honor is due." But while we so revere the memory of the past, and realize its value, we also abound in present possessions. The work in our benevolent society is now under efficient management; with a president whose good sense and judgment have been well tested, and a board of directors who work "in season and out of season" for the good of our society, and of our dear church. Loyalty
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of purpose, and harmony of action make effort a pleasure among our members. I can make no forecast of our future, as a soci- ety, but I am sure we shall not be untrue to the traditions of the past, and I earnestly hope that we shall realize more and more the beauty of love and service, remembering as a woman has sung, that;
"The fleet foot, and the feeble foot,
Both seek the self same goal; The weakest soldier's name, Is writ on the great army roll; And God, who made man's body strong, Made too, the woman's soul."
REMARKS BY MRS. MARY J. BREWSTER.
Mrs. Brewster spoke most charmingly in a familiar chatty vein without notes. What follows is the recollection of one who en- joyed listening to what she said.
When it was first proposed to give a tea in the church, such an unheard of proceeding was rather emphatically discouraged. Mrs. Brewster and Mrs. Richardson, however, had set their minds on the new enterprise and it had to go through. They bor- rowed a stove and kindled a fire. But as if awe-stricken at find- ing itself in such a sacred place the thing smoked voluminously. Dr. Root seeing the smoke came running in, hurried on the wings of a fear that the church was again doomed to the flames. "You'll burn up the church", he said. "Well if we do, we can run away by the light of the fire," quickly replied one of the of- fending sisters. There were no tables. But where there is a will there are sometimes green baize doors, as there were in the ves- tibule of this church. These were taken down and laid across the
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backs of benches and the tea was served above board and with whatever benefit of clergy might cling in the nap of green baize.
Mrs. Brewster spoke most entertainingly of the choir to which she and her husband belonged. Col. H. H. Richardson was one of the men singers. Mrs. Brewster resided then at the place known as "Abby Lodge." She recalled among other memories a visit from the choir which serenaded Oliver Wendell Holmes on the way down and returned home with a pumpkin apiece, the gift of-Mother Nature. This was the choir which was struck by lightning, not, however, on account of the pumpkins but for the wholly musical purpose of clearing the air.
PAPER BY MRS. HARRIET PEIRSON RITCHIE.
Such a busy world as this is in which we live and at such a rapid rate are we whirling around (if the tale is true, we really ought to get dizzy and fall off, at 25,000 miles a day) that it is a wonder we can remember what happened yesterday, and when we insist on memory's giving us returns from twenty-five and thirty years back, is it any wonder she serves us queer pranks? Instead of bringing before us beautiful pictures of the wonder- ful and sublime, she makes us smile at the simple little incidents that at the time of action were hardly noticed. For instance, when we tried to remember our first thoughts of the dear old South Church, this is what came-A Sabbath day in early win- ter; a new hat (a rare thing in those days) in a bandbox; the church bells ringing, but also ringing in our ears the admoni- tion from the mother: "Girls, don't put on those hats until your father has started for church," because those hats had a bit of bright red velvet with silver spangles on the side; but the good,
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kind father had been brought up to believe "that things gay were things wicked," and though this same father loved sun- shine and children and all things beautiful in Nature, we were more than likely to have been sent home to put on hoods if there had been a chance. One can imagine that church service did not leave a very deep impression on the naughty little hearts beneath those bits of red and the silver spangles, and yet here the memory of it pops up thirty years after. There is no record of the text, book, chapter or verse, but never since-if memory serves me right-have there been such beautiful hats.
Did other children, I wonder, think the black velvet contribu- tion bags looked like corn poppers-especially when our fathers pushed the long handles through their hands to the farthest end of the pew and back again? Could it have been a longing to do good with our money that we were always so anxious to drop in a penny? How habits formed in childhood will cling to one. To this day, I am positive, there is a desire in many of us that our penny shall make a big sound in the world.
One of the unfilled longings of those far away days was to sit in the gallery during a service, but we were deacon's children and therefore must be well-behaved and sit in the family pew. Everybody knew the story of the daughter of a former pastor, who, whispering in the gallery, was reproved from the pulpit by her father and finally sent home. Not that we-in those days of hour and a half sermons-had any desire to go home, but we did wish we didn't belong to any particular pew and that it was proper for good little girls to occupy the high seats. We often envied the father of the family whose privilege it was to sit in the end of the pew where he could work the cunning little door back and forth, while the only comfort for our busy, restless fingers was to pull at the tufts of wool in the bright red cush- ions of the hard straight-backed seats, and the occasional pepper-
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mint candy that was passed up if there was any danger of our taking forty winks.
Do some of you recall the incident of a dove flying in at one of the church windows during a baptismal service nineteen years ago, when sixteen babies had been brought to receive the rite? How the dove circled around for a few minutes, finally settling down on one of the organ pipes to remain through the service. How it seemed to give a special sacredness and pathos to the always beautiful custom! It seemed to us-if there be anything in signs-that those children ought to be and do something be- yond the life and achievements of ordinary, every day men and women.
How distinctly comes back the memory of the time when so- ciety teas were considered social functions, looked forward to eagerly and where children were allowed only on their good be- havior. Knowing this we tried to be proper and solemn while in the presence of our elders, but once out in the dim light of the lecture room, wasn't there some fun going, till we were sent home or had sent home our elders. We have a very clear vision of the two rows of "reserved seats" for us children at sup- per, at the lower end of the parlors, where it seemed to us the choicest pieces of cake never came. Nor could we waylay the waiters till the older people had been served; and yet our ten cent pieces counted for just as much. That was not "justice temper- ed with mercy." It was to our minds a clear case of injustice and partiality.
We have in our possession two comfortables made by the la- dies of the aid society twenty-four years ago. They have gone from guest to servant room and finally to the attic, where they are waiting a call from some one who prefers warmth to fresh- ness during the winter, and in face of this fact and these com-
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fortables which have kept me and mine warm so many years, we are complaining because such kind ladies as Mrs. Dodge, Mrs. Tolman and others did not feed us on angel cake and cream at the society teas thirty-five years ago. To be truthful that is the only fault we can find, for only pleasant memories come of the workers who are still giving their best efforts to the South church, and of those who have gone up higher whose kind faces and loving words and deeds are but a memory.
The Ladies' Foreign Missionary society-in existence now we believe-brings recollections of the efforts made by our mothers and by Dr. Frissell, whom you will remember, to interest the young girls of ten and twelve years, to be active members. In one case of which we have personal recollection it was a hopeless task, the cause of which, we are positive, dated back a little to a missionary box in which, much against her wish, was put a favorite green dress with black overskirt. The mother think- ing in her wise way the dress would do much good to some poor little heathen, while the daughter, persisting that a calico dress would be just as useful, wished to keep the dress for her own still longer. Of course the mother was right and the garment was packed, but the thought of the black girl in the cherished green dress, forever blasted whatever foreign missionary spirit might have been budding in that young mind, and to this day she is a home missionary in her small way and corner.
There is a very tender spot in our hearts for the dear old South church where we were brought up to believe in and try to do the right, and though our names are not now on the roll and our particular interest is in another church, we still care for the church our father and mother loved and worked for, and we wish for it the choicest of heaven's blessings.
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RECOLLECTIONS BY MRS. H. H. RICHARDSON.
In reviewing the earlier days of this church, it is thought fit- ting to speak of those noble women who sustained and worked so faithfully in, the Benevolent society connected with this church. They were women who were thoroughly imbued with a missionary spirit, and loved the cause. Their work consisted in fitting out boxes of clothing and bedding for the home field and raising money for the foreign. The meetings were held in these parlors, although much smaller than at the present time. No teas were served here, but many of the ladies lived near the church, and often invited those from a distance to go home for tea. I recall a few pleasant visits made in this way. The ladies returned to the church in the evening and the pastor and dea- cons and a few others came in for a social hour. There seemed to be more time in those days for visits and social calls. I came here as a stranger in the earlier days of Dr. Harris' ministry, and remember with pleasure how cordially I was greeted. I should like to recall certain names today: Mrs. Deacon Fenn, Mrs. Deacon Taylor, Mrs. Dr. Clough, Mrs. Wells, Mrs. Calvin Martin, Mrs. Dr. Root, Mrs. Stoddard, Mrs. Dr. Reed, Mrs. Rob- erts, Mrs. Deacon Dunham, Mrs. William Walker, Mrs. Solomon Wilson.
As I only attended the meetings occasionally, I did not become intimately acquainted with all. I well remember I felt some- what awed in the presence of some of those ladies and felt I must be very circumspect. They were courteous, dignified and very decided in their own opinions; they were certainly women of strong character, and one needed to know them well to ap- preciate their worth. I think they represented women of the olden time. As I recall those days I think Mrs. Fenn stood at the helm. Her judgment was relied upon and her advice sought
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and her mode of doing all things seemed always to be right. Her kind, genial manner and the confidence she placed in you, made you feel that you could accomplish a great deal. She won all hearts. She was noted for her charitable work throughout the town. She was often found in the homes of the poor and by the sick bed. Mrs. William Wells, who lived on South street in the house now occupied by Mr. William Cooley, was much beloved. She was always seeking out strangers, calling upon them, inviting . them to church and prayer meeting, and was often there to wel- come them. Mrs. Solomon Wilson and Mrs. William Walker I remember with much love, as I lived a near neighbor to them. I always appreciated their friendship and neighborly calls. Mrs. Deacon Taylor and Mrs. Deacon Dunham I met very often, as I was quite young and a stranger. They were very kind and they were friends tried and true. Their lovely Christian character shone in their every day life and conversation. They never failed in their calls and visits to sow some good seed, which left an in- fluence never forgotten. Mrs. Dr. Reed was dearly beloved by this church, and her work and her interest never ceased. The last work she could do was for our church society in one of our fairs. We always received some finely wrought work from her hands. Not quite ten years ago she went to her "heavenly home." We speak with great affection of Miss Parthenia Fenn. She did much good in this church and outside. The quiet way in which she did her many deeds of charity, and her love for this church and her kindness of heart endeared her to us all. These noble women and many others have gone to the "many man- sions" prepared for them, and if I fail to do them justice in their life work for the Master, we do honor their names and to-day hold them in fond remembrance.
Mrs. Dr. Harris of New Haven, in a letter, expresses her in- terest in a friendly way and hopes this fiftieth anniversary may
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prove a pleasant gathering and a success. She has kindly loaned Dr. Harris' picture and says she trusts there may be some of the older members of the church who will recognize the face of the good man, who has gone to his reward, and received the welcome, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
THE EARLY MISSIONARY INTERESTS OF THE CHURCH.
BY MISS F. ISABEL DUNHAM.
The details of the missionary work of the church in the ear- liest days cannot be learned, but some straws have been gleaned which show which way the wind blew then, and it set strongly toward missions, both home and foreign.
It is evident that it was essentially a missonary spirit which prompted those one hundred and thirty men and women to en- gage in a new and difficult enterprise that, as they said, "the borders of Zion in this town may be enlarged." They looked on the things of others rather than on their own, and their vis- ion included the world. Given this compelling love of souls we know the result must have been effort in their behalf which reached far and wide ..
We find that the monthly concert of prayer for missions, was one of the most interesting and highly prized services of the church. It was held for many years on the first Sunday even- ing of each month. Two preaching services and the Sunday school always preceded it, but did not prevent a large attendance at the favorite "Monthly Concert," and the rooms were filled. When the afternoon preaching service was changed to evening this meeting was held on the first Friday evening of each month, and the interest was not abated. That corps of efficient men who were wont to "support the meetings" apportioned the differ-
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ent missionary fields among themselves so that each reported from a special one. The Missionary Herald was a welcome visi- tor in the homes of the people and was read from cover to cover. I well remember the impression of my childhood that the mis- sionaries of whom these men talked were their personal friends with whom they were in close touch, knowing the difficulties, the successes, the peculiar need of each one and even speaking of their converts by name. The meeting was rightly named a con- cert for prayer, for prayer abounded. What earnest, direct pe- titions for each field and worker! What ardent responses and Amen's from the listening brethren! These led one little girl to exclaim, "Doesn't Deacon Taylor groan beautifully?" Truly these were the effectual fervent prayers of righteous men which availed much.
Such intimate acquaintance with the workers and their work produced a keen interest in every heart. This found expression in generous gifts of money, so we are not surprised that from the beginning, the church contributed to the American Board, the Home Missionary Society and the American Missionary As- sociation. The membership of church and parish was at first di- vided into districts and collectors went from house to house gathering the gifts of the people. A set of blank books used by the collectors from 1850 to 1860 is still in existence and makes interesting reading. They are marked, Foreign Missions, East Center and Fenn Street; Stearnsville and South District, North Street and Pontoosuc and many familiar names are written in them. Later the collections were taken in church.
The Sunday School seems to have taken the lead in contribut- ing to Foreign Missions. An entry in the Superintendent's min- ute-book on the third Sunday in the life of the school, Dec. 29, 1850, reads: "Commenced this day taking up collections in be- half of Foreign Missions." And a year later he writes: "It was
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voted by the school to appropriate the amount of the collections to this time, $54.93, toward constituting William Robinson an honorary member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. In the meantime the Infant class had given $10.00 to Home Missions.
While giving thus liberally to the various societies for mission- ary effort, the "Home Work," as we call it now, was not neglect- ed. An often told story brings before us this picture, which is one of many that might be drawn :- An intensely cold winter day, the wind raging, snow piling in huge drifts, two of the brethren of the South church drawn up close to a cheery fire in a shop on Bank Row, glad of shelter and warmth. Suddenly one said, "Do you suppose the Widow - and her family are suf- fering in this storm?" The quick answer came, "We must find out." A sleigh was procured, loaded with good things and the two men set out on a drive toward what is now the Junction, where in a little house far back in the field the family lived. It was a rough ride, almost an impossible one through the unbroken drifts. At last the sleigh could go no further but the men pushed on with their supplies. Reaching the house they found that help was sorely needed and believed that a "special provi- dence" had guided them.
The church has furnished missionaries as well as money for foreign work. Three who were more or less closely connected with it have gone out under the American Board. The first was Eliza Howard, a daughter of Welcome S. Howard, one of the organizers of the parish. Upon her return from Smyrna, where she had been a teacher, she became a member of this church, worked faithfully in the Sunday School and after her marriage went to Satara, India. Another of Mr. Howard's daughters hoped to be with us today and tell her sister's story. Being unable to come she has sent a letter which will be read.
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The second one of our number to go was Dr. F. N. H. Young. He was an Englishman of gentle birth who was led to Pittsfield by an interesting chain of circumstances. He entered the English navy and went with a polar expedition in search of Dr. Kane. On the return voyage he was very ill so that when his ship ar- rived at the Hawaiian Islands it was thought best to leave him under the care of the missionaries at Hilo. His health was partial- ly restored through their efforts and he was led by their in- fluence to consecrate himself simultaneously to Christ and to missionary work. Wishing to do this work under the auspices of the American Board, he decided to come to this country. The wife of the physician at Hilo was Lucy Taylor Wetmore, a daughter of our Deacon Taylor, who had gone out in 1848. She naturally recommended Dr. Young to her father's care and so he came to Pittsfield and to the South church of which he be- came a member in 1858. He was a man of fine mind, large intel- ligence, and a rarely beautiful nature and endeared himself to this people. His medical studies were pursued in the old Medical college under Dr. Childs. In 1860 the American Board sent him to Oroomiah, Persia, as missionary physician. Although at the end of three years he was compelled by ill health to return home, his record of work accomplished was most remarkable. Not only his medical skill is remembered there, but his evangelistic work, his progressive spirit. At an anniversary recently celebrated in Oroomish, Dr. Young is spoken of as the first to suggest and be- gin work for the Moslems,-a work now considered most impor- tant. The present useful physician of the mission, a son of a for- mer missionary, traces his desire to become a missionary physi- cian to Dr. Young's influence. He prepared the way for a much needed Hospital and did important work in translating. In a let- ter to Mrs. Tolman he wrote in 1861, "I pray very often for the South church. To its "living stones" the Lord grant that by
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them others may be 'made alive.' I hope you all pray for me and our work here."
The other missionary whom we may in a measure claim as ours is Mrs. Mary K. Edwards of Granda, Africa. Though not a member of this church she was an attendant for some time, has always loved it, and is held in loving remembrance by many of its members. Since 1868 she has ably carried on a girls' school in Granda.
Many heathen girls have through its training been transform- ed into noble Christian women and are a part of the leaven which is leavening the heathenism of that land. One of our num- ber, Mrs. Tolman, years ago educated in this school a girl who is still doing Christian work among her people.
Others will tell of the later missionary work of the church by the Little Helpers, the Dorcas and Aloha societies, the Sun- shine Circle, the White Guards, the Women's Foreign Mission- ary society and the Christian Endeavor society .
We may feel with joy that our line has indeed gone out into all the earth,-to Turkey, India, Persia, Africa, to many another country and to the dark places of our own. So the desire of the Fathers has been granted, and by this church the borders of Zion have been enlarged not only in this town but in the world.
LETTER FROM MRS. KITTIE HOWARD BARTLETT, DAUGHTER OF MR. WELCOME S. HOWARD.
Dear Friends :- It would have been a rare and sweet privilege to have been permitted to sit "in heavenly places" with you dur- ing these anniversary days. As the daughter of one of the orig- inal members of the church, and one who loved much and sac-
ยท
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rificed much for its welfare, I can but feel the warmest interest in all that shall be said and done. Since I cannot be with you I am glad to respond to an invitation to prepare a little sketch of one who had the honor of being, so far as I know, the only one who has gone out from the church as a missionary. Prob- ably very few, if any present, knew or remember her. Her dear friend, Mrs. James H. Dunham, had she been spared could have done greater justice to her memory and labors than I am able to do, for I was so young when she went to India that I cannot write much from memory, and unfortunately am unable to find any of her letters among my father's papers. About the year 1839 Miss Salome Danforth, a daughter of Col. Joshua Dan- forth, went out to Smyrna as a teacher, sent out by the Young Ladies Benevolent society of the First church. After a time she needed an assistant teacher in her school and Eliza, daugh- ter of Welcome S. Howard, then a member of the First church was sent out by the same society, sailing from Boston in Dec. 1847. While there she came in contact with many of the pio- neer missionaries, whose names are familiar, one of whom at least still lives, Dr. Elias Riggs, being nearly 90 years old. Many of her pupils were the children of those missionary families. From her letters, from those which have been preserved, we could glean very much of interest did time permit.
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