USA > Vermont > Rutland County > The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 1 > Part 12
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The silvery threads are shining now Amid those ebon locks of thine ; And on thy check and on thy brow Is pencil'd many a thoughtful line.
Life's morning sun our shadows blent, When all the streams to eastward run ;
Lo, now the river's course is bent To swell the tide of setitng sun.
Yon sunny hills we quickly pass'
And stood upon the midland height ; Henceforth our shadows, backward cast, . Will lengthen till they blend in night,
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Together we this path have trod, In joy and sorrow, hope and fear,- Through changing scenes and seasons stood By the same cradle, font, and bier.
The olive plants around our board Have blossom'd into summer bloom ; Oh, may the promise they afford Ripen rich fruit to deck our tomb.
Some drooped, 'tis true, at morning tide, And were transplanted to the skies ; And some, alas, may ill abide The blasting winds that round us rise.
Ah, few who left with us the bowers Of childhood, linger on the way : Some fell to sleep among the flowers, And some on lonely hill-sides lay.
Perchance a few more suns may set, A few more moons may wax and wane, When we who journey onward vet, Shall close our part in life's refrain.
And, as thy westering sun declines, Oh, may its light so purely glow That, while thy pathway it defines, With steps unwavering thou shalt go.
And.I will lift my prayer to Him Who listens to each humble cry, To fill with blessings, to the brim, Thy cup on earth, thy crown on high. 3
-
TO MY MOTHER .*
Dear Mother, worn and weary now, Calm be thy rest at even-tide, Where deep and still the waters flow, Nearing the ocean vast and wide.
The morning fields are far away Where childhood left its foot-prints light, And the sunny hills seem dim and grey That youthful memories paint so bright.
But thou canst see them though afar, And trace the long and winding way Whose roughness cost thee many a scar, Whose storms have bleach'd thy hair so grey.
Those silvery locks were waving bright And burnished like the raven's plume, No maiden's eye flashed purer light, No maiden's cheek wore richer bloom.
A form and elegance of mein That grace and dignity bestow ; Meet channels these where many a stream Of life's sweet sympathies may flow.
Lovely and lofty traits were there, Self-sacrificing, true and kind ; The wife's devotion, Mothers's care By faith and love to God refined.
[* Mrs. Rache! F. Fuller, one of the oldest inhabi- tante of Brandon, for whom her daughter, Mrs. Dana, wrote this tribute of affection on her 92d birthday which occurred a few days before her death .- Ed.]
But scattered all along the ground Are hopes that once were towering high, And there is many a grassy mound Where fond affections buried lie.
Where childhood's sunny hours flew past Thy Mother's lowly bed was made, And where thy youthful lot was cast Thy Father in the church-yard laid.
. He, who should slumber at thy side Sleeps by the Merrimac's bright wave, And mauy a time thy heart hath died Within thee, o'er some loved ones' grave.
But, though thine eyes be dim with tears Canst thou not see a heavenly hand; That strengthened thee so many years And led thee through this weary land !
Though many a pang our follies cost And fear and sorrow have been thine, Still not one prayer or tear is lost Laid on a pitying Saviour's shrine.
I bless thee, Mother, for the care That never faltered on the way, That taught my infant lips the prayer And offers thine for me each day.
I bless thee, for the love untold Whose fountains never ceased to play, Whose depths have never yet grown cold. Whose streams have gladdened all my way.
Dear Mother, thou art almost home, Thy Father's house almost in sight, And from its towers through all the gloom Come rays reflecting Heaven's own light.
Some of our number wait us there, Those grassy mounds are sunken low, And what has earth of good, or fair, To tempt our feet to linger so ?
God bless thee, Mother, and bestow Sweet peace on all thy days to come, And gently may the waters flow · That bear thee to a heavenly home.
GUARDIAN SPIRITS.
" Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them that shall be heirs of salvation ? "_ Hebrews i. 14.
Do ye come in the hush of the twilight hour, When the fire in the west grows dim, Your footsteps thrilling our heart-strings o'er Like some floating angel-hymn
When the moonbeam silvers the frosted pane, When the night and the morning meet ? Or the eaves are dripping with summer rain, And the clover bells are sweet ?
But come with the light of the spirit land, Wherever Times' shadow descends; It is blessed to lean on the unseen hand Our heavenly Father sends.
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Come with sweet thoughts from the world above, Where Christ and the holy ones are; Ch, whisper some message from those we love! Do they not remember us there?
Could we catch one gleam of your shining hair, One look in your sad sweet eyes ! But we may never gaze on vision so fair Till beyond the dark river we rise.
" By your pillow at night, and your footsteps by day, We watch you through good and through ill ; In the dark hour of danger sow light in your way, To shine on the narrow path still.
"In joy and in sorrow, in weal and in woe, On the desert, the mountain, the wave,
In your wanderings wide, wherever you go From the cradle-bed on to the grave.
" So lovingly, tenderly, still by your side, It is ours His love to express, Who so loved the world that for sinners Ile died, And Ilis wounded hands ever would bless.
" In this dark world of sin ve may see no gleams Of our bright forms and radiant wings :
Too fearful and sad earth's mystery seems, Too deep is the shadow it flings.
" We're watchers till time and eternity meet, " We know not the day nor the hour ;' But the dark shall be light at the judgment-seat, And evil triumphant no more."
THE GARDEN OF THE HEART-AN EXTRACT. I have a mystic garden A fountain there is playing Whose springs are never dry; The precious Plants there nurtur'd Were by my Father given; And ever as I watch'd them, At morning, noon, or even, I might have known He watch'd them, too, With more than hunan love, And sent sweet influences, like dew, Down from His home above.
The Oak, the Ash, the Fir tree, The Elm and Maple, too, Sprung up so fair and graceful, And in my garden grew ;
I see their spreading branches wave, And glory in their shade.
And flowers were there to beautify, And make my borders gay ; A rose that blush'd like sunset, And a Lily sweet as May. I had a Morning-glory, too, But it faded in an hour; And cherubs bore it, wet with dew, To grace their own sweet bower.
A white Rose once so fondly Twin'd round the Oaken tree, Which shelter'd and sustain'd it Most true and tenderly : But a light was ou it, day by day It faded, till afar On autumn winds 't was borne away Where augel gardens are.
The Olive and the Cedar Are in my garden now ; Strength dwelleth in the cedar, Peace in the olive bough. And other flowers are gathered there, So beautiful and bright, I dream of nought more sweet and fair, Save in the land of light.
Far be the days of sorrow That shall with power prevail, To scatter leaf and blossom Upon the wintry gale. And when, in years that soon will fee, These walls in ruin lie, May the fadeless flower, the living tree, And all within my garden, be Transplanted to the sky.
THE HAND THAT WROUGHT WITH MINE .*
There was a hand that wrought with mine, To gather up these autumn leaves, That now can only wreathe a shrine With those that mournful memory weaves.
There was an eye that lingered long And kindly o'er each leaf and spray ; Seeking some music in the song, Some lasting beauty in the lay.
There was a smile that cheered me on, Which I, alas, no more shall see ; And what avails since thou art gone, And all the world seems sad to me?
The fairest things we gather here, Laid on thy grave, soon fade away ; There's no memorial love can rear But Time will crumble in decay.
But in those green, unfading bowers, In the unseen land to which we go, No sorrow lies beneath the flowers, No treasure under winter's snow.
There wilt thou take my hand again. And lead me through the Elen fields ; No more to liope and toil in vain For the fading things time only yields.
Oh, glorious home ! I'll look for thee Above your purple star-lit shore, . Until the loved ones there I see, And dream of thein and thee no more.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF BRANDOS. BY DEACON BARZILLAI DAVENPORT.
On Sept. 23, 1785, a Congregational church was organized in Brandon, by the Rev. Mr. Sell of Dorset, consisting of 5 males and 5 re- males, viz .: Jedediah Winslow, William Dolge, Nathan Flint, David Backland and Moses Barnes ; Mrs. Sarah Larkin, Elizabeth Wins- low, Elizabeth Dodge, Merey Flint and Mary King.
They had previously appointed a dar of fist- ing, humiliation and prayer, and a lo. 23 arti- cles of faith and covenant; and the male moles- bers subscribed to rules of discipline : all of * Dr. A. G. Dana diod August 27th, 1561.
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which were in the main truly orthodox and scriptural.
Like the Pilgrim Fathers, the early settlers of Brandon seemed to care for the worship of God, while in the wilderness. There were but few settlements in town when the church was organized. Their public meetings were held in private dwellings, and they mostly were log- houses.
From a smoky manuscript, which purports to have been the first book of the records of the church, it appears that this feeble band of Chris- tians consecrated their offspring to God more generally than is done by the members of the church at the present day : and ad litions were made to the church, from time to time, by pro- fession of their faith in Christ, and by letters from other churches : but as the records were kept on manuscripts of a few sheets of paper, for many years after the organization of the church, there is not now to be found a continu- ous record. The first book and the third, which are in manuscripts, are still preserved ; but the second, or what would seem to have been the second book of records, embracing a term of 5 or 6 years, is not to be found; and some of the leaves of the first books are quite illegible.
The church at its organization, made choice of Jedediah Winslow (1) as their mo lerator and Clerk, and he discharged the duties of both of- fices for several years thereafter.
The church had occasional preaching, (2) sometimes more than one Sabbath in succes- sion, and lectures on week-days, occasionally ; but no settled pastor or stated supply until 1792, when on the 23d of September the Rev. Enos Bliss (3) was installed as their pastor. How long Mr. Bliss ministered to them is not shown by any record now to be found, as there is no record of his dismission. Tradition says that Mr. Bliss was called, settled and dismissed with- in a year.
January, 1800, the (4) Rev. Ebenczer Hib- bard was ordained in Brandon, and installed pastor. There is no record of the stipulated amount to be paid the pastor, on the church records-although a committee was chosen to deed the land to Mr. Hibbard, agrecably to their contract with him. The country was new, and the church poor, and of course the salary was small. as they worshipped in a log meeting- house ; and I find a vote on record to purchase a cow that would not cost over $18.00, and give to Mr. Hibbard, during the following spring.
Mr. Hibbard continued to labor here almost 21 years. He was dismissed Sept. 5, 1821.
[ During his ministry in Brandon there were sev. eral precious revivals of religion, and many ad- ditions to the church. During the years 1915 and '17, there were some 120 united with the church.
But at the time of Mr. Hibbard's dismission, the church became somewhat divided and dis- tracted in their councils, and without doubt large additions of its members. in 1517. as was alledged by some of the old members, dil not add so much to the strength and graces of the church, as it did to its numbers; although many good and devoted Christians became members at that time. There were, however, some tares which an enemy had sows. that af- terwards sprang up and showed themselves.
After Mr. Hibbard was dismissed. the church and society hired preaching most of the time for some 18 months. Rev. Mr. Perrin preached several months, and Dr. Bates, president of Mid- dlebury College, and Prof. John Hough, were the principal supplies, after Mr. Perrin les cotil the latter part of the summer of '22. when the Rev. Beriah Green, direct from the seminary at Andover, was invited to preach as a can linte. Mr. Green was a gradutate of Middlebury Col- lege-a young man of much promise, and an interesting speaker. The church give him a call, which he accepted, and was ordained April 16, '23. He was more of a preacher chan a pastor : and. during his ministry in Brandon, which was a little more than 6 years, there were 25 additions to the church by letter and by pro- fession, and 24 excommunications, and 5 deithe.
The 11th of May, 1829, he was dismissed, and again the church applied to the Collese fac- ulty to supply their pulpit, which was chestil- ly responded to by Dr. Bites and Prof. Hoigh, until the summer of '30, when the Rev. Imi In- graham was invited to become the pastor of the church, and accepted in the following ian- guage :
"In considering your call for the primpasa of forming an answer, my only inquiry ato id to: Does the Great Head of the Church call me to this field ? I have endeavored to interpret His providences in relation to tit's question. and if I understand their meaning it is His divine will that I should accept your call.
" Believing, therefore, that such is : > will of my Lord and Master, I most hene:"- and cheerfully accept your invitation. Maria Gol of all grace sanction your call ami t 's de .pt- ance of it. And if this connection is fonte ]. and this endearing and solong PLAY Is aAl- sninmated between us, may it be as . fr Hermon, and as the dow that doscen isi pon the mountains of Zion ; for there the Lo: I com manded a blessing, even life forevermore."
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Mr. Ingraham settled (Sept. 1, 1830,) on a m'ary of $450, and the use of the parsonage, which was purchased by the church and socie- ty during the pastorate of Mr. Green. Mr. In- graham proved to be an able and earnest preach- er, and a faithful and efficient pastor, and his labors were abundantly blessed in building up the church. He remained pastor a little over 6 years, when, at the urgent request of the Vermont Domestic Missionary Society, he was dismissed to engage as the Secretary and Agent of that board.
In the year 1831, there was held in many of the churches in this vicinity a series of meet- ings, called three-days meetings. The Baptist church in Brandou appointed such a meeting, and invited several neighboring clergymen of their denomination to come and assist them in sustaining the meetings. The Congregational church in Pittsford had appointed a three-days meeting to be held at the same time and on the same days; which meeting Mr. Ingraham had engaged to attend, and did attend the two first days of the series ; but finding that an unusu- al interest was manifested by his people in Brandon, in the Baptist meeting which was be- ing conducted there, he returned on the 3d day, and attended with his people the last day's ser- vice of the Baptist meeting. He took no part in the meeting, save the offering of one prayer ; yet his deep interest was most manifest to all who were present. On the 10th of July fol- lowing this meeting, there were added to the Congregational church 32 members by profess- ion of their faith in Christ, and a large share of them heads of families.
The whole number of additions during Mr. Ingraham's ministry was 136 members, includ- ing several restorations of members who were excommunicated during the previous pastorate, and only one member excluded.
On the day of Mr. Ingraham's dismission. Rev. Harvey Curtis, afterwards President of Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., was ordained over us as a pastor-then a young man and tutor in Middlebury College. He was an earnest and affectionate preacher. a warm hearted Christian, and greatly beloved by the church and people. He commenced preaching with us in the au- tina of 1835. as Mr. Ingraham had not time to preach with us, although he was not formally dosad until Feb. 17, 1836, the day of Mir. Ciruy' ordination.
A protracted meeting was commenced in Brandon by the Rev. Jedediah Burchard, an
Evangelist, on the day of, or the next day after, Mr. Curtis' ordination, and continued some 13 or 19 days, in which the other denominations in Brandon, viz. Baptist and Method:st, united and participated with us. Although the meet- ings were held in our meeting-house, and all shared in the fruits of the meeting, the Congre- gational church, under the advice of the Rev. Mr. Ingraham, had passed a vote, previous to Mr. Burchard's visiting Brandon, not to be in haste about the admission of members into the church, during the excitement of the meeting: consequently none of the converts were admit- ted to membership in the church until after Mr. Burchard had left town. On the 20th of March there were 41 admitted to the church, on profession of their faith in Christ. A very large proportion of them, in their relation to the the church of their Christian experience, dated their conversion prior to that meeting-and some of them many years before.
The whole number of members who joined the church during Dr. Curtis' pastorate, was 152. A larger number of the congregation were constant attendants on public worship during his ministry, than were before or since. He has occasionally visited Brandon since his relation of pastor was dissolved, and always had a full house. He was dismissed Dec. 11, 1840.
After Mr. Curtis left, Rev. Milo J. Hichcok preached as a candidate for settlement some 3 months. He was an interesting preacher, and the church gave him a call ; but he declined to accept the invitation, and afterwards settled in Rochester, N. Y. The Professors in Middle- bury college were again applied to, and sup- plied the church with preaching until the spring of 1842, when Rev. William H. Marsh came to Brandon, and, after a short trial, the church gave him a call to settle, which he accepted, and was ordained June 29, 1842. Ile was an easy writer, and rather a fluent speaker, but did not seem to interest himself, nor the people very much ; and, in the winter of 1843, he complained of ill health, and did not preach much, and asked for a dismission which was granted him. A council was called and he was formally dismissed on 21st of Mar., 1843. The next sabbath after. he craved the privilege of preaching a farewell sermon to the people ; and came out openly, and avowed himself an Episcopalian : he was unfortunate, however, in his effort, as he made no converts to that communion from the Congregational church.
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This summerset of Mr. Marsh had no ten- dency to divide the church. They remained strong in the faith of Congregationalism, and made an effort to find another pastor. They invited the Rev. Wm. G. T. Shedd, who had just finished his course at the Andover Theo- logical Seminary. to come and preach as a can- didate. He accepted the invitation, and commenced his labors in September of the same year, and on Jan. 4, 1844, was ordained as pastor. He remained with us nearly 2 years. He was quite young, but is too well known in the religious world now, for me to speak of his talents, or acquirements. The church desired to keep him-but he had received the appoint- ment of a professorship in the University of Vermont, and expressed a strong desire to ac- cept it ; saying that he thought himself better adapted for the discharge of the duties of a professor, than he was for those of a pastor. The result was that he was dismissed Aug. 19, 1845.
During these frequent changes of pastors the church gathered no strength, but grew weak- er. They resorted to their old friends, the President and Professors of Middlebury College. to supply the pulpit on the Sabbath. This re- quest was again graciously granted until sometime in the spring of 1846, when the Rev. Moses Chase, formerly a pastor of the Platts- burgh church, N. Y., was recommended to the church. He came and preached a few Sab- baths, received a call, and accepted it, and, Dec. 3, 1846, was installed as pastor, and on the 8th of September following. the connection was dissolved, and the church left once more with- out an under shepherd. At this time of trial, one of the members of the church wrote a let- ter to the Rev. Mr. Ingraham, their old pastor, who had been settled over a Presbyterian church in Lyons, N. Y. Mr. Ingraham had just been dismissed from his charge there, and very soon came to Brandon, and engaged to. preach for us for one year; and before the close of the year, the church and society ex- tended to him a call to again assume the du- ties and responsibilities of pastor of the church : but the call was not unanimous. There were two strong abolitionists in the church who were very fearful, that he was a pro-slavery man. Mr. Ingraham finding that the church was not unanimous, declined our offer.
Early in the spring of 1850, Rev. Francis B. Wheeler was invited to become the pastor of the church. He accepted the call, and was installed on May 29th, of the same year. He
remained with us until September 7, 1834, when he went to Saco, Maine, and is now pas- tor of a Presbyterian church in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. ; and we were once more supplied with preaching from the College faculty.
In the summer of 1856, the church invited the Rev. John D. Kingsbury to visit Brandon, and preach a few Sabbaths as a candidate. He accepted the invitation, and came and preached two Sabbaths. The church and so- ciety gave him a call to settle as pastor. After the close of the term of the Theological Seminary, Mr. Kingsbury accepted the call, and was ordained Sept. 24, 1856, and was dis- missed Aug. 15, 1860. The last two pastors of the church were good preachers, and very acceptable pastors. There were added to the church, during Mr. Wheeler's ministry, 55 mem- bers, and during Mr. Kingsbury 58 members. Six members have united with the church by profession, since we have been destitute of a pastor.
A few individual members of the church have purchased a piece of land and have erect- ed a very convenient brick vestry, or confer- ence-room, finished it, and the ladies have seat- ed it with settees.
In 1858, the Congregational church and soci- ety made very extensive repairs and altera- tions in their house of worship, at an expense of from $2500 to $3000, not including a beau- tiful marble pulpit, which was a free-will offer- ing, from one of the deacons of the church. [6]
The whole membership of the church from its origanization up to August, 1861, was 769. Present number is 178.
[Deacon Davenport had finished his paper to this point when he died : the notes and sup- plement to which are by the Rev. Mr. Tux- bury-and the biographical sketch of the writer by Henry Clark of the Rutland Herald .- Ed.]
CONTINUATION FROM OTHER SOURCES.
After the dismission of Mr. Kingsbury in 1860, the church was without a pastor for nearly five years. During this period of un- happy differences, growing out of the repair of the church, and the methods adopted for rais- ing money for the parish expenses, only 17 persons united with the church by prof ssion and by letter. The pulpit was variously sup- plied. In 1861-2, Rev. Win. Ford a Methodist minister residing in town, supplied the pulpit for several months. Rev. Win. J. Harris was invited Oet. 24, 1862 to become their pastor, or a stated supply for one year, at his option.
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Hle chose the latter, and, being re-engaged, con- tinued in that relation till Jan. 1, 1865, on which day he closed his labors, avowing him- self an Episcopalian. He has since been rec- tor of churches at Manchester, N. H., and at Montpelier, and is now [1873] rector of Trin- ity Church, Rutland.
On the 21st of April, 1865, the church voted unanimously to invite Rev. Franklin Tuxbury to become their pastor. Mr. Tuxbury had preached five Sabbaths, and on the occasion of Pres. Lincoln's National Fast-the day of his assassination, April 14. Mr. T. had previous- ly been pastor of the Russell church in Had- ley, Mass. He was installed pastor May 25. 1865. Rev. Silas Aiken, D. D., was the mod- erator of the Council, and Rev. W. G. T. Shedd, D. D., a former pastor of the church, and a former instructor of the candidate, preached the sermon. During the present pastorate there have been added to the church up to the present time (Aug. 1872.) 105 members. The total membership from organization of the church is about 896. The present number is 209-a net gain of 51 members in seven years.
NOTES.
(1) " Jedidiah Winslow," Sept. 28, 1791, was · disciplined " for boiling maple sap upon the Lord's day." Dea. Winslow said he was " Sorry that he did it, on the account of it being a grief to the minds of his breatherin, but not vuing himself therein gilty of a breach of the Sabbath," he insisted " that he there in was himself in the way of his duty." But, " the Church vuing it a direct viola- ton of the Law of god, and that he might as weil bin imployed in a most any other bis- 1 .... $-taking that with the matter of exSam- ple undder Consideration-they voted not satisfied. Uppon which Brother winslow re- quested a CounSell and the Church redily Complied, then proceded and Mutally Chose the West Church in Rutland for the odd Church, then the Choice by vote of the Churchi in Jericho and the Church in Orwell and Mr: Winslow made Choice of the Church in Hins- dale and the Church in Walpole, To meet the Just Thursday in January next."
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