Life-incidents of home, school and church, (autobiographical.)

Front matter

! UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, f

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Life-Incidents

Preface

Individual life, in its various phases, tells upon humanity all around it; and much that is lost in the vast whirl of society would be profitable, if its facts and instrumentalities could be spread out before the mind of a tempted, struggling, living world. Great acts, and great consequences, and great efforts, and great thoughts of great men are often thrown before the world. These have been interesting — have done good ; but the masses feel at once their incapacity to grapple with, and start upon such a life tour ; and thus much of their practical effect is lost.

The farmer boy has his trials and struggles, his successes and defeats, his encouragements and discouragements. The apprenticed mechanic, with the accompaniment of frowns and smiles, of privations and enjoyments, of reproofs and approbations ; his aids to virtue, and his temptations to vice, have all operated as the upward or

IV PREFACE.

downward steps by which he has ascended and descended the hill and vales of life ; they are the operations and influences which, in a good degree, have placed him where he is.

Draw out, for one of this class, on the real canvas of life, the actual life-events of a diversified humanity, with their causes and results j not gathered from the imaginations of a Dickens, or the fancy sketchings of an Arthur, but really drawn from actual experience and careful observations, and you would place before him a chart of great practical interest, whether he develop into a "legislator" or a "hod -carrier." You have given facts and results not to be read merely, but to study and guide him over the self-same track.

Such a work these reminiscences, in some degree, profess to be : literally true, except in a few points, and those especially noted. What you have, therefore, in this work is actual life, individual humanity, real actors in the scenes delineated. The names in most cases are omitted, in order that early or late life-error may be instrumental in the correction of evil without marked suffering to those

more immediately or remotely connected.

R. C. S.

Chapter I

Birth — Parents — Firmness — Don't Contradict Me, 1-2. Tongues — A Blast, 4. School — Church, 6. First Form of Death, 7. Man Seen in Boy — You Wish to See if Coffin will Fit, 9-10. Over the Dam, 12. Thiee Deaths, 13. Cow Choked — Taming Mad Cats, 16-18. My New Grammar — What it Accomplished, 21. Rhode Island Schools, 23. Academy — Second to First Class, 26. Schools Taught, 27. Marriage, 29. Boy Punished — Indictment, 30. Removal to Massachusetts, 33. Geniality — Father and Son, 35. Bridle Road Battle, 36. Boundary in Swamp — Justice of the Peace, 40. Old Church Fight, 41. Father's Death, 42. Change of Life-Course — Removal to Oxford — Results, 44-7. Chester, Vermont, 48. Holbrook's Lectures, 49. Stanstead, L. C. — Removal to Oxford Plain, 50-1.

Chapter II

Review — The Boy Preacher, 52-6. Doubts — Inn* delity Delineated, 57-9. Arguments — Testimony of Good and Bad Alike, 60-1. Military — First Temperance Address, 62-3. Permanent School — Classics — Higher Mathematics, 64-6. The Lyon and Pattridge — J. H. Gallup, 66-8. Translation of Jacob's Greek Reader, 70. Lectures on Teaching — Assistants — Success, 71-6. Ora-

VI CONTENTS.

tion July 4th, 76. Lectures, Scientific, Moral — Lady's Finger Burned, 78. Temperance Pledge — Theological Reading, 79. First Sermons — Criticisms, 80. Call to Pastorate, W. B. — Review of Last Nine Years, 81-3. My Uncle — Masonic Feats, 83-6. Trip to Central, N. Y., 87. Return — Old Williams' House — Deerfield, 90. My Religious Views, 91.

Chapter III

West Bridgewater — Its History — Three Ministers 169 Years, 93-7. Religious Interest — Sunday School — Festivals, 97-8. Early Piety — A Child's Faith, 99-100. Family Devotions, 101. Phrenology — Ignorance Exposed, 103. A Life of Five-score, 106. Clairvoyance — Chas. Poyen, 108. Temperance — Ames' Dog at Church — The Sinner Converted, 1 10-12. Hotel Bought — Wash. Lectures — Ten Drunkards, 112-14. Attempted Murder — Murderer Reformed — Visit 30 Years After, 1 15-18. Family Reminiscence, 119. Easton School Rioters, 1 2 1-4. Two Cases of Conscience, 125-6. I Leave for Sherborn — Revival — Sunday School — Gold Pencil, 127-30. Controversy — Parker's Infidelity, 131-42. Funeral — Seven Young Ladies, 143. Converted Infidel, 144.

Chapter IV

Temperance — Drunkard's Death, 145. King of Traffic — Dialogue — Prosecutions — Legal Attack, 148-52. Extracts — Arson — Suicide — "Fire King," 153-5 Silver Pitcher, 156-9. Independent Church, 161. Installation Rev. J.' L. Stone, 162. Invitation to Boston, 163. An

CONTENTS. VII

Escaped Slave, 164. Shadrack — -Hale's Plea, 165-8. C. Cudmore's Death, 17 1-2. Letter from England, 173. Dedication — Cochituate — Sermon — Extracts, 174-6, Addresses Temp. — Maine Law, 177-9. New Member from C. C. (a Drama), 180-194. Marriage of Emigrants, 195.

Chapter V

Boston to Manchester, 197-9. "Mirror" — Extract, 200. Church Dedicated, 201. To Niagara Falls — Burning Steamer Caroline — Whirlpool, 203-8. S. S. Library — Religious Drama — Song by a Child Three Years Old — Extract from Drama, 209-14. Amoskeag Fifty Years Ago, 214. Royal Amer. Lily, 215. White Mountains — W T illey House — Jokes — Ride — Top of Mt. Washington — Franconia Notch-Hume, 218-20. Home — Sab. — Bow in Clouds, 221. Dedication S. Elliot, Me., 221. Cor. of "Stars and Stripes," 222. Lectures — Eyes Fail — Invitation to go West — Present from S. S., 223-4. Start West — Snow Storm — Gamblers and Fools, 225-7. Cincinnati — Bowie Knives — Evansville — Slang, 228-9. St. L. and Back— Down Alleghany — " Old P. C."— " Corn- planter," 231-3. Sab. on River, 235. Shipped on Prima Donna, 236. Bloody River Scenes, 237-9. Beauties of Slavery, 241-2. Giant 7 feet 8 inches, 242. Trips and Travels — Boat Officers — Fighting Scenes — Old Ford Shot, 243-9.

Chapter VI

Up Missouri — Three Hundred Mormons — Big River Story — Gamblers and " Stool Pigeons," 252-8. Kansas

VIII CONTENTS.

War — Roughs — Preaching, 259-61. Return — Boat Sunk — God's overruling care, 263-5. Wife came West — Boarding House Jokes — Threat of Murder, 266-9. Negro Shrewdness, 269-70. Daily Prayer- Meeting, 272. Return from Omaha — Frozen in — White Negro, 273-6. Employers and Help — Examples, 277-81. Monticello — Singular Coincidence — Marriage — Death, 281-3. Mammoth Cave — Green River — Cypress Swamp — In the Cave, 284-8. Journey East — Harper's Ferry — City of Wash., 289-95. To N. E. — Our Children — Visits, 296-7. American Flag Raised— First Prisoners of the War, 299-300. Sermon, 301. Lane's Prairie — My Son — War Closed, 304. Trip East — Lakes, 305-7. Old Home — Old Friends, 308-9. Union Church Coventry, 309. Stone Family, 310-14. Visit Luzerne Co. — Wyoming, 315-18.

Chapter VII

Home in St. Louis — Call at Bunker Hill, 111., 320. Revival — Extracts — Success, 322-4. A Voice — Jubilee Extracts, 324-5. Mattoon 'Family — Com., 326. Discussion — Cath. Priest, 327-34. Aurora — A "Fit" — Recovery — Results, 335-6. Invitation — Monticello, 337-9. Dismission B. H. — Trip up River — Race — Nauvoo — Giantess of 675 pounds — Lake Pepin — St. Paul — Minneapolis — Lake Calhoun — Falls Minnehaha, 340-7. Return — The Bluff — A Conversion — Home, 347-9. States Traveled — Where I Have Preached, 349-50. Son Left Us — The Family — Conclusion, 350.

INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF E. C. STONE.

Chapter I

I was born July 18th, 1798, in Scituate, county of Providence, State of Rhode Island; was the last of four children, and twelve years younger than my living sister. The first two, a daughter and a son, died in childhood.

Although I was blessed with kind parents, who cared for all my wants, yet I soon learned that human life was not designed to be a scene of continuous enjoyment, but a school of discipline, where, by a series of trials, instructions and struggles, are brought into activity and developed the nobler faculties of a soul-life — where we are shown the beauty and effulgence of an unveiled eternity !

My father, like most Rhode Island boys, began work in early life. Remarkably temperate in his habits, he enjoyed almost uninterrupted health till his decease, in 1824, in the sixty-fifth year of his age. He was a man of great industry, of indomitable perseverance; and his judgment on all matters with which he was conversant was regarded as almost oracular. He was a man of great observation, and having a good memory, joined to a peculiar social tact, he made himself master of most matters of general interest, without the trouble of books. He had no love for reading, scarcely perused a book or looked over a paper; and yet he was a steady thinker — thinking with his head upon one subject, working with his hands upon another. He once gave me a striking proof of these facts. Among the very few times that he ever attempted to correct me by whipping, one occurred as follows, when I was about ten or twelve years old. We were plowing, with two yoke of oxen. He was holding; I was driving. The leading oxen were young and not well trained, and almost every time we came round the field, as we crossed the path leading to the barn, these leaders would run off. This would wake up father, and call out the reproof: " Careless boy ! " " Take better care of those steers ! " I would determine to do better ; yes I would. I would keep them right the next round ! But I was a dreamy boy, as my father was a dreamy man. I would forget, and off they would go again ! At length on one occasion I did remember — I kept the leaders straight. There was not a word said, and on we went, I rejoicing that I had kept my resolution. But the next round I forgot myself, and off they went again ! My father was angered. " You careless boy ! You don't try to mind your business ! Those leaders have run off every time we have passed this place since we began." I said, " No, father, they did not run off the last time. " He said, " They did ; you tell that which is not true." I replied, " I say the truth ; they did not run off the last time round." He replied, with greater anger, "Don't contradict me ! " I replied again, " I kept them straight the last time round." He seized the whip, took it from my hand, and whipped me severely, saying, " Will you now contradict me again ? " I looked him in the face and said, " Father, you may whip me to death, if you please, but I shall say with my last breath, I kept them straight forward the last time round." He again raised the whip, looked me with an indescribable expression in the eye for a moment, then threw the whip upon the ground, went to his plow, and bade me drive on. He was honest, thought he was right, and the whipping, though wrong, resulted in good to us both. It made him less positive, and me more careful in my work ; yet he felt that I did not deserve it, and has told me so in after life.

Here, I now perceive, the Lord allowed an evil, growing out of imperfect humanity, to work out a greater good, and all in accordance with moral agency. I had a glimpse of the same truth then, having read ParnelPs Poem, and some others on the same subject. My reading is among my earliest recollections ; in fact, I can not recollect when I could not read, as my first remembrance of books is reading them.

My father was a farmer, twelve miles from the city of Providence, and marketed his own butter, cheese, grain, peaches, apples, and hence was often in the city. He encouraged me to read, buying me books of stories and moral tales, and as often as I had mastered them, and talked with him describing their contents, he would buy me a new book ; and many is the hour that I have sat on his knee, a little boy of four, telling him what I had read that day. My mother also encouraged me, being herself fond of reading, and possessing, as did my father, a retentive memory, joined to a remarkable power of delineation and story-telling in the best sense of that word. I thus read, and understood everything in Bingham's Spelling Book, The Easter Offering, Robin Goodfellow, The History of a Little Great Man, Peter Pipin King of the Good Boys, The History of George Graceful, Entertaining Stories, and several other works, before I was six years old. Much of which, especially the poetry, I committed to memory, without intending to do so, and retain it to this day.

When between four and five years old, I got into a difficulty, which taught me a lesson, as to neighborhood duties, relative to parents and children's tongues. I have somewhere read a fable of a nobleman, who, having a very wise Steward, ordered him to furnish a dinner of the best article in the world without reference to the expense. The Steward provided a plentiful supply of tongues. The nobleman found no fault; was pleased with the dinner, and also with the ingenuity and shrewdness of the servant. He then ordered him to supply for the next day's dinner the worst article. Judge his surprise at finding on his table a plentiful supply of tongues again ! My difficulty when four years old is almost an illustration of the wisdom of the Steward's dinners. We had a neighbor within one-fourth of a mile, who had sold his home and was about to move away. My parents allowed me often to go in there, as the family seemed interested in my calls. At these times — as they had no children — I chatted freely with the woman and her daughter, who were about the age of my mother and sister, and I became somewhat interested in them. Our family were not; still there was no real difficulty, but there was a want of geniality. My ear had caught it. When in there on one occasion, the young woman said, " Richard, we are about to move away ; shan't you be sorry up at your house ? " I answered, " I shall be sorry, but our folks will be glad of it." It was but a small breath of carbonic gas, but it blew a gale between the two houses. The young woman, surcharged almost with visible lightning and audible thunder, was soon at my house, and tongues were in active use, though I believe none were disposed of as were those at the nobleman's dinner-table. I was not reproved — only instructed somewhat in regard to family secrets. I also gained instruction with regard to parental duty in training children — that the restraint should work both ways: the parents in speaking of their neighbors, and the children in telling what they hear said.

Although at five I was familiar with story books, and could read without hesitation any plain reading, yet I was never taught at home as a regular exercise. I read my books oftentimes aloud, and, finding a hard word or unintelligible sentence, sought aid. Nor did I, in my early childhood days, ever attend school. Rhode Island had not in those days, nor for years afterwards, any public schools ; but private schools, more or less convenient, and more or less properly taught, were in operation all over the State. My father sent me to one of them two weeks, when I was about five years old. The teacher kept me the whole two weeks in one lesson, and I knew it by rote before going to school. My father, learning this, took me out of school, saying " he would send me no longer to such a blockhead." When six years old the family moved to Coventry Centre, about eight miles from our former home in Scituate. Then in May, before I was seven in July, I entered a good school for children of my age, and, on examination, was put in the first class in reading and spelling, using the "American Preceptor " as a reading book. We were now within half a mile of a church and regular preaching ; and though my parents were not connected with any religious denomination, yet they encouraged me in a steady attendance at the house of God. My mother was frequently at church, my father but seldom ; and, although a believer in immortality, yet he was a strong opposer to the " Calvinistic Doctrine ot Decrees," and this view was prominent with the Calvinist Baptist, the principal denomination in our place. Notwithstanding this, my father purchased a pew in the church, was chosen on the committee, and was active in repairs and all improvements on the church grounds. I was constant, encouraged by both parents, in my attendance upon church during all the years of my boyhood, and was rarely ever absent.

On one rainy morning our stated preacher, Rev. Charles Stone, and a young man studying divinity with him, were the only persons in the church when I entered; and, as I went to my seat, I heard the young man say, "That boy is always here!" Thirty years after I entered the church on that rainy morning, with no one but the two ministers there, the same three met again in the same place ! The little boy, now Pastor of the Congregational Church, West Bridgewater, Mass., preached in the morning ; the young minister, now Pastor of the Baptist Church, Middletown, Conn., preached in the afternoon ; the old minister, now eighty years of age, could only say, " God be thanked for this meeting ! " To this constant presence in my early days I attribute much of my love of church-going through life. The days of childhood — how strong is the impress they leave upon the mind ! How beautiful is that old, unpainted church, with its high pulpit, and square deacon's seat just below it ! I can hear now in sweet remembrance the chorister pitch the tune, sing the first line — " Thee we adore, eternal name " — before the congregation rose to join him !

When a child is taught in early life to associate its childhood days with the House of God as something loving, beautiful and true, they are never forgotten. Parents who do this give their children a picture seen in such a light, and within such a setting, as can never fade out. from the God-woven canvass which hangs in the heart. I had before this a view ot death, with some clearness, and the life which is beyond. Yes, I remember the first form of Death upon which I ever looked when only five years old. I remember the inquiries to which it led me on my return home. My dear mother answered my inquiries, pointing me to a life beyond this, telling me of Jesus and heaven, and the home of the good, of which I had often read. My books after this became to me more of a reality ; I had believed them before, but now the accounts of heaven and a future life seemed to assume a somewhat different aspect. I well recollect the satisfaction which the idea of immortality gave me. Yes, Anne (the young lady's name was Anne Simmons) had gone to the home of the good in heaven ! and the fear which had seemed to hang around the thought of death, the pale, white form which I had looked upon, was gone. As I read the martyrdom of John Rodgers in the primer, and the resurrection of Christ in the Bible, whatever there was of shadow had passed away in the reality of the death and burial of what I had just witnessed. It left an impression on my mind which remained — became a part of my soul-existence.

The winter following my first school in summer I attended the winter school taught by E. Robinson. One circumstance occurred during this term which brought me out into the sunlight, and taught me a lesson which my ardent, impulsive nature much needed. A boy some four years older than myself was very profane ; another large boy told me and another lad about my age to flog him for swearing. We commenced, and, in the language of the West, " pitched in." I gave the swearer a blow in the face which caused his nose to bleed, and at that unlucky moment — as we thought — the teacher came. The matter was investigated, and the whole four punished. My chastisement and that of my fellow-worker were but a mere form, while the two older boys, the swearer and the setter-on, were punished with some severity. It should be remembered that school punishments by flogging were much more common in those days than now. An appeal to the conscience is oftentimes much more effective than the whip or ferule. As I look back upon myself in my boyhood days I seem to be earnest, almost rough, at play ; ardent, passionate, affectionate ; prompt to assist a friend, almost without considering the justice or injustice ; ready to defend the weak or do battle for the oppressed or abused ; always unyielding to equals in words and actions ; strongly inclined to answer back, even to superiors; thus sometimes giving rise to strong contentions, but ready to acknowledge the wrong when made to appear. The boy, in most instances, shows up the man — the same traits of character out-cropping all the way along the path of life. The boldness or timidity with which life is met; the energy or weakness with which difficulties are encountered; the persevering or yielding which marks a life-course ; the tenderness or hardness which moves the soul amid the various scenes, the observations and mental impressions which infix themselves upon the mind, gushing out in questionings, attempted descriptions, or illustrations and comparisons, all these in the boy more or less show up the man. Childhood, in its earliest recollections, brings with it to me a striking course of analogical thought, ripening into reasoning by resemblance. It was to this that such hymns as " Rock of Ages cleft for me," "The Tree of Life my soul hath seen," "Watchman, tell us of the night," and others of a similar character became to me a soul-impiession when I first read them ! To the power of analogical thought, ParneU's Poem of the Hermit impressed itself upon my mind. I recollect a circumstance which brought out this innate principle when I was but five years old. My father io Life-Incidents of R. C. Stone.

was going to Providence with a wagon-load of peaches, some twenty-five bushels; I was to go with him; it was my first trip to the city. We were to start about midnight. That his boy might be made comfortable and sleep some on the way, he made a kind of box with boards against one side of the wagon in which I might lie. When he had about completed it he called me to him, directing me to lie down in it. While I was getting in I said to him, " You wish to see if the coffin will fit, do you ? " My father, with a look of astonishment, exclaimed, " Ho ! what a boy! " I can see this same trait cropping out all along my whole life-course. To this mode of illustration may be traced much of my success in teaching; and every discourse which I have written derives much of its strength from this same principle of illustration and mode of reasoning.

Parents, by observing natural traits of character in their children, may, in a good degree, be qualified to direct them in a suitable and successful course of life, to arrange for their study and practice in the mechanic arts, to start them upon a scientific course, to encourage them and educate them for a professional life, or to prepare them for mercantile or agricultural pursuits. Parents, by by their ignorance on these subjects, often make great mistakes : e. g., a wealthy man has three boys ; he has a misguided ambition, and his boys a large share of idleness ; he very soon sees in one a lawyer, in another a physician, in another a clergyman, and he educates them severally for these professions. They have no fitness or adaptation to either ; they strive to make their way in

Home, School and Church. ii

life — it is a failure ! the community suffers, and they suffer by their unfitness and stupidity. The same boys might have made good mechanics, agriculturists or manufacturers ; but they are miserable lawyers, physicians, ministers.

This same principle runs into the moral, also. By checking the wrong and encouraging and developing the right, the evil, by God's promised assistance, may be crushed and eradicated and right and truth established. I have seen this in my own family. I observed in two of my own children the principles of generosity and covetousness very strongly marked — the one wished always to share what it had with others ; the half to this child was always better than the whole. It always shared its raisins, its grapes, its fruit, with others, of its own free will. The other wanted the whole — would hug up its goodies, saying, "mine," "mine," "mine," when only two years old. We saw the need of especial cultivation, and adopted means to effect it. When we first begun, and the example of the generous child, or the persuasive power of sympathy, induced it to give, it would look its raisins carefully over, selecting the very smallest, and then, rejoicing in its own conquest, would, with great satisfaction, exclaim, " I did ! I did ! " This was, in early life, by careful training, removed little by little, so that, years before maturity, no trace of it could be seen.

Several circumstances connected with my boyhood life were somewhat marked in their character, though not especially developing anything farther than resolution and activity. I was a large, strong boy of my age, probably should have been adjudged fifteen at thirteen. I was skating upon a mill-pond about half a mile long, near my home. The pond was made by a dam across the stream, of wall and plank some ten feet high, the waste water falling over the plank at the top. This pond was, at the time which I am describing, strongly frozen over, and the ice cut back from the edge along the plank over which the water ran, about two inches deep, then tumbling down the ten feet to its base at the bottom of the river. I skated to the upper end of the pond, and, turning, ran down towards the dam with my utmost speed, turning at the plank's edge, as near as possible to the very verge of the dam. This I did several times. At length, making my turn to the right instead of the left, my skates slipped, and over the dam I went ! Turning upon my face in the fall, I caught with my hands by the edge of the plank, and held on. 'Twas a moment, it seemed to me, of life and death. I was hanging by the edge of the plank, my feet some five feet from the rocks in the river's bottom below, the sheet of water about two inches thick pouring down into my face and all over me. Some men about thirty rods off started upon the run, but before they reached me I had got foothold on the stones of which the dam was built, and, climbing to the top, got again upon the ice and ran away. This story has been often repeated in Sabbath Schools and gatherings of young people, in which the moral is, "Do not skate too near the edge of the dam." Many a skater less fortunate than I has gone down, down to a destruction as terrible as it is sure !

In three instances in my boyhood days I was very near death, though I cannot discover a general want of care in my life- course; and few men have met with a less number of accidents and disappointments than I during my mature life. The first of these three was at the raising of a mill. I was eight years old. Most of the men and boys of Coventry Centre were present. There had been an old mill there and was in ruins some twenty rods above the new. The old " wheel -pit" was full of water, some four or five feet deep. Eight or ten of us boys were playing among the ruins, when I tumbled in. I made quite a splash by falling in, but no noise afterwards. The boys gave the alarm, and, as soon as the men could be made to understand the case and reach the place, I was pulled out entirely unconscious. I was soon restored to life, suffering but little from pain — none that I recollect except in the resuscitation. It spoiled my play, however, for that afternoon. All I ever can bring to my mind of the facts are, falling in, reaching out with my hand and touching nothing, and struggling to breathe on a bench where they had laid me, and were using means for my restoration to life.