38 CENTENNIAL HISTORY
cheerful toil they erected this house of worship, their monument for the coming century as it has been during the past. You will hear much today of the pastors who ministered during the one hundred years. But had I not been the daughter of one of the Puritan fathers, living in the valley to the West, you might not today hear of the faithful deacons who served through the early part of the century: Deacon Alling, Calvin Beach, Joseph Prudden, and Aaron Clark, the beloved deacon who held office thirty-three years. Next to him, in length of service, was my father, who was chosen deacon four years after the building of this church, and whose death in 1840 closed twenty-six years of service. In all that time, thirteen hundred Sabbaths, the doors of this church were never once opened on the Sabbath that he did not enter in to worship, to teach in the Sabbath school, and to serve in any way this dear church of God, He could always say:
"Beyond my highest joys,
I prize her Heavenly ways.
Her sweet communion, solemn vows,
Her hymns of love and praise."
I remember one Sabbath when big drifts filled the roads, coming in the sleigh with my father, to find only the faithful sexton here, and a fire to warm by in the West corner stove; and how we went home through fields and down steep hills to avoid the drifted roads. Another Sabbath when all homes were closed by a raging snow-storm, the snow above the fences, we all were home watching the storm. Someone was sent to bring the sheep to a place of safety. We watched them coming like snowbanks jumping up and down, and when a long line of them came tumbling over a fence, we children shouted for joy. My father said, "Hush, hush, I should think it was Training day!" and he put me in a chair at the back side of the room to help me keep quiet on Sunday.