AEC 
 
UNIVERSITY OF 
 ORTH CAROLINA 
 rary 
 
 3l4 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 http://archive.org/details/recollectionsofrwarr 
 
RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 OF 
 
 Revolutionary Times 
 
 OR 
 
 ROUND ABOUT THE YULE-LOG 
 
 BY 
 
 A CHURCH-WARDEN 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY 
 
 CHARLES G. BUSH and REGINALD T. SPERRY 
 
 "Do then as your progenitors have done, 
 And by their virtues prove yourself their son." 
 
 Dryden 
 
Copyrighted 1895, 
 BY C. A. BREWSTER. 
 
 MANTTFACTURED BY 
 
 '. H. GILSON COMPANY 
 
 BOSTON 
 
g^biralbn. 
 
 TO THE NTJIMEEOTJS DESCENDANTS OF 
 
 SERQEANT JOHN BOUTON, 
 
 A PLANTER, DEFENDER, AND LEGISLATOR OF THE COLONY 
 
 OF CONNECTICUT. 
 
 832773 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 1. Family party 
 
 
 
 Froi 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 itispiece 
 
 2. Holly and ivy 
 
 
 
 14 
 
 3. Hasty departure 
 
 
 
 
 16 
 
 4. Boar's head 
 
 
 
 
 31 
 
 5. Winchester Cathedral 
 
 
 
 
 33 
 
 6. Wells . 
 
 
 
 
 35 
 
 7. Salisbury 
 
 
 
 
 37 
 
 8. Tintern Abbey 
 
 
 
 
 41 
 
 9. Loving cup 
 
 
 
 
 44 
 
 10. Children in procession 
 
 
 
 
 55 
 
 11. Witches' Lane 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 62 
 
 12. Money Diggers 
 
 
 
 
 64 
 
 13. Daisies . 
 
 
 
 
 66 
 
 14. Leeds Church . 
 
 
 
 
 72 
 
 15. A Renovated Chancel 
 
 
 
 
 74 
 
 (1) 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 An account of the semi-centennial celebration of the 
 laying of the corner-stone of the Church of the Holy 
 Cross, Troy, N. Y., will be found in Appendix B. " See 
 Appendix C, for Choral Service." 
 
 (0) 
 
TABLE OF C0]S^TE:N^TS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Preface ........ 5 
 
 Chapter I. Around the Yule-log and all about old 
 
 Colony times ...... 7 
 
 Chapter II. Adventures of a loyalist by sea and land 
 
 and how he escaped the redcoats and skinners 15 
 Chapter III. Stormy passage — A privateer en- 
 countered — Thanks returned in St, Paul's 
 Cathedral for deliverance . . . 21 
 
 Chapter I Y. Town and country — Christmas hunt 
 
 in Yorkshire ..... 25 
 
 Chapter Y. Strasbourg, and animal magnetism 29 
 
 Chapter YI. Cathedral tour through Rural England 32 
 Chapter YII. The Yalley of the Wye and Tiutern 
 
 Abbey 40 
 
 Chapter YIII. Highwaymen on Hounslow Heath 45 
 Chapter IX. Keturn to America ... 48 
 
 Chapter X. Dr. Holyoake and the Church at 
 
 Whiteplains ...... 52 
 
 Chapter XI. Romantic drives and Witches' Lane 61 
 Chapter XII. Deacon Doolittle and what became 
 
 of the ruby ring , . . . . 67 
 
 Editor's Postscript . . . . . . 72 
 
 Appendix ....... 74 
 
 ^3) 
 
KSTTRODUCTOKY. 
 
 Some years since a clergyman, connected with the 
 Parish of St. Paul's, Troy, N. Y., was making in- 
 quiries about the traditions of the Parish and was 
 civil enough to declare tliat he got more information 
 from the Avriter than from any one else. If the Mis- 
 sion Church of the Holy Cross be considered a 
 branch of St. Paul's Parish, he certainly had a good 
 foundation for the polite remark, for, alas, the 
 Editor of these Christmas Stories was better quali- 
 fied to give the early history of the Mission than 
 any other person now living. 
 
 Several attempts having been made without suc- 
 cess, he at length determined on a sort of allegorical 
 history of the Institution, beginning with the plant- 
 ing of the Church in Norwalk, Conn., in the days 
 of good Queen Anne. 
 
 The following stories of " Revolutionary Times " 
 are the result, and it is hoped will be found appro- 
 priate on this Semi-Centennial. 
 
 The Church of the Holy Cross was opened for ser- 
 vice on Christmas Eve, 1844, but was not formally 
 consecrated until December 6, 1848. It was, per- 
 haps, really consecrated on Christmas, 1844, by the 
 
 (i) 
 
Introductory. ii 
 
 prayers of the founder and her children, with whom 
 tlie enterprise was a work of faith. Their hopes 
 and antici]3ations have been more than realized. 
 
 The idea of a Free Church and Choral Service 
 may have seemed to some persons in those days 
 rather visionary. The ecclesiastical authorities of 
 the Diocese and the rector of St. Paul's did not, how- 
 ever, entertain such an opinion. Bishop Williams, 
 who was at that time rector of St. George's, Schenec- 
 tady, sympathized heartily with us in our views and 
 wishes, and suggested the Rev. J. Ireland Tucker, a 
 Deacon just out of the Seminary, as the fittest per- 
 son to carry out the design of the pious Founder. 
 Doubtless others may have thought of the expe- 
 diency of the Choral Service in America, but it was 
 by the advice and approbation of the late Bishop 
 Wainwright, then assistant minister of Trinity 
 Parish, New York, that the attempt was first made, 
 and this attempt was in St. Paul's Church on Eas- 
 ter day, 1842, which experiment resulted in the es- 
 tablishment of the Choral Service in the Church of 
 . the Holy Cross. The example was but slowly fol- 
 lowed, first in the Church of the Advent, Boston, and 
 then, Avhen Dr. Cutler went to New York, it was 
 established in Trinity Church and Chapel. See 
 Appendix B. 
 
 N. B. W., 
 
 Author of Lady of Lawford, 
 
 and othe?' Christmas Stories. 
 Id^ Cottage, 
 
 Mt. Ida, i8g4. 
 
RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 OF 
 
 REVOLUTIONARY TIMES 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 " The old north breeze thro' the skeleton trees, 
 
 Is chanting the year out drearily; 
 But loud let it blow, for at home we know 
 
 That the dry logs crackle cheerily." 
 
 Albert Smith. 
 
 On Christmas Eve in the year 18 — a 
 family party was gathered round the yule- 
 log in an old farmhouse situated at the head 
 of a bay or inlet in the ancient town of 
 ^N'orwalk, Conn. A huge log draivn from 
 the woods on the farm where it had been 
 seasoning during the summer months had 
 been rolled into the kitchen with hand-spikes 
 and placed on the hearth of a spacious fire 
 place which occupied nearly one side of the 
 
 (7) 
 
8 Recollectio:n^s 
 
 apartment, and had been lit as in the " Olden 
 Time, " in the midst of many good wishes 
 for a Merry Christmas. It had been the 
 custom for generations to observe Christ- 
 mas-eve in this manner, a custom evidently 
 derived from Old England and not from 
 the Puritanical founders of Neiv England, 
 who gloried in its thanksgiving turkeys and 
 pumpkin pies, ^o work could be done on 
 the farm so long as that log would burn, 
 which you may be sure would be made to 
 hold out for three days at least. Among 
 those who were warming themselves by the 
 ruddy blaze that was rearing up the spa- 
 cious chimney, was an old man whose head 
 was hoar with age and who with his portly 
 person filled a capacious arm-chair solid 
 enough to support one of his goodly weight 
 and proportions. In response to the re- 
 quest of one of the children who was sit- 
 ting on his knee, he was discoursing of 
 Christmas in the ''Olden Time." This ring- 
 leader of the children gathered round was 
 a delicate fairy-like figure who might have 
 been in her teens, but was, in reality, not 
 above twelve years of age. It was she Avho 
 
OF Revolutioxary Times. 9 
 
 had led the band of young voices in their 
 welcome of the yule-log, singing the Yule- 
 Song as it was rolled into the kitchen by 
 the boys. [See appendix.] Her complex- 
 ion Avas fair and ruddy with a profusion 
 of black cui'ly ringlets, and a pair of bright 
 eyes which she kept fixed on her grand- 
 father with an earnest, inquiring look. The 
 old man, thus addressed, set down a tank- 
 ard of mulled cider that he had just been 
 drinking, and patting the girl's curls said — 
 ^'Mary, would you know all about the 
 'Olden Time' and the marvelous events that 
 followed the arrival of our forefathers to 
 this land of promise? Then sit down on my 
 foot-stool and I will tell you what hapjjened 
 in my time and in the old time before the 
 Revolution, which great event, although 
 promising a glorious future, was full of 
 doubt and difficulty; and had not a kind 
 Providence raised up for us one who led us 
 through the wilderness, even as Moses led 
 the children of Israel, our Revolution would 
 have been a most miserable failure. " 
 " Grandpa, they do say you can recollect 
 about old times, even Avhat happened before 
 
10 Recollections 
 
 the French "War where my uncle distin- 
 guished himself at the capture of Quebec. " 
 " Yes, my child, and the sword which he 
 wore on that glorious occasion hangs over 
 the parlor mantelpiece. Those were the 
 times when we of Connecticut lived in daily 
 apprehension from the Indians and the 
 French of Canada, who frequently made in- 
 cursions as far south as the Valley of the 
 Mohawk. They had even scalped and burnt 
 the inhabitants of Schenectady; while Al- 
 bany was in constant danger, as it was only 
 fortified by palisades which afforded 
 scarcely more protection than an ordinary 
 high fence. The English colonists were, 
 moreover, threatened from the West, which 
 was also occupied by the French. So then 
 we colonists cried aloud to the mother-coun- 
 try. The King, hearing our prayer, made 
 war on the French King; Canada was con- 
 quered and we were delivered from great 
 peril." Here little Mary interrupted. "Was 
 not that the war that my uncle Joseph wrote 
 the history of?" "Yes, and we had the 
 manuscript which was preserved with care 
 by your cousins until the house where it 
 
OF E,EVOLUTIOXARY TiMEo. 11 
 
 was kept was burnt by the British in spite 
 of the protests made by them that your 
 uncle had borne the colors of his regiment 
 by the side of Wolfe on the heights of the 
 Plains of Abraham, but the mercenary sol- 
 diers, being Hessians, could not understand 
 a word of English. This house also would 
 have been burnt had it not been saved by a 
 good lady who said in the hearing of Gov. 
 Tryon that the proprietor was a good 
 friend to King George when the Governor 
 called out to the soldiers to forbear." Here 
 little Mary said " Our yule-log seems to 
 have been a talisman bringing good luck to 
 the house and all surrounding it. I have 
 heard also. Grandpa, that uncle Moses was 
 with General Montgomery, when like Wolfe 
 he was killed before the same fortress, when 
 attempting at the beginning of the Revolu- 
 tionary War to take Quebec from the 
 English. " " That is quite true," said the 
 old gentleman, " and my youngest brother 
 was under age at the time. It is curious 
 to see how my eldest and youngest brothers 
 show their French descent; for with their 
 forefathers for many generations war was 
 
12 Recollections 
 
 their principal occupation. It was my great 
 grandfather who, after the fall of Rochelle, 
 came to this country with the Puritans who 
 settled Connecticut. You should know 
 that Xew England was settled more than 
 two hundred years ago by the Puritans who 
 rebelled against the church of England not 
 liking her rites and ceremonies which they 
 maintained were Popish or pagan in their 
 origin, and Parliament in Oliver Cromwell's 
 tune went so far as to make it penal even 
 to observe Christmas day. However, that 
 act was speedily repealed on the happy 
 restoration of Charles II, when the church 
 was tolerated here, although not the estab- 
 lished religion of the ^New England colo- 
 nists." The other children gathered round 
 their grandfather now began to show signs 
 of uneasiness, for a table had been set 
 whence arose an appetizing odor of pies and 
 cakes just drawn from the oven. The blaz- 
 ing yule-log was reflected back from a dres- 
 ser of gleaming pewter which might have 
 rivaled silver itself. After grace had been 
 said the old gentleman called on all to re- 
 joice, especially on this night of all the year 
 
OF Revolutioin^aky Times. 13 
 
 of "Peace on earth, good will towards 
 men." The children concluded the supper 
 by singing that most ancient Christmas 
 carol, " Christmas in the Olden Time, " ac- 
 companied by a viohncello; whilst roast 
 oysters piping hot were brought in from 
 time to time from an adjoining apartment. 
 
 " Christmas comes, the time of gladness 
 
 Which om' fathers gave to mirth ; 
 Then no room had they for sadness, 
 
 Joyous at the Saviour's birth: 
 Then each homestead decked with holly, 
 
 Bay and ivy leaves were seen, 
 Winter's brow of melancholy 
 
 Cheering with a chaplet green." 
 
 In the midst of these gambols who should 
 come in but cousin Jakin, or " Jack" as he 
 was called by the children, an old bachelor 
 and a great favorite with them, who had 
 been a great traveller in his youthful days, 
 and in the time of the Revolutionary "War 
 had accompanied a clergyman returning to 
 England (one of the society for the Prop- 
 agation of the Gospel) ; for these mission- 
 aries generally returned to the old country 
 after the Declaration of Independence, 
 
u 
 
 Recollectio:n^s 
 
 especially if their churches were closed or 
 burnt by one or other of the contending 
 factions. But the children tiring of their 
 sports gathered round him now, seated in 
 the old arm-chair by the yule-log, whilst 
 little Mary besought him to relate his ex- 
 perience of Revolutionary times. 
 
OP Eevolutioitakt Temes. 15 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 "Waning moons their settled periods keep, 
 To swell the billows and ferment the deep." 
 
 Addison. 
 
 " Soon after the Declaration of Indepen- 
 dence I was drafted for the Continental 
 Army ; bnt your grandfather, unwilling that 
 I should serve, procured a substitute, which, 
 however, the military authorities would not 
 accept. It may be that they looked on one 
 of our family as a hostage in the army. 
 Moreover your grandfather, being a zealous 
 Churchman, was suspected of lack of pa- 
 triotism; for in those days Church and King 
 were supposed to be inseparable. Besides, 
 I was a good shot among our militia. Your 
 uncle Moses coming over from Washing- 
 ton's army gave a terrible account of the 
 destitution of the troops, and of the hard- 
 ships suffered by them so that the soldiers, 
 in derision, were called ' Barefoots. ' Of 
 course all this alarmed my parents who had 
 
16 Recollection^s 
 
 no idea of their boy serving as a private 
 soldier, especially as both of his uncles had 
 been commissioned officers, one in the old 
 French AVar and the other in our own Rev- 
 olution. My father being devoted to the 
 Church of England was greatly alarmed at 
 the idea of independence ; for it was thought 
 ' No King, no Church,'' Indeed, in Connec- 
 ticut, Churchmen were only tolerated ; and 
 without royal support they naturally appre- 
 hended a revival of the intolerance of the 
 seventeenth century. If it had not been for 
 party spirit which ran high they might have 
 remembered that Washington and the lead- 
 ing men in Congress were Churchmen. 
 Perceiving how the matter stood I suddenly 
 took French leave, and one moonlight night 
 with the help of my brother Stephen crossed 
 the Sound in a sail boat to the Long Island 
 shore, then in possession of the British. As 
 we encountered not only a north-east storm 
 but an English man-of-war under full sail 
 we prudently kept in shallow water, not 
 willing to run the risk of being impressed 
 for seamen. It took us nearly all night to 
 cross. Tired and sleepy I managed to find 
 
OF Reyolutioxaey Tenies. 17 
 
 my way to the house of a friend of your 
 grandfather's, who m happier days had 
 married a daugliter of our neighbor, Grov. 
 Fitch, the last Colonial Governor of Connec- 
 ticut. Her husband was from home; the 
 good lady, however, heard my story and 
 promised me protection. ^But you are in 
 danger ' said she, ' for the red-coats make 
 the rounds every night looking for spies. 
 One was hung the other day on slight evi- 
 dence. I will hide you to-night, but you 
 had better to-morrow morning make your 
 way to the Commander of the forces, who 
 resides at Rock Hall, not many miles from 
 here. As I happen to know the Colonel 
 I will give you a line of recommendation.' 
 So saying she took me up into the garret 
 and, in a narrow space between the chimney 
 and the rafters of a lean-to roof which 
 covered the kitchen below, I was ensconced, 
 protected by barrels and bags. Shortly 
 after I heard the tramp of soldiers who 
 seemed not to suspect that there could be 
 anyone behind the chimney. When they 
 were gone I had a game supper, and was 
 shown to the guest-chamber where I had a 
 
18 Eecollections 
 
 comfortable bed. The next morning early 
 I was on my way to Rock Hall but was 
 shortly overtaken by a peddler who gave 
 me a lift. The Colonel received me politely 
 and listened to my story with evident inter- 
 est, for he called his man Sambo to bring 
 us a tankard of cider, which vessel I ob- 
 observed was silver and of quaint device. 
 The Colonel and I drank together 'A 
 health to the King and a speedy end of 
 our unhappy war.' Before dismissing me the 
 Colonel asked me a good many questions 
 about the state of the Province, which I 
 answered cautiously, for I had no idea of 
 acting as a spy on either side. However, 
 I did not hesitate to admit that Churchmen 
 were unwilhng to part with their ministers, 
 many of whom were missionaries from the 
 S. P. G. who felt bound to return to the 
 ^Mother Country,' and who were appre- 
 hensive of the intolerance of earlier times, 
 when the use of the Book of Common 
 Prayer was illegal. The Colonel observed 
 that England had just incurred an enor- 
 mous debt in driving out our neighbors, the 
 French, in response to our earnest prayer. 
 
OF Revolutionary Times. 19 
 
 and it seemed but just that we who had 
 been benefited should share the expense 
 of the French War. The conversation was 
 here interrupted by the entrance of Major 
 Bourlac whose acquaintance I had made at 
 the house of Dr. Smithson, in ]S^orwalk. 
 As I told these gentlemen that I meant to 
 try and find the Doctor before I decided 
 what I had best to do, the Major at once 
 promised to give me a letter of introduc- 
 tion to his relatives in ^ew York, as he was 
 a native of that town, already becoming a 
 place of importance. With passport that 
 the Colonel furnished me I managed to find 
 my way to ^ew York, where I rejoined my 
 old friend, the Rev. Dr. Smithson, who pro- 
 cured for me a passage in the ship that was 
 to take us to the port of London. The 
 Doctor told me it would be some time be- 
 fore we sailed and that he had recommended 
 me to Gov. Try on, of l^ew York, as a bearer 
 of dispatches up the Hudson River, for 
 which I should receive a handsome remun- 
 eration. The mission was deemed somewhat 
 dangerous, Major Andre having recently 
 been hanged as a spy. The sloop on which I 
 
20 Recollectiois^s 
 
 sailed was armed. As I had never been on 
 the Hudson I gladly accepted the position? 
 but the vessel was obliged to return to ]S'ew 
 York, after spending a whole day in the 
 vain attempt to get above the American 
 lines. I managed, however, to execute the 
 Governor's commission in spite of the 
 ' skinners.' A whole day was spent in 
 exchanging shot with an American gun- 
 boat. The grape-shot rattled about our deck 
 like hail. Luckily no one was seriously 
 hurt, and thus was I in the Revolutionary 
 War, which was quite enough, seeing that 
 I had not been trained to arms and was 
 only a spectator. On my return to Xew 
 York I set sail in company with Dr. Smith- 
 son, and with a well-filled purse of British 
 gold which my father had found means of 
 augmenting. Major Bourlac's friends re- 
 ceived me with much kindness for which 
 they were afterwards called to account at 
 the close of the War, when they and other 
 Loyalists were banished to ^ova Scotia." 
 
OF Revolutionaey Times. 21 
 
 CHAPTEE ni. 
 
 " A ship that through the ocean wide, 
 By conduct of some star, doth make her way, 
 When, as a storm hath dimm'd her trusty guide, 
 Out of her course doth wander far astray." 
 
 " AVe set sail with a fair wind, but in 
 mid-ocean encountered severe gales which 
 blew us out of our course, so we were much 
 nearer the coast of France than England. 
 The storm had scarcely abated before we 
 met with a privateer who gave chase, but 
 under press of canvas we made for the 
 coast of England. Fortunately our vessel 
 was armed, anticipating some such adven- 
 ture, so that we kept up a distant cannon- 
 ade for the greater part of the day with- 
 out much result on either side, except that 
 a round shot from the privateer struck the 
 ship near where I was standing and a splin- 
 ter imfortunately struck me in the face, 
 the wound ultimately causing the loss of 
 the sight of one eye which loss entailed, as 
 you will see, many disagreeable conse- 
 
22 EECOLLECTIOIirS 
 
 quences. Some of our shot, however, carried 
 away part of the privateer's rigging, which 
 had the effect of retarding her pi*ogress a 
 little; but we began to feel uneasy at her 
 gradual approach, when suddenly an Eng- 
 lish ship-of-war hove in sight and seeing 
 our precarious situation made after the 
 privateer, which was flying colors our 
 sailors had never seen before." Here a little 
 boy cried out, " Cousin Jack, the flag must 
 have been the stars and stripes."* "You 
 are right, my boy, and the star of Bethlehem 
 on its blue ground is, as its color denotes, 
 the star of hope, and was wisely chosen by 
 the founders of the rising Rep)ublic; for 
 it seems to foretell a mighty future which 
 some of you children may live to see." 
 
 Here the young ones were beginning 
 to show signs of revived interest at the 
 name " privateer." " These men-of-war 
 became engaged and we could hear them 
 battling in the distance. There was a 
 bright blaze and an explosion, and we after- 
 wards learned that the privateer was blown 
 
 '^ It is said that the flag originated in the arms of the 
 Washington family. 
 
or Revolutioxaey Tidies. 23 
 
 up. Immediately after coming to anchor 
 in the Thames below London Bridge my 
 pious patron, the Doctor, insisted on our 
 going to St. Paul's Cathedral to return 
 thanks for our safe deliverance from the 
 perils of the deep. Here the Doctor hap- 
 pened to meet with an Oxford acquaintance, 
 Avho was one of the Canons of the Cathe- 
 dral. We were much impressed with the 
 dignity and solemnity of the Cathedral 
 service especially with the Litany, chanted 
 by two Minor Canons, a full surpliced choir 
 responding. As we had nothing like this 
 in America it made a great impression on 
 our minds. It being high festival the Lord 
 Mayor, Sheriffs, and Aldermen were in 
 church, in their robes of office, which made 
 a brilliant scene taken with the extent and 
 grandeur of the Cathedral, in which the 
 good Doctor declared we should feel at 
 home, as Connecticut was a part of the 
 Diocese of London. The next day he and 
 his friend found employment for me in 
 a great mercantile house not far from 
 St. Paul's Cathedral, the great dome of 
 which seemed to hover, as it were, over the 
 
24 Eecollectioxs 
 
 great metropolis of England." As our yule- 
 log was still burning, it was thought it 
 would hold out a little longer, so the adven- 
 turous traveller agreed to come next night 
 and continue the stor}^ He declared, hoAv- 
 ever, that they must not expect any more 
 piratical adventures, for such the contest 
 with the privateer might be considered, 
 although privateering seemed excusable 
 under the circumstances out it was not 
 possible for the colonies to equip them- 
 selves with a regular navy. 
 
OF REyOLUTIO:N^ARY Tl3IES. 25 
 
 CHAPTER lY. 
 
 ' ' The babbling echo mocks the hounds, 
 Replying shrilly to the well-tuned horns;" 
 
 Shakespeare. 
 
 The next night as the cat was purring 
 very comfortably in front of the yule-log 
 there entered with cousin Jack his favorite 
 dog who immediately made for Grimalkin, 
 who aroused from her agreeable slumber, 
 flew to the top of the clock which she 
 reached by way of a towel that hung in the 
 corner, from which position she could look 
 down on the enemy with calm indifPerence. 
 The dog having been turned out, cousin 
 Jack proceeded with his story. " This little 
 incident " said he " reminds me of a hunt I 
 once witnessed at this season in the hall of 
 an old country house in Yorkshire where 
 my patron and I were spending the Holi- 
 days. A cat was let loose and hunted by a 
 couple of hounds introduced for the pur- 
 pose. It seemed to be common in the north 
 
26 Recollectioxs 
 
 of England in ancient times and, like other 
 sports and pastimes, had once its religious 
 signification; for says the old ballad, 'In ane 
 compendius Boke of godly and spiritual 
 Song printed in Edinburgh, 1621 : — 
 
 "The hunter is Christ that hunts in haist, 
 The hunds are Peter and Pawle, 
 
 The paip is the fox, Rome is the rox, 
 That rubbis us on the gall." ' 
 
 The sport in the baronial hall of Sandals 
 Manor was in modern times very much 
 modified so that the cat managed to escape, 
 as she did now. In old times the fox was 
 considered almost as great an enemy to the 
 farmer as the Avolf, consequently both were 
 hunted without mercy, and in AVykliff's 
 time the exactions of the court of Kome 
 were thought to be intolerable not only in 
 Britain but in other parts of western 
 Christendom. King and Parliament pro- 
 tested against this galling taxation Magna 
 Charta declared the freedom of the Church 
 of England. The Church has always been 
 willing to admit the primacy of the see of 
 Kome but its supremacy was denied. But, 
 
OE Kevolutioxaky Times. 27 
 
 children, perhaps your game of puss-in-the- 
 corner is a survival of this curious fox 
 hunt. 
 
 However the sound of horn and ' hallo ! ' 
 made a very considerable racket and con- 
 fusion. 
 
 I remained some years abroad, as you 
 may have heard, and the consequence of 
 my misfortune was an apprehension on 
 the part of the good Doctor that I might 
 lose the sight of both eyes, but skillful 
 care saved the sight of one. I had an ear 
 for music, and the Doctor procured for me 
 instruction on the piano and finally obtained 
 for me the position of organist in an old 
 church in London, the rectorship of which 
 had been presented to him and, being a val- 
 uable livhig, he generously allowed me to 
 partake of his good fortune which had been 
 greatly increased by handsome bequests 
 from a cousin who left him an estate in 
 Yorkshire. As the Doctor never married 
 he was kind enough to make his house 
 my home, and it was so arranged that we 
 migrated from London to Yorkshire, where 
 we had a country church with a picturesque 
 
28 Eecollectioxs 
 
 parsonage in one of those model English 
 villages you read about in story books. 
 The Doctor took me with him on a Cathe- 
 dral tour, so that I had an opportunity of 
 seeing much of the architectural glory of 
 Old England; and, as we travelled on tojD 
 of a stage-coach or in a post-chaise in 
 summer, I had also the advantage of wit- 
 nessing the unexcelled beauty of the Eng- 
 lish landscape adorned with numerous 
 venerable ivy-covered ruins and innumer- 
 able picturesque villages protected as it were 
 by its stately halls and castellated mansions, 
 which seemed to make England the fairy- 
 land of Euroj)e." 
 
 Here cousin Jack's story was interrupted 
 by the su23per, after which, the old folks 
 having retired to the parlor, he was per- 
 suaded to continue his story as follows in 
 the next chapter. 
 
OF Revolutionary Temes. 29 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 " For spirits, freed from mortal laws, with ease 
 Assume what sexes and what shapes they please.'' 
 
 Pojye. 
 
 " We made a tour of the continent. At 
 Strasbourg we visited the Marquis de Cham- 
 illy to Avhom my patron had a letter of 
 introduction. The Marquis had a taste for 
 occult sciences and was also a believer in 
 animal magnetism. He lived in a quaint 
 old-fashioned house in the suburbs of Stras- 
 bourg in sight of the spire of the Cathedral. 
 The house had the reputation of being 
 haunted by a poltergeist or gobhn ayIio, tra- 
 dition said, mounted guard over ' hidden 
 treasure;' indeed the Marquis was said to 
 be descended from the good St. ^N^icholas 
 himself, the patron saint of the Rhineland. 
 The poltergeist was said to be especially 
 busy on Christmas-eve, being evidently 
 then very much concerned about the hidden 
 treasure. The rambling old house was sur- 
 rounded by a considerable park, in which 
 
30 Recollectiot^s 
 
 was an old tree, magnetized by the Marquis , 
 that had worked many wonderful cures, es- 
 pecially among the peasantry on his estate, 
 around which his patients would sit from 
 morning till night breathing the healthful 
 breezes that swept over the park, and invig- 
 orated by the magnetic fluid which issued 
 from the balsamic branches of the tree. The 
 Marquis was also a dabbler in those kin- 
 dred sciences of Astrology and Alchemy, 
 belief in which was still prevalent in the 
 Rhineland. He told me that an ancestor of 
 his in the days of Cardinal Richelieu had a 
 brother who emigrated to America. We 
 afterwards learned that the Marquis was a 
 victim of the French Revolution." 
 
 Supper being announced and the yule- 
 log still burning bright, little Mary begged 
 her cousin to continue his story about Old 
 England after supper, for she was sure that 
 they would all rather listen to his adven- 
 tures than play puss-in-the-corner, or any 
 other Christmas game. Cousin Jack help- 
 ing himself to a slice of head-cheese^ 
 
 * This appears to be a survival of that most famous of 
 Christmas dishes, the *' Boar's Head." 
 
OF Revolutio]s^aey Times. 
 
 31 
 
 observed that if they were ready to listen 
 he would go on with his European adven- 
 tures even at the risk of being taken for 
 another Baron Munchausen. 
 
32 Eecollections 
 
 CHAPTEE YI. 
 
 Cathedral Tour i:n^ Rural England. 
 
 ''The growing tow'rs like exhalations rise, 
 And the huge columns heave into the skies." 
 
 Pope. 
 
 " But if rural England with its old castles 
 and abbeys was interesting to an Ameri- 
 can, the Cathedrals with their solemn choral 
 services were still more so; for England in 
 the sixteenth century, unlike Scotland and 
 other protestant countries, had preserved its 
 Episcopate, looking upon the Bishops as 
 the lawful successors of the Apostles, con- 
 sidering those words addressed to the 
 eleven : ' Lo ! I am with you always, even 
 unto the end of the world' as a promise of 
 the greatest significance. To be sure the 
 Bishops had in the Middle ages become iden- 
 tified with the secular princes and barons and 
 consequently like them were very worldly 
 minded ; but the people of England resolved 
 to reform and not to destroy a divinely ap- 
 
Winchester Cathedral. 
 
OF Revolutionary Times. 33 
 
 pointed institution. It was while we were 
 staying at the house of a country gentle- 
 man in Devonshire that the idea of bring- 
 ing the solemn Cathedral service into this 
 country was suggested. 'For,' said the 
 good lady of the Baronet, 'you are young 
 and have a decided taste for music; why not 
 devote your talent to the service of the 
 church ? The Archbishop of Canterbury is 
 about to consecrate Bishops for America ; 
 our Cathedral service if introduced into your 
 native country might prepare the way for 
 the Cathedral which your Bishops sooner or 
 later should have if they are to be like their 
 Apostolic brethren of other countries.' My 
 patron and I travelled post through the 
 southern and western counties tarrying a day 
 or two at the Cathedral towns to admire the 
 magnificent churches of the middle ages. 
 Our first stopping place was Winchester, the 
 former capital of Saxon England. The Ca- 
 thedral is not only remarkable for its extreme 
 length (545 ft.) but for being a celebrated 
 example of perpendicular architecture, being 
 designed by its Bishop, "William of Wyck- 
 ham. As we entered we heard the distant 
 
34 Eecollectiois^s 
 
 music, the singers being hid from view by the 
 screen, which separates the choir from the 
 nave. As we stood here alone for some time 
 in this vast space, looking through the vista 
 of the receding arches of the aisle; and 
 listening to the unaccompanied voices of 
 the choir, it required little to imagine that 
 the music we heard was from the spirit- 
 world, so celestial seemed the harmony that 
 lingered among the arches of the lofty 
 vaulted roof. One of the striking pecul- 
 iarities of the Cathedral service particularly 
 worthy of admiration was the usage of 
 chanting the versicles and responses with- 
 out the organ; the organ accompaniment 
 beginning with the Venite or Psalms. The 
 unsupported voices of the choir, heard in 
 the distance, was quite ethereal and ren- 
 dered the surrounding quiet and repose 
 more profound. At Westminster Abbey I 
 observed that we did not hear a note of the 
 organ until the choir in response to the 
 officiating minister ' The Lord's name be 
 praised;' then the organ burst forth with a 
 grand flourish, which seemed to fill the vast 
 building with a glorious harmony followed 
 
Wells Cathedral. 
 
OF Revolutioxai^lY Times. 35 
 
 by the imaccompanied voices of the choir, 
 the organ coming in softly at the second 
 verse which swelled from time to time into 
 bursts of snblimit}^ 
 
 While at Winchester we visited the Hos- 
 pital of St. Cross, which with its Cathe- 
 dral-like, cruciform Church and Hundred 
 Men's Hall, seemed, as the Doctor said, like 
 a piece of primitive Christianity, with its 
 home for the aged and infirm and its provi- 
 sion for the wayfarer of bread and ' jolly 
 good ale, and okl.' After leaving Win- 
 chester we continued our journey through 
 rural England, taking in our way some eight 
 or ten Cathedral cities. Our Cathedral tour 
 was made in summer when old England 
 was in a sort of holiday garb of living 
 green with its hedgerows and ruined walls 
 covered with a graceful mantle of ivy. 
 The Cathedral churches were scattered all 
 over the country seeming to sanctify the 
 land and united as it were in a perpetual 
 Hallelujah Chorus. 
 
 But I must hurry on, for it waxes late; 
 it suffices to say we were charmed and as- 
 tonished with the magnificent front of Wells 
 
36 Recollections 
 
 Cathedral, with its multitude of niches and 
 statues illustrative of the Te Deum, for 
 the front of this noble edifice is truly a hymn 
 of praise cut in stone; and the interior of 
 the Cathedral is worthy of its stately front, 
 for beyond the choir is the octagonal Lady- 
 chapel opening into the choir by arches, the 
 vista being truly glorious. And then there 
 was Salisbury Cathedral with its lofty 
 spire the highest in England, and Peterbor- 
 ough with its noble front; to say nothing 
 of Yorkminster, the largest in the King- 
 dom; and of Canterbury, the metropolitan 
 church of England. 
 
 At Salisbury we were entertained at the 
 Episcopal palace, for Dr. Smithson had a 
 good many friends among the dignitaries 
 of the Chui'ch, and he and the Bishop were 
 graduates of the same College. From the 
 windoAV of the dining-room there is an ex- 
 cellent view of the Cathedral, the exterior 
 of which is the finest in the Kingdom, re- 
 markable for its uniformity, having been 
 completed according to the original design. 
 The central tower spire is 400 feet, the 
 loftiest in England, and not excelled by any 
 
Salisbury Cathedral. 
 
OF Revolutioi^ary Times. 37 
 
 other in Europe, excepting that of Stras- 
 bourg. This grand spire is a striking object 
 as you approach the town. We first ob- 
 served it at a distance of several miles, and 
 as the carriage rolled rapidly towards the 
 town by a circuitous route, the spire seemed 
 to be moving along in a parallel line, and 
 to be keeping pace with us, whilst nearer 
 objects seemed to be flying past in the op- 
 posite direction. The following stanza by 
 Dr. Heylin, conveys the popular idea of the 
 vast extent of the Cathedral : — 
 
 ** As many days as in one year there be, 
 
 So many windows in this church we see; 
 
 As many marble pillars here aj^pear 
 
 As there are hours throughout the fleeting year: 
 
 As many gates as moons one year does view, 
 
 Strange tale to tell, yet none more strange than true." 
 
 But this tour of ours through Rural 
 England would be incomplete without some 
 notice of our very pleasant visit to the Uni- 
 versity of Cambridge, which although not 
 a Cathedral City, might be considered the 
 climax of our tour through Rural England. 
 It was Commemoration or as we call it Com- 
 mencement week; everything, therefore, 
 
38 Recollectioxs 
 
 was to be seen in gala dress. If there is 
 no Cathedral at Cambridge there is King's 
 College Chapel, which rivals a Cathedral in 
 extent and magnificence. Built in the time 
 of Henry VI it has ever been considered 
 one of the wonders of Gothic architecture. 
 The lofty vaulted roof of stone is consid- 
 ered a miracle of beauty and art; rever- 
 berating echoes fill the listener with awe; 
 the whole seeming the work of enchant- 
 ment. After service we dined with the 
 Fellows of Clare Hall at the high table, 
 where all the ancient state was observed. 
 After dinner, in company with some of the 
 Fellows, we strolled through the unrivalled 
 Clare Walk. Here long avenues of lime 
 trees in full flower filled the air with delicious 
 perfume, and their tops meeting above 
 our heads formed a sort of Gothic arch of 
 densest foliage. Through these ' long drawn 
 aisles and leafy vaults' formed by the inter- 
 lacing lindens, the air redolent with the 
 perfume of flovf ers as well as vocal with the 
 note of feathered songsters, we passed an 
 agreeable hour, listening to the distant 
 chimes of St. Mary's which ever and anon 
 
OF Revolutionary Times. 
 
 39 
 
 stole upon the ear with their enchanting 
 melody. 
 
 Cambridge Chimes : 
 
 1st Quarter. 
 
 2d QUAllTER. 
 
 
 :t==t=p: 
 
 i 
 
 3d Quarter. 4th Quarter. 
 
 :se£ 
 
 Tenor Bell 
 FOR hour. 
 
 dM^kS 
 
 Note. A full chord should be struck for the hour, 
 because a fine tenor bell when struck gives the sound of 
 the chord. The first quarter is a phrase from Handel's, 
 " I know that my Redeemer liveth." This chime is also 
 in the tower of Westminster Palace. 
 
 The traveller, however, must have noted down the 
 chimes from recollection, as the melody following the first 
 phrase is now different. 
 
 Editor. 
 
40 Recollections 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 "No hammers fell, no ponderous axes rung; 
 Like some tall palm the mystic fabric sprung; 
 Majestic silence! 
 
 Heber: Palestine. 
 
 " We spent a long time in the Valley of 
 the Wye, which seemed to us the most pic- 
 turesque 23art of Rural England, admiring 
 the ruins of Tintern Abbey, Avhich seen from 
 different points of view were extremely m- 
 teresting. The ruins of this monastery is 
 said to be the most beautiful in England, 
 not only architecturally but in its surround- 
 ings. Indeed, it seems to have been chosen 
 by the Cistercian monks for the quiet and 
 repose which reigned then, as now, in this 
 happy valley. As we wound along the 
 banks of the river in our open carriage, we 
 seemed to be enclosed, amphitheatre-like, by 
 the hills of living verdure ; the way opening 
 before us as we progressed. The day was 
 perfect so that it seemed like traversing fairy- 
 land. Had it been moonlight we should 
 

 TiNTERN Abbey. 
 
OF Eevolutionary Times. 41 
 
 have expected to have come upon a troop of 
 elfin sprites at their midsummer gambols. 
 
 But, how can I give an adequate descrip- 
 tion of the ruins of Tintern ? The walls of 
 the church are almost entire. The double 
 row of columns (extending from west to 
 east) which supported the arches of the side 
 aisles are well preserved, at least on the 
 south side ; as are also the principal arches 
 at the intersection of the nave and transcept, 
 which support the remains of the central 
 tower. You must imagine the walls covered 
 with ivy, hanging in graceful festoons 
 across arches and the tracery of mullioned 
 windows ; a level floor, carpeted with closely 
 shorn grass; a vista of columns extending 
 eastward to a chancel window of magnifi- 
 cent proportions, filling the whole end of 
 the choir; and over all, the blue vault of 
 Heaven; and then you will have something 
 like an idea of Tintern Abbey. 
 
 We crossed the "Wye in a little boat, in 
 in order to get a good view of the ruins 
 seen from the hill on the other side of the 
 river. Seen from this elevated point of 
 view by pilgrims of other days, the church 
 
42 Recollections 
 
 with its group of conventual buildings, its 
 numerous gable towers and pinnacles, sur- 
 rounded by these verdant hills with the 
 river flowing gently by, must have been 
 beautifully picturesque. Even in its decay 
 it is an object of interest that the tourist 
 would not willingly pass. 
 
 'No other Abbey ruin in the kingdom 
 has probably attracted half the attention 
 that has been bestowed on Tintern: it is 
 altogether the most picturesque remains of 
 a monastic edifice with which we are ac- 
 quainted. 
 
 An hour's drive brought us to Monmouth, 
 the termination of our day's journey and 
 of the picturesque scenery of the Wye. 
 The day could not have been finer, and we 
 all agreed it was the pleasantest we had 
 passed in England. 
 
 At Monmouth we found, awaiting our 
 arrival a most excellent dinner, to which we 
 brought an equally excellent appetite. It 
 was while discussing the good things thus 
 set before us, that we entered with consid- 
 erable warmth, into a discussion of a 
 different nature. A little elevated with 
 
OF E,evolutio:n^ary Tuvies. 43 
 
 good cheer, I ventured to assert that the 
 monks ' long syne ' were fond of creature 
 comforts; that they loved good eathig, and 
 that they were by no means averse to the 
 drinking of ^ jolly good ale, and old.' The 
 parson, who saw the old monks from a poet- 
 ical point of view as the builders of the 
 stately pile of St. Mary's, the glory of the 
 Wye, and of Monmouth, was not a little 
 scandalized at my levity, and at once took 
 up the cudgels in their defence. My appeal 
 was to history, his to poetry; and like many 
 other disputants, each of the combatants 
 was maintaining but half a truth. The 
 monks who built those stately piles like 
 Tintern were doubtless pious, self-denying 
 men ; but their successors in a later age, en- 
 riched and enfeebled by self-indulgence, 
 were of a different character. At least this 
 much we infer from their pusillanimity in 
 surrendering their lands to the spoiler in the 
 time of Henry YHI. Had they, like the 
 Carthusians of the London Chartreuse, 
 courageously withstood their oppressor, 
 their houses, like the Charter House in Lon- 
 don, might have been spared; and like it, re- 
 
44 
 
 Recollections 
 
 mained an ornament and a blessing to the 
 land. This they might have done had the 
 charges against them been false. 
 
OF REVOLUTIOlSrAEY TiMES. 45 
 
 CHAPTEE VIII. 
 
 " The fear o' hell's, a hangman's whip 
 To hand the wretch in order;" 
 
 Robert Burns. 
 
 " Before taking leave of Rural England 
 perhaps I should give you some account of 
 our adventure with a footpad or highway- 
 man. Our postilion discovered that one of 
 our horses needed a shoe. We left him 
 therefore in a little village to have his horse 
 shod, while we walked on to some ruins 
 about a mile beyond the blacksmith shop. 
 "We had scarcely reached the ruins before 
 we met with a footpad ^ proper and tall ' who 
 presented a double barrel-pistol with ' your 
 money or your life.' We were totally un- 
 prepared so the Doctor handed over his 
 watch and his purse whilst I gave the rob- 
 ber a handful of change that I had in my 
 pocket. But the Reverend Doctor gave him 
 something worth more than all : he ventured 
 to expostulate with him on the sin that he 
 
46 Recollections 
 
 was committing. The exhortation had an 
 astonishing effect, for the highwayman was 
 moved to tears. He declared he had been 
 bronglit lip by a pious mother, who had 
 taught him his catechism; and had betaken 
 her good advice he would not have been a 
 ruined man or have taken to the road. ' Re- 
 pent then/ said the Doctor, 'let him that stole 
 steal no more.' ' That is not so easily done 
 as said; I will however give back what I 
 have taken, for I will not rob the Church 
 for that would be to add sacrilege to my 
 other sins.' Just then we heard the wheels 
 of the carriage coming in the distance. 
 The footpad hastily gave back what he 
 had taken and was running away when the 
 Doctor called out ^come to the inn to-night; 
 I will not betray you, but will help you to 
 turn over a new leaf.' The footpad disap- 
 j)eared and we drove on. That evening 
 the man called and he and Dr. Smithson 
 were closeted together for a long time. I 
 heard nothing about their conference till 
 towards the close of the Revolutionary War, 
 after the news of the battle of Saratoga had 
 reached us; Avhen the Doctor told me that 
 
OF Eevolutioxaky Times. 47 
 
 the poor man had been among those who 
 were killed; for soon after our adventure 
 he had enlisted and had been sent with 
 his regiment to America, where in conse- 
 quence of good behaviour he soon rose to be 
 a Sergeant. That night he was closeted with 
 the Doctor at the village inn. He confessed 
 that his ruin was due to a disap2)ointment; 
 that a girl, to whom he had been engaged, 
 had jilted him and that he had taken to the 
 tavern and the gaming house, where his 
 patrimony had been wasted, for he was but 
 a younger son and his elder brother had 
 disowned him. ' So you see,' said cousin 
 Jack, 'that you girls must be true and just 
 in all your dealings, and remember that you 
 can not trifle with a man without risking 
 his ruin.' Then little Mary said ' but they 
 say a girl can change her mind.' '^Certainly 
 not ' said cousin Jack ' if she has made a 
 solemn engagement with her parents' con- 
 sent.' 
 
48 Eecollectioxs 
 
 CHAPTEE IX. 
 
 " I here forget all former griefs, 
 
 Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again." 
 
 Shakesj^eare. 
 
 After a substantial supper cousin Jack 
 continued : 
 
 " Soon after our arrival in England my 
 very good friend and patron died, leaving 
 me a handsome bequest, and I returned 
 to my native country as agent for a manu- 
 facturing firm in Yorkshire; consequently I 
 passed for an Englishman in the city of 
 ^ew York, especially as I made the journey 
 to England more than once recalled by my 
 employers. I was very much shocked to 
 find the town in such a state of dilapidation. 
 However the location of Manhattan Island 
 was so very favorable for commercial pur- 
 poses that I did not hesitate to invest all 
 my available funds in real estate, which 
 would I imagined speedily advance in value." 
 Here little Mary explained,"They say, cousin 
 
OF Eevolutionary Times. 49 
 
 Jack, that you were not mistaken, and that 
 these purchases have made you a rich man." 
 " Yes indeed," said he, " the investment has 
 turned out to be much more valuable than 
 the most sanguine could have expected." 
 
 Here little Mary interrupted him. '' Why 
 is it that you allowed the people to take you 
 for an Eno^lishman?" " Because I thousfht 
 it 23rudent ; for the old Tories had been to a 
 great extent banished to Xova Scotia, 
 expelled by the laws of attainder. These 
 cruel laws of attainder our countrymen 
 were soon very heartily ashamed of, for ac- 
 cording to the Constitution of the United 
 States such laws have now been made im- 
 possible. Indeed these laws had expelled 
 from the country some of the best people 
 who were conscientiously opposed to taking 
 up arms against the King, for Ave were 
 taught in the Church catechism that the 
 first duty towards one's neighbor was to 
 honor and to obey the King. However these 
 emigrants do not seem to have been unhappy 
 in the new country to which they had been 
 banished. I have seen letters from those 
 expelled from their native land by these 
 
50 Recollections 
 
 laws of attainder, but they showed no ill will 
 towards their fellow countrymen, who had 
 banished them from their homes. Some of 
 them who held commissions in the British 
 army were surprised at the turn affairs had 
 taken and to the last hoped for a peaceful 
 solution of the troubles of the times, their 
 military duty was discharged with reluc- 
 tance, and had it not been for the interference 
 of one of them this house would have been 
 burnt. Your grandparents with their 
 young children had betaken themselves to 
 Clapboard Hill for safety when Gov. Tryon 
 from lSe^Y York captured ^N'orwalk in 1779. 
 A soldier was about to set fire to the house, 
 when the Governor, happening to hear a 
 bystander say that the owner of the house 
 was a good friend to the King, called out 
 to him to forebear. That bystander with 
 her husband and children were among those 
 banished to ]N^ova Scotia. Indeed I have 
 but recently seen letters written by her to 
 her kindred in Connecticut." Here little 
 Mary who had been listening very attentively 
 explained, " They say, cousin, you were a 
 great beau in your youthful days, and that 
 
OF ReyolutioxapvY Times. 51 
 
 you were once engaged to a beautiful and 
 accomplished young lady." Here the old 
 bachelor poked the fire, which by this time 
 was burning low, observing the while to the 
 children, " You should know the ' course of 
 true love never does run smooth;' and, as 
 you may have heard an exaggerated ac- 
 count of the afiair, I might as well tell you 
 the truth, especially as it may prove a warn- 
 ing to you all. AYell, then, in the first place 
 you must not believe everything you hear, 
 and not come to a hasty conclusion in mat- 
 ters of importance; but patiently inquire 
 and well weigh testimony; but as it waxes 
 late I had better defer my story for another 
 evenings Fi'om the appearance of the yule- 
 log I think it may hold out for another 
 nio'ht.'' 
 
52 Recollections 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 " There let the pealing organ blow 
 
 To the full voiced choir below, 
 
 In service high and anthems clear, 
 
 As may, with sweetness through mine ear, 
 
 Dissolve me into ecstasies. 
 
 And bring all heav'n before mine eves." 
 
 Milton. 
 
 The children were assembled around the 
 brightly burning yule-log when their cousin 
 entered and continued his story. " I have 
 been an extensive traveller in my time, for 
 my reverend patron took me with him not 
 only all over Great Britain but as I told you 
 last night even to the Continent, where I 
 discovered in the Rhineland some distant 
 relation of ours, who in the seventeenth cen- 
 tury had lived within sight of the lofty spire 
 of Strasbourg Cathedral. 
 
 After the death of my benefactor and the 
 conclusion of the war I returned to my na- 
 tive country, where I speedily found em- 
 ployment as organist and musical director 
 
OF Revolutionary Times. 53 
 
 in a country church in Westchester County; 
 but as my widowed mother hved in Fair- 
 field County not very far from Five Mile 
 River, I remained with her at home, going 
 over once or twice a week to the church, 
 the Rector of which had remained at his 
 post all through the war. The Rev. Dr. 
 Holyoake and I were on the best of terms, 
 and he often said that he wished me to 
 make the musical service as attractive as 
 230ssible, and as the most influential mem- 
 bers had belonged to the Church before the 
 Revolutionary War, they did not object to 
 the musical usages authorized by the 
 Church of England. Therefore, Chants, 
 Anthems, and musical responses were not 
 objectionable to them, besides there was 
 dwelling in an old house that had been 
 Washington's Headquarters a gentleman, 
 who not only sang, but was liberal in his 
 support of the music of the Church. There 
 was also among the Rector's parishioners, 
 a good lady who had collected the poor 
 girls of the neighborhood in a little school, 
 in which I was employed as musical in- 
 structor. These together with some gentle- 
 
54 Recollections 
 
 men who had cultivated a taste for musicj 
 made a respectable choir. Dr. H. informed 
 me that the seminary had originated in a 
 Saturday Sewing-school begun many years 
 ago by the mother-in-law of its present 
 patroness, who thought that the proximity 
 of the village to a growing metropolis, made 
 the education of girls a matter of great 
 importance to the Church and community. 
 'The founder of the Sewing-school,' said he, 
 'has long since gone to receive the reward 
 of those who diligently improve the talent 
 entrusted to them and are faithful unto 
 death.' Her name will ever be held in grate- 
 ful remembrance by all who knew her. 
 The widow and the orphan, the poor and 
 the afflicted to whom it was her delight to 
 minister will, as memory recalls to them her 
 numberless acts of charity and mercy, ' rise 
 up and call her blessed.' A few days be- 
 fore her death, she said to her daughter-in- 
 law, 'What will my poor children do when 
 I am gone?' The reply was, 'I will en- 
 deavor to supply your place to the best of 
 my ability.' It was soon turned into a day 
 school and competent teachers employed. 
 
OF Revolutioxaky Times. 55 
 
 A schoolhouse was built in proximity to 
 the church, and the children in their bril- 
 liant uniform might be seen on Sundays and 
 other Holy Days, singing in procession as 
 they entered the sanctuary and looking like 
 so many ' Red Hiding-hoods,' as some one 
 of l!^evv York City described them. How- 
 ever, unlike the ' Red Riding-hoods,' they 
 have been very well protected from the at- 
 tacks of the ' Werwolves.' 
 
 As I resided with my mother in the neigh- 
 boring State of Connecticut, I was obliged 
 to drive over on Saturday and Sunday, al- 
 though it was more than a Sabbath day's 
 journey; but a musical young lady, a neigh- 
 bor of ours, drove over with me, attracted 
 doubtless by our Church music, and, possi- 
 bly, by the accounts I gave of the glory of 
 ' Old England,' which usually formed the 
 topic of conversation; although we occa- 
 sionally spoke of more personal matters for 
 I discovered that we were both descendants 
 of Captain John Mason of Pequot War cel- 
 ebrity. For you should know, children, 
 that our ancestor, Jakim Bouton, married a 
 grand-daughter of the wai'like Captain from 
 
56 Recollectio^^s 
 
 whom we all are descended. By the way, a 
 cousin of ours living in Westchester County 
 had grown rich since the Revolutionary War 
 in consequence of the great rise in real estate, 
 and being a churchman, had rebuilt the old 
 church in Whiteplains at his own expense. 
 Therefore Dr. Holyoake and I were allowed 
 to have our own way about all matters of 
 ritual propriety, the Doctor frequently ob- 
 serving that he saw no essential difference 
 in the rubrics of the new American Prayer 
 Book and the old Pi-ayer Book of the 
 Church of England. We therefore by de- 
 grees introduced the full Choral Service of 
 the English Cathedrals, and as the Presi- 
 dent of the United States represeuted the 
 sovereignty of the people, we could see no 
 reason for altering the Versicles; for dur- 
 ing his term of office, our President is really 
 as much King as any King of England. 
 In spite, therefore, of the ' skinners ' the 
 good Doctor continued to pray for the King 
 in the Versicles singing out in a ffiie tenor, 
 ' O Lord save the King,' which, doubtless, 
 was soothing to the feelings of certain old 
 ladies in the congregation, who were un- 
 
OF Eevolutioxary Times. 57 
 
 willing to part with King George, although 
 it was logically demonstrated to them by 
 our Jacobitical parson, that King George 
 Washington, was as good as any King 
 George of the House of Hanover. How- 
 ever, as Dr. Holyoake was a very benevo- 
 lent man and had been equally kind during 
 the Revolution both to ' cow-boys ' and ' skin- 
 ners ' the most intelligent part of the con- 
 gregation thought he was quite right. 
 
 ]N^ow that the war was over, and Ave be- 
 gan to be on terms of intimacy with our old 
 fellow-subjects of Great Britain, I do not 
 see why all should not take a cool, dispas- 
 sionate view of public affairs; for it is but 
 reasonable to allow, that we Colonists had 
 as good a right to rebel against admitted 
 tyrannical acts of Parliament, as Parliament 
 ever had against tyrannical acts of the 
 Crown, which has often been done, especially 
 in the Revolution of 1688; moreover, old 
 England in parting, bestowed upon us the 
 blessing of the Episcopate connecting us 
 with the see of Canterbury and the Church 
 of the Fathers. 
 
 As this is the festival of St. John the 
 
58 Hecollectioxs 
 
 Divine, it naturally recalls to us that of St. 
 John the Baptist's, which occurs at mid-sum- 
 mer. These festivals symbolize the Light 
 of the World, the one being the precursor 
 of the other, even as the Baptist was the 
 the forerunner of He who was born at this 
 season the " Son of Righteousness." You 
 should recollect this truth, children, which 
 in our merriment is too apt to be forgotten. 
 Our rector. Dr. Holyoake of Whiteplains 
 often reminded us of this. 
 
 By the way, he had been before the Revo- 
 lutionary War a missionary of the S. P. G., 
 and a Tory in politics. He stuck faithfully 
 to his post, and always endeavored to miti- 
 gate the fury of the combatants, and was 
 especially successful in restraining the ex- 
 cesses of the ' cow-boys.' Major Waring, a 
 distant relative of ours, was one of his 
 Church-wardens and made himself very 
 useful in the same benevolent cause after 
 the war, by rebuikling^the church burnt in 
 the contest. The Major was not in sympathy 
 with the Tories, although a good churchman. 
 He had a handsome house with grounds 
 about it. The building was j)artly of stone 
 
OF Revolutioxaky Times. 59 
 
 like this; a long low baildiiig about two sto- 
 ries in height with projecting wings, the 
 space betAveen which was filled with a broad 
 piazza enclosed with sashes and shutters in 
 the winter. I have been thus particular in 
 describing the place, as the Major not only 
 at Christmas-time invited the school children 
 to his house but on mid-summer or St. John's 
 Eve, when strawberries and whipped cream 
 were served at the tables on the lawn under 
 the old trees opposite the flower garden ; or if 
 the weather was bad, the tables were set on 
 the broad piazza, which with the adjoining 
 hall was amply suflScient for their accommo- 
 dation. 
 
 Here also at Christmas were served the 
 roast beef and plum pudding of old Eng- 
 land; for my benevolent kinsman did not 
 think there was any patriotic reason for 
 quarreling with these good things, which 
 with mince pie were a part of our com- 
 mon heritage. The custom of hanging 
 up the stocking was also here religiously 
 observed. The Dutch San Clans, the patron 
 saint of the children, was likewise held in 
 high reverence, but the superstition referred 
 
60 Recollectio^^s 
 
 to in Shakespeare's Mid-summer IS^ight's 
 Dream seems never to have taken any hold 
 on popular imagination. Young men and 
 maidens did not find any difficulty in becom- 
 ing acquainted with each other, without 
 resorting to mid-summer magic of the old 
 world, at least, until they were instructed. 
 But the girls soon learned to sow hemp-seed. 
 
 ' Hemp-seed I sow, hemp-seed I hoe, and 
 he that is my true love, come after me and 
 mow.' 
 
 Some of the girls had a similar experi- 
 ence to that of the famous Mrs. Blossom, 
 who said ' I sowed hemp -seed in our back 
 yard and would you believe it, I looked 
 back and saw Mr. Blossom as plain as eyes 
 could see him.' 
 
OF Hevolutionary Times. 61 
 
 CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 "Thanks to my stars, I have not ranged about 
 The wilds of life ere I could find a friend." 
 
 Addison. 
 
 "Miss Mollie Mason and I sometimes 
 joined the clam-bakes, which in old times, 
 as well as now, were held on Rohaton Point 
 where in ancient times, as tradition tells ns, 
 there was a favorite ground for Indian pow- 
 pows, later for ' Witches ' Sabbath.' 
 
 Strange stories were told of this road 
 for it was known as Witches' Lane, and 
 there were few young people in those 
 days that would venture in it after night- 
 fall. At Miss Mollie's suggestion we 
 paused one day at the cabin of an old negro, 
 ( the only house on the lane, ) who had the 
 reputation of being the historian of the 
 Country, to inquire into its weird history ; 
 for such we inferred it was, as in the days 
 of Salem Witchcraft, Pohaton Point had 
 the reputation of being a diabolical camp- 
 
62 Kecollectiono 
 
 ing ground where many a ' Witches' Sab- 
 bath 'was held. At Miss Mason's sugges- 
 tion, Old Toney, as the negro was called, 
 was questioned. 
 
 He was seated in front of his cabin, bask- 
 ing in the sunshine, which he seemed greatly 
 to enjoy. He was very black, with a head 
 of white hair, and people said he was a hun- 
 dred years old. 'I have lived here,' said 
 he, 'ever since the days of good Queen Anne ; 
 and your Grandfather, Jakim, gave me this 
 cabin and my freedom.' But I will give 
 you old Toney 's story. 
 
 ' You see, Massa Jack, this Guinea nig- 
 ger had been one day waiting at a clam- 
 bake and he was asleep under that old tree 
 you see yonder ( pointing to a venerable 
 chestnut-tree) . This here nigger had been 
 making punch for the young folks, who 
 were very merry, and when he awoke he 
 did hear a ramping and a roaring; and com- 
 ing down the lane was a monstrous he-goat, 
 and on his long back were riding astride 
 more witches than this here nigger could 
 count, all of them shouting as the goat 
 galloped along, until they jumped into the 
 
OF Revolutionary Times. 63 
 
 Sound. The wind was blowing and the 
 Sound was rough. When I told what I 
 had seen to Massa, he laughed, and said I 
 had been drunk or dreaming. But homso- 
 ever other folks said this nigger had seen 
 the debbil, who had taken the shape of a 
 goat and was giving the witches a ride. 
 
 But the witches were not drowned for 
 they were afterwards seen. This nigger 
 has often seen them in the clouds after a 
 thunderstorm, riding on broomsticks, for you 
 know water won't drown witches. Anv- 
 how, this road has ever since been known 
 as,' Witches' Lane.' 'And the debbil has been 
 seen here by white gemmen too, as well as 
 by this here nigger.' 'How is that?' said 
 I, beginning to be interested in the account 
 of the neighborhood. ' Well you see, Massa 
 Jack, once in old times, there was a great 
 CajJtain Kidd, who was a pirate, and people 
 do say that before he was hung in London 
 he did bury many chests of gold and silver 
 some where in Connecticut. 
 
 IS^ow one day there came from ]N^ew York, 
 money-diggers, and at midnight when every- 
 thing was still and quiet, they did dig for the 
 
64 KeCOL LECTIONS 
 
 gold and silver on the spot where a learned 
 doctor, they did bring with them, told them 
 that he had a wonderful divining rod, which 
 always pointed to the place where the money 
 was hid. They dug and struck something, 
 Avhen one of them swore and cried out 
 " we've got it," when suddenly they heard a 
 fiddling and a ramping and roaring which 
 made them drop their tools and take to 
 their heels. As the money-diggers were 
 scrambling along one of them looked be- 
 hind and saw the Evil One mounted on a 
 bull, which as they passed the burying 
 ground suddenly vanished with a flash and 
 an explosion that shook the ground. ' 
 ' But, uncle Toney, what became of the trea- 
 sure?' ' The next morning the money-dig- 
 gers came to look for it, but they could 
 find nothing besides pick and shovels, ex- 
 cept an empty hogshead in the bushes or 
 close by the hole they had been digging, 
 for the debbil and his imps had carried off 
 all the gold and silver ; not one farthing had 
 they left in the hogshead. A cracked fid- 
 dle they did find, which you can see in the 
 garret of the old farm house. Some do say 
 
OF Revolutioxaky Times. 65 
 
 that the sph'it that watched over the trea- 
 sure must have been on the farmer's bull, 
 which had gotten loose from the stable 
 hard by.' ' But, old Toney ' said I ' what do 
 you think?' ' O Massa Jack, it was the 
 horned debbil hisself. We could see the 
 prints of the hoofs as he galloped through 
 the lane.' Our old bull was very wild, but I 
 never heard that he breathed fire and smoke ; 
 however, he did not disappear with the gob- 
 lin in a flash of fire, for he was found after- 
 wards more than a mile away from his 
 pasture. 
 
 'What became of the empty hogshead?' 
 'I had it broken for fire wood' said old Toney, 
 ' and it did smell of brimstone, showing that 
 the debbil had been in it.' As we drove 
 along I said to Miss Mason, ' what would you 
 say if I were to tell you that I was in that 
 hogshead and that fiddle was mine?' 'I 
 have always heard that Satan Avas power- 
 ful in these parts, but I never heard that 
 you were one of his imps, but I must be on 
 my guard and beware.' ' You see,' said I 
 Sveboys of the neighborhood had heard of 
 the advent of the money-diggers and we 
 
66 
 
 Recollections 
 
 determined to play a trick on them, and I 
 being not only the youngest but the small- 
 est was packed into the hogshead with the 
 fiddle and the conch-shell. All the rest of 
 old Toney's story is but an exaggeration; a 
 fiction founded on fact.' 
 
OF Revolutionary Times. 67 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 "His calm and blameless life 
 Does with substantial blessedness abound, 
 And the soft wings of peace cover him round." 
 
 Cowley. 
 
 " Miss MoUie Mason lived with her maiden 
 aunt in a square frame house very much in 
 the style of the old fashioned house of Queen 
 Anne's time ; that is to say a two-story build- 
 ing with the chimney in the middle. 
 
 There was a square room each side of the 
 entrance hall ; one of which was used for a 
 dining room, the other for a parlor in which 
 stood Miss Mollie's piano and a sofa. This 
 apartment Miss Mollie and I were allowed 
 to have entirely to ourselves. It was on 
 our return from the drive just mentioned, 
 that I managed to get possession of a valu- 
 able ring, which she usually took off when 
 playing the piano. I had often tried to get 
 it from her, but it was not until I told her 
 of my adventure with the money-diggers 
 
68 Kecollectioxs 
 
 and how it was that I was mounted on the 
 bull, w^ho, histead of disappearing in a flash 
 of fire, had deposited me in a mud puddle; 
 whilst the infuriated beast, alarmed by the 
 discharge of a musket, which one of our 
 roistering party had fired, sheered ofi" 
 through an open gate, and disappeared in- 
 stantly from the view of the frightened 
 money-diggers. 
 
 Moved by compassion at the sad pickle 
 I must have been in. Miss Mollie yielded to 
 my entreaties and promised me the ring, 
 especially as I had gallantly promised one 
 in return, which was to be a ring on which 
 was to be the arms of the Boughton's of 
 Burgandy ' gules a la fasce cVor^ ' for Miss 
 Mollie said she Avould like to have something 
 that w^ould remind her of the gallant knight 
 who boldly charged the money-diggers, on 
 the back of a wild bull. 
 
 As the jeweller took some time to exe- 
 cute my order, the ring was not presented 
 until the eve of i^^ew Year's day. It was 
 not enameled, rubies being used. We were 
 seated on the sofa I mentioned when I placed 
 the ring on her finger, making a little speech 
 
OF Eevolutioxaky Times. 69 
 
 on the occasion, hnmbly declaring that were 
 I worthy of so fair a hand ( the smallest I 
 had ever seen ) I should have offered my- 
 self, and all my worldly goods, into the bar- 
 gain, for her acceptance. The young lady 
 declared, I was underating myself, at Avhich 
 I put my arm around her waist and said — 
 ' Would you, MoUie?' to which she modestly 
 replied: ^I fear my aunt would object.' 
 'But if she did not, what then? The response 
 was, as might have been expected under 
 the circumstances, one little word of only 
 three letters and that was, ' Yes.' 
 
 Her maiden aunt and all her near rela- 
 tions approved of the match; nevertheless, 
 it was broken off, and the ring was returned 
 to the donor. Plere little Mary observed, 
 'What became of the ring?' 'Why,' said 
 uncle Jack ' I very foolishly threw it away, 
 thinking it must be bewitched'. The promise 
 having been made in Witches' Lane, it might 
 be found if anyone was to fish for it off 
 Rohaton Point. However, as for the ring 
 she gave me I have never had a proper op- 
 portunity of returning it. It was an opal, to 
 be sure, and is considered, I believe, an un- 
 
70 Recollections 
 
 lucky stone but it has proved to be a sort 
 of talisman.' 
 
 Here little Mary interrupted, ' and what 
 became of the young lady?' O, she ran 
 away with a dancing master who had been 
 a count in his own country before the French 
 Revolution, preferring a lively young man 
 to an old bachelor. This hasty step, as the 
 elopement might be called would perhaps, 
 have never taken place had not her next 
 door neighbor, Deacon Doolittle ( who 
 loved to have a finger in every pie ) sug- 
 gested the idea that a family of Cyclops 
 would be the result of the union with your 
 uncle Jack. However the match turned 
 out much better than could be expected, for 
 the First Consul recalled the ancient nobil- 
 ity of France, and I have since had the 
 pleasure of visiting the Count and Countess 
 in their stately Chateau in Normandy. 
 
 The Deacon had been perhaps very much 
 scandalized at our Choral services in the 
 neighboring village of White Plains, which 
 was considered worse than witch-craft itself. 
 However, but for this interference I should 
 not have been able to contribute to the 
 
OF Revolutiojs-aky Times. 71 
 
 Church choir, and I trust that some one will 
 be raised up to be a comfort and a consola- 
 tion and to be even unto me as a daughter. 
 But the Deacon's reasoning seems to have 
 been that of the Jesuits — that is that the end 
 justifies the means — and not the Gospel rule, 
 to do unto others as we should be done by. 
 And now, as the yule-log is nearly burnt, 
 we will, therefore, save the brand for next 
 year's burning. 
 
 "Kindle the Christmas brand, and then, 
 
 Till sunset let it burne, 
 Which quenched, then lay it up ageu, 
 
 Till Christmas next returne." 
 " Part must be kept, wherewith to teend 
 
 The Christmas log next yeare; 
 And where it is safely kept, the fiend 
 
 Can do no mischief there." 
 
 I quote these words of old Herrick, for I 
 must be off to-morrow to my new home, 
 Troy, ^. Y., at the head of navigation on 
 the Hudson, where we keep Christmas 
 according to Dutch tradition ; when assem- 
 bling around the Christmas tree, under the 
 patronage of the good St. ISTicholas, the 
 protecting genius of their ancestors," 
 
T2 Recollections 
 
 A REU^ION^. 
 
 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren 
 to dwell together in unity. — Psalm cxxxiii: 1. 
 
 It happened that at the Church revival conse- 
 quent on the appearance of the celebrated Oxford 
 Tracts it occurred to English Churchmen that their 
 forefathers had been illiberal in forbidding native 
 American clergymen Episcopally ordained to offici- 
 ate in their churches. They therefore persuaded 
 Parliament to modify the prohibitory law so that 
 Episcopally ordained clergymen might preach in 
 English pulpits. On the passage of the act an 
 American Prelate of distinction, the Kt. Kev. G. 
 Washington Doane, Bishop of New Jersey, was im- 
 mediately invited to deliver the sermon at the 
 consecration of the new parish church of Leeds, of 
 which the Rev. Dr. Hook was the Vicar. As this 
 church was remarkable for its extent and archi- 
 tectural grandeur it was hoped that it would prove 
 to be a memorable event in the history of the An- 
 glican communion. 
 
 As the Editor and his brother were particular 
 friends of the Bishop chosen for this purpose, they 
 were invited to be of the party. The church was 
 consecrated on September 2nd, 1841, and the sermon 
 was preached to the great satisfaction of a congre- 
 gation of four thousand people. The sermon being 
 on the text "And the Lord blessed the house of Obed- 
 
Leeds Church. 
 
OF Revolutioi^ary Times. 73 
 
 edom and all that he had." (I Chron. xiii: 14.) Four 
 hundred of the English clergy were in the procession, 
 (including the Archbishop of York), and at the con- 
 clusion of the solemn service a peal of twelve bells 
 rang out, filling the air with a joyful clamor, seem- 
 ing to say as at Christmas, " Peace on earth, good 
 will towards men ;'' and as if the peal was proclaim- 
 ing the reunion of the two great branches of the 
 Anglo-Saxon race after a century of misunderstand- 
 ing, doubts, and difficulties ; declaring that Revolu- 
 tionary strife was at an end. The Rev. Yicar, the 
 late Dr. Hook, was kind enough to invite the editor 
 to a rehearsal of the Choral Service which for the 
 first time was to be performed in an English par- 
 ish church. 
 
 It had been his life dream that he might some 
 day or other hear the English Cathedral service. 
 As he listened to the choir of the Parish Church of 
 Leeds, drilled by a choir master from St. George's, 
 Windsor, the thought occurred to him, if this could 
 be so w^ell done in an English parish church, why 
 not in an American church, and if we had no Cathe- 
 drals why would not this be the way to produce 
 them? For as the architectural grandeur of the Ca- 
 thedrals, by a species of enchantment, seem to pro- 
 duce the Choral Service, for without it the very 
 stones would cry out against the worshippers, so 
 might the Choral Service in time produce Cathedrals. 
 
 In the following year the experiment was tried 
 in St. Paul's Church, Troy, N. Y., and curious 
 enough, a tenor singer from St. George's Church, 
 
74 Recollections 
 
 Windsor, assisted at the first choral service at the 
 Sunday School celebration on Easter day of that 
 year, and from that day forward, the choral ser- 
 vice progressed until it is to be found all over the 
 United States, and the Cathedrals are coming, as 
 all must allow who have studied the glorious j^lan 
 of All Saints' Cathedral, Albany. May this ad- 
 vance in ritual splendor be something more than a 
 marching and counter-marching, copes, and candle- 
 sticks — for it is " righteousness that exalteth the 
 nation." 
 
 A solemn ritual undoubtedly has its j)ious usages, 
 but we must not substitute the means for the ends. 
 St. Paul applies the true principle when he writes 
 in his Epistle to the Corinthians: " I will pray 
 with the spirit, and I will pray with the under- 
 standing also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will 
 sing with the understanding also." 
 
 However, although the Choral Service has become 
 almost National, it was a long time before much 
 progress was made. At first there were many 
 admirers, especially those who had made Cathedral 
 tours in the " old Country ; " but they were afraid of 
 anything like innovation, some declaring that it 
 would be contrary to the rubrics of the American 
 Prayer Book. 
 
 The ecclesiastical authority of the diocese of New 
 York, and the controversary in the Church Journal 
 soon settled this question. It was perfectly obvious 
 that there was no intention either in the canons, 
 rubrics, or Book of Common Prayer to discontinue 
 
OF Revolutioxary Tidies. 75 
 
 the Choral Service, the Choral Service being in fact 
 part of the common law of the Church Catholic. 
 
 The late Dr Croswell, Rector of the Church of the 
 Advent, Boston, having heard the service when on 
 a visit to Troy, determined to adopt it; and from 
 Boston the usage extended to the City of New 
 York, where a society of clergymen and laymen 
 was formed under the musical direction of the late 
 Dr Hodges, organist of Trinity Church, for its pro- 
 motion ; from which City it has extended all over 
 the United States. What added considerably to 
 the movement was the substitution of male for 
 mixed choirs. 
 
 However, the Choral Service Avas not introduced 
 into Trinity Church until after Dr Hodges had 
 returned to England, although he had prepared the 
 way for it. Dr Cutler, from the Church of the Ad- 
 vent, Boston, succeeding the learned Doctor who for 
 many years had directed the music of Trinity 
 Church Parish. 
 
 Edward Hodges, Mus. Doc, took his degree in 
 1825 at the English University of Cambridge, and 
 came to this country in 1838 ; he was for twenty- 
 five years organist of Trinity Parish, Ncav York, 
 and it is universally conceded that he is the father 
 of ecclesiastial music in the United States. 
 
 Editor. 
 
AN EASTER EGG 
 
 (77) 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTKATIOI^S. 
 
 
 
 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 1. 
 
 The Hall * Frontispiece 
 
 2. 
 
 Dancing School 
 
 
 
 88 
 
 3. 
 
 The Refusal 
 
 
 
 92 
 
 4. 
 
 A Conference . 
 
 
 
 93 
 
 5. 
 
 Burying the Treasure . 
 
 
 
 99 
 
 6. 
 
 Haunted Cellar 
 
 
 
 . 101 
 
 1. 
 
 Wedding Party 
 
 
 
 . 107 
 
 8. 
 
 Old Chimney; a landmark 
 * See page 108. 
 
 
 
 113 
 
 (79) 
 
TABLE OF C0:N^TE]S'TS, 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Introduction . . . . . . .83 
 
 Chapter I. Society in Revolutionary Times . 85 
 
 Chapter II. Love-making by Moonlight . . 90 
 
 Chapter III. A Dubious State of Affairs . . 93 
 Chapter IV. Hidden Treasure .... 99 
 
 Chapter Y, An Extraordinary Proposition . 102 
 
 Chapter YI. Change of Times . . . .106 
 
 Chapter YII. Conclusion . . . .110 
 
 Appendix . . . . . . .113 
 
 (81) 
 
I]SrTEODUCTIO:N'. 
 
 It was some years after the gathering 
 round the Yule-log in Connecticut, that 
 cousin Jack found himself seated beside 
 his fair cousin Mary in a one-horse chaise 
 on the road from Troy to Albany, where 
 Miss Mary was returning to boarding- 
 school, when the young lady often referred 
 to the Christmas merry making in the old 
 farm-house. Miss Mary was willing to 
 hear something more from her cousin, the 
 story teller, especially as the road (a century 
 ago) was dull and uninteresting; the fol- 
 lowing tale was told, and as it concerns 
 Revolutionary times it is subjoined. 
 
 (83) 
 
AN EASTER EGG. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 " The war's whole art each private soldier knows, 
 And with a gen'ral's love of conquest glows." 
 
 Addison. 
 
 Among the Boutonville papers was the 
 following tale of Kevolutionaiy Times. 
 
 At the breaking out of the war 1775 an 
 expedition was undertaken, under the com- 
 mand of General Montgomery, against Que- 
 bec. Among the volunteers on that ill- 
 starred attempt was Major Waring of 
 Westchester Co., llSTew York. On his return 
 from Canada the Major heard of the sale of 
 an estate in Westchester Co. the price of 
 which tempted him to invest all that he 
 had. The gentleman from whom the land 
 was purchased had determined to sell out 
 his interest in American soil and return to 
 England; for, as he declared, he did not wish 
 
 (85) 
 
86 Recollections 
 
 to be ill the midst of a border war, as " cow- 
 boys and skinners" had begun to harass 
 the country not sparing the property of 
 either friend or foe. 
 
 In more settled times Major "Waring 
 would, doubtless, have had a thorough 
 search of title, but as he knew the land had 
 been in possession of Mr. Heathcote, he 
 thought the title must be unquestionably 
 good ; however, the Major was mistaken as 
 will presently appear. 
 
 After the w^ar, however, the land rose 
 rapidly in value. Major Waring made 
 great improvements, improving roads, sell- 
 ing and leasing lots with guarantee title, 
 and mortgaging the land in order to raise 
 money for building purposes. A zealous 
 churchman, he built a church and school- 
 house at his own expense, besides being 
 one of the supporters of the church and 
 school. 
 
 In the midst of this prosperity there came 
 an unexpected blow. Some persons living 
 in 'New York, claiming to be the heirs-at- 
 law of the original proprietor, called atten- 
 tion to the fact that the land had been en- 
 
OF Revolutio^^ary Times. 87 
 
 tailed and that Major Waring had purchased 
 it of a gentleman, who had only a life es- 
 tate; consequently the great estate with all 
 its improvements, church and school in- 
 cluded, belonged to the heirs of the original 
 proprietor. 
 
 ]N^ow, it happened that that marplot, Dea- 
 con Doolittle, had occasion to go to 'New 
 York to make search among old records 
 (for the Deacon was an attorney-at-law) and 
 there he stumbled on the fact that the es- 
 tate had been entailed. The Deacon was 
 lawyer enough to know that under our law 
 an entail could not be broken except with 
 the consent of the eldest son of the pro- 
 prietor. By diligent search he could dis- 
 cover no title-deed by which the entail had 
 been broken. Finding the heirs of the 
 original proprietor living in New York he 
 made a bargain with them for a large com- 
 mission, in case he could recover the estate 
 securing for himself the lion's share. 
 
 Jonathan Doolittle in spite of his nominal 
 ecclesiastical character was rather worldly- 
 minded ; moreover, his son, a gawky young 
 man, had been rejected by Miss Fannie, the 
 
88 E-ECOLLECTIOIS'S 
 
 Major's only child, a great country belle, 
 for besides being an accomplished heiress, 
 her mother was a Livingston and she the 
 granddaughter of a signer of the Declara- 
 tion of Independence. Naturally, there- 
 fore, the young lady was inclined to look 
 down on country beaux, whose education 
 scarcely extended beyond the three " R's " 
 and but few of whom had been taught man- 
 ners by the French dancing-master, who 
 came from ^N^ew York in the winter time to 
 instruct the country people; and he was, 
 doubtless, not a little influenced by the ill 
 success of his son with the heiress, of which 
 he had good reason to suspect. 
 
 Among the young men attending the vil- 
 lage dancing school was young Doolittle. 
 !N^o amount of instruction could overcome 
 his natural awkwardness. The dancing- 
 master sometimes lost his temper in his 
 vain endeaver to teach him the steps. On 
 a certain occasion after the young man had 
 made several false starts a little behind 
 time he shouted " ]S^ow six weeks after I say 
 'ready,' begin." 
 
 The vouth seemed, however, to be for- 
 
OF Eevolutioxaky Times. 89 
 
 ward enough in his attendance to Miss 
 Fannie Waring, the belle of the ball-room, 
 who, truth to tell, was inclined to amuse 
 herself a little at his expense, for with others 
 she doubted the disinterested character of 
 his advances. 
 
 By the way some allowance should be 
 made for the hasty temper of the French 
 dancing-master, for he was one of that 
 French noblesse expelled from his native 
 country by the French Revolution; and, 
 like many other fellow countrymen, he was 
 obliged to resort to some means of gaining 
 a livelihood, and as he had been one of the 
 gay courtiers about Versailles, his taste 
 for fiddling and dancing now served for 
 his support, although the stupidity of coun- 
 try bumpkins was very trying to one of a 
 haughty temperament. 
 
90 Recollections 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 " All the swains that there abide, 
 . With jigs and rural dance resort." 
 
 Milton. 
 
 The village had in it, among other things, 
 a commodious ball-room; and it was at a 
 soiree, or Public, that there was a dispute 
 between Doolittle and Mr. Joe Mason as to 
 which of the young men should escort Miss 
 Fannie to her home, in the outskirts of the 
 village. Young Mason politely surren- 
 dered his claim to Doolittle not wishing the 
 young lady to be annoyed by their dispute. 
 
 It was moonlight when Mr Doolittle was 
 escorting the young lady home to her resi- 
 dence in the outskirts of the village when 
 he ventured on a rather delicate subject. 
 
 "In my father's office," said he, " I chanced 
 to learn, this morning, that the old man had 
 made an important discovery which may 
 greatly aifect your father's estate in this 
 town." "Please speak to my father about 
 
OF REVOLUTIOXAPtY TiMES. 91 
 
 it, as I am but a girl, and don't understand 
 such matters.'' " But, my dear Miss Fannie, 
 it concerns you more than one else." ^^I 
 don't see how that can be," said Miss Fannie. 
 " My father," said the young man, " would 
 be offended with me if I were to hint the 
 matter to any one unless — unless — " " Un- 
 less what? " said Miss Fannie. " Unless — 
 he thought I was like to become a near 
 relative, in which case it would greatly alter 
 matters; and as it would be all in the fam- 
 ily, he would discreetly suppress all informa- 
 tion.'' 
 
 Miss Fannie, said : '^ Sir, you are very 
 much mistaken if you think my father 
 would consent to any such arrangement. 
 The hand of his daughter may not be 
 worth much, but it is certainly not for sale; 
 and I beg you will not speak to me any 
 more on the subject, for if he were to listen 
 to any such arrangement, I assuredly would 
 not." "Perhaps if you knew how much 
 it concerned you all, it might make some 
 difference," said Jerry. " H^o, indeed, noth- 
 ing could make me change my mind; and, as 
 we are now home, I will wish you good 
 
92 
 
 Recollections 
 
 The young man retired not a 
 little mortified at his want of success; for 
 evidently the young lady was much better 
 pleased with his rival, whose graceful man- 
 ners were much more acceptable to the 
 belle of the ball-room. 
 
OF Revolutionary Times. 98 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 " To every doubt your answer is the same, 
 It so fell out, and so by chance it came." 
 
 Sir R. Blackmore. 
 
 " One Sunday, after church," said consin 
 Jack, " I was called into the study of Dr. 
 Holyoake, where the Rev. Divine was sol- 
 acing himself Avith a pipe. Taking the 
 fair long pipe out of his mouth, he said ' I 
 fear, young man, that our patron and church 
 warden is about to be ruined by a suit of 
 ejectment recently begun. 
 
 ' It seems that Deacon Doolittle, who is 
 among other things an attorney-at-law, has 
 made a discovery that the land on which 
 this village with church and school-house, 
 also the mansion of Major Waring, was en- 
 tailed by the original proprietor. 
 
 ' Major Waring, when he bought the land 
 at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, 
 had no idea of this ancient settlement. He 
 knew that the land had been possessed by 
 
94 Recollection^s 
 
 the grandfather of Mr. Heathcote, of whom 
 he had purchased the land, which satisfied 
 him, inexperienced in such matters, that the 
 title Avas good. 
 
 The Major greatly improved the property, 
 sold and leased lots, giving warrantee-deeds, 
 and if he can not prove that the entail is 
 broken, he and his family will be ruined, the 
 church, school-house, and parsonage put up 
 and sold to the highest bidder, unless, in- 
 deed, a high and ruinous price is paid for 
 quit-claims. The building of our new and 
 enlarged chancel with its organ-chamber 
 and ncAV and powerful instrument, i)lans of 
 which the Major has procured, would be 
 indefinitely suspended. 
 
 ' The Major had made diligent search 
 everywhere, and though much alarmed at 
 the state of the case, which as you may be- 
 lieve, looks very dark. He and Miss Fan- 
 nie are making the usual preparations for 
 the Whitsun-tide festivities, which you 
 know is to include a fancy dress-party and 
 a whitsun morris dance, although I have 
 begged them to omit the entertainment, but 
 the Major will not have the young people 
 
OF Revolutioj^ary Times. 95 
 
 disappointed, for they have been looking 
 forward to this festival since Christmas.' " 
 
 " Tell me," said cousin Jack, '^ if I can be 
 of any service to you." " You can," said 
 the Doctor; ''it has just occurred to me 
 that you must pass the house of farmer 
 Mason on your return home, and if you 
 would call he might possibly be able to 
 throw some light on the subject, for the old 
 gentleman is well acquainted with the his- 
 tory of Colony times. His wife was a 
 sister of the late proprietor, who, by the 
 way, it is claimed had only a life estate." 
 " Indeed," said cousin Jack, " I have fre- 
 quently called there with Miss Mason, who 
 is a niece of his, and I recollect hearing him 
 say that he had a good many papers, throw- 
 ing light on Revolutionary times.'' 
 
 " I immediately persuaded Miss MoUie to 
 acquiesce in this suggestion of the Doctor's. 
 
 Our road home lay along the Sound for 
 some miles and we had to pass the farm- 
 house occupied by Miss Mollie's uncle, who, 
 I recollect, once offered to show me some 
 old manuscripts, which were curious and 
 which might throw some light on old Colony 
 times. 
 
96 Recollections 
 
 A straight road or avenue branched off 
 from the highway and terminated in a sort 
 of square courtyard on which the farmhouse 
 fronted. 
 
 The old house was one of those gabled 
 mansions with red-tiled roof, whose fronts 
 were built of brick brought from Holland. 
 On one side of this courtyard was an apple 
 orchard, on the other a garden in which 
 flowers and vegetables were growing side 
 by side. On the fourth side a pasture sloped 
 to the shore of the Sound, on which vessels 
 were constantly j)assing to and from the 
 city. You entered a hall, the ceiling of 
 which was crossed by ponderous beams 
 which had evidently never been painted. 
 When I reminded Mr Mason of his j^romise, 
 he called out to his son Joe, and, giving him 
 the key of the chest, suggested that he 
 should show me the old papers. Joe and I 
 went up stairs leaving Miss Mollie with her 
 uncle. 
 
 We searched in vain for any document 
 that would throw light on the matter. Joe, 
 however, when he understood what was 
 wanted, said that he had heard when a child 
 
OF Revolutionary Times. 97 
 
 from an old negro, who had formerly be- 
 longed to the late proprietor, that there was 
 a secret about the old house, which he was 
 sworn to keep until Joe came of age; for 
 Mr. Heathcote's sister was his mother. The 
 negro is still living in a cabin in Witches' 
 Lane, for he was sold to a neighbor in Con- 
 necticut, when Mr. Heathcote parted with 
 his real and personal property in this coun- 
 try. ' I imagine,' said Joe, ' that we might 
 get some information from the old negro, 
 that might be of service, as I am now 
 of age ; and, if you will go with me to-mor- 
 row, we will question the old man.' 
 
 As I drove Miss Mason home, we had a 
 good deal to say about Joe's interest in the 
 subject. 'My cousin,' said Miss Mollie, 4s 
 evidently very sweet on Miss Fannie, al- 
 though worshipping at a respectful distance. 
 He and young Doolittle had a little spat 
 about her last winter, which of them should 
 escort Miss Fannie home after the "public." 
 Miss Fannie was evidently annoyed at the 
 dispute, which Joe perceiving, he instantly 
 relinquished the honour and privilege. I 
 imagine, however, that Doolittle did not 
 have a very pleasant time of it.' 
 
98 Recollections 
 
 " Bat" said cousin Jack, "you don't think 
 Miss Fannie will condescend to a country 
 boy." " Cousin Joe is a good looking fel- 
 low," said Miss Mollie, " and if he could 
 make himself useful to the family, much 
 might be done for hmi; and the Majoi*, you 
 know, has influence especially in the now 
 rising city of New York." 
 
OF Revolutionary Times. 99 
 
 CHAPTER lY. 
 
 " When we behold an angel, not to fear, 
 Is to be hnprudent." 
 
 Dryden. 
 
 " The next day " said cousin Jack, " Joe 
 Mason and myself questioned the old negro 
 about his recollections of the old homestead; 
 but it was first necessary to convince Tony 
 of the fact that Mr. Mason was of full age, 
 before he would fully talk on the subject. 
 At length, being satisfied, he declared his 
 willingness to explain the mystery. 
 
 ' For you see, marster Joe, de myst'ry is 
 all in de cellar of de old house; for de boss, 
 when he sold de estate, meanin' to go back 
 to de old country, gave me with de house 
 to his sister, who had married marster Ma- 
 son, 'cause he didn't like de fightin' goin' 
 on all 'round de night. 'Fore he left when 
 all were asleep in the house, he called dis 
 here nigger an' says "ol' Tony, help me with 
 dis plate-chest into de cellar.' I took hoi ' 
 
100 Recollections 
 
 of de chest bound with iron and helped 
 marster cany it down-stars. Here in de 
 middle of de cellar was a dungeon, covered 
 with a trap-door, where we used to keep 
 taters 'fore de new cellar was built. We 
 put de box in de dungeon, putting bricks 
 under it to keep it from de damp groun', and 
 arter taking off de trap-door, we covered it 
 over with bricks so no one would neber 
 think thar had been a dungeon thar; and 
 then says Marster^' I'm gwine to Barbadoes 
 'fore I go to the ol' country, an' if I don't 
 come back no more you tell no one 'till 
 baby Joe comes of age as he was afraid of 
 de " cowboys" and '^ skinners " would find 
 de plate chest.' 
 
 ^When aunt Bessie, de ol' cook, asked 
 what had become of de trap-door, w^hich I 
 had chopped into kindlin' wood, I told her 
 the horned debbil must have flown away 
 with it; for you know, marster Jack, Satan 
 has always been very powerful in dese parts 
 ebber since de witches troubled de Ian '. 
 'Fore I was sold to your grandfather, massa 
 Jack, I did see de ol' debbil in dat same 
 cellar.' " How is that ' said Joe Mason, 
 
OF Revolutioxary Times. 101 
 
 ' 1 never heard that the house was haunted." 
 ' Why, ' said old Tony, ' it was two or 
 three years after de oV marster Heathcote 
 had gone to Barbadoes, where he died of de 
 fever, marster Mason sent me to get a pitcher 
 of cider and I did see de ghost of marster, 
 or de debbil in his shape, a straddle of de 
 cider barr'l, who cried out " say nothing of 
 de plate chest except to little Joe when he 
 be grown up." 
 
 "I hollered, for I was awfu' scart, and 
 when dey come down to see Avhat was de 
 matter dey found nobody but dis nigger, de 
 candle, and de pitcher all in a heap on the 
 floor. Massa Mason said I was crazy and 
 dat he would sell dis nigger the first chance 
 he got.'" 
 
102 Recollections 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 "Nay, you shall see mine orchard; where, in an arbor, 
 we will eat a last years' pipen of my own graffing, with a 
 dish of carraways, and so forth ;" 
 
 Shakespeare. 
 
 Deacon Doolittle called on Major Waring, 
 when the following conversation took place. 
 Deacox. " I understand. Major Waring, 
 that you have just been re-elected church 
 warden." Major. " The church people of 
 Whiteplains have been good enough to 
 continue their confidence in their old ves- 
 tryman." Deacox. " Are they aware that 
 the title to their church property is ques- 
 tionable." Major. " Indeed, they have 
 heard that the claim has been set up, Avhich 
 I hope will prove unfounded." Deacon. 
 " I imagine. Major, that if you and I could 
 agree on terms, all further proceedings might 
 be checked, for I have all the evidence in 
 my hands." Major. " I don't understand 
 what you mean." Deacon. " To speak 
 plainly, my boy has taken a fancy to your 
 
OF Ke VOLUTION ARY TiMES. 103 
 
 girl, and could they make a match it would 
 become a family matter, and the heirs-at-law 
 of Heathcote would find it very difficult to 
 get along in their suit of ejectment without 
 my co-operation. A very moderate sum of 
 money would buy off any claim that they 
 might think they have.'' Major. " I must 
 say I don't like your proposition; if they 
 have any right, you ought not to suppress 
 any evidence. Anyhow, my daughter's 
 hand could not be the subject of barter. If 
 we are to be dispossed it must be by fair 
 means and according to the law of the land, 
 and if I am to seek a new home I am sure 
 my daughter will go with me. I wish, 
 therefore, you would excuse me, for we have 
 to make arrangements for our usual Easter 
 entertainment." Deacon. " Then if we 
 can not come to any arrangement I will 
 wish you good morning." 
 
 Soon after the departure of Deacon Doo- 
 little, Mr. Joe Mason was announced, who 
 was received by Miss Fannie, when the fol- 
 lowing conversation took place. Mr. Mason. 
 "I have come thus early because I wish to 
 present you with a document, by way of an 
 
104 Recollectioxs 
 
 Easter-egg, which my father desu^ed me to 
 present, and which he thought would be of 
 interest to you and your father. It was 
 discovered among some old papers, and the 
 old gentleman desired that I would make 
 haste and bring it to you. It was found, I 
 I should say, in an old chest that had been 
 secreted in the cellar in Revolutionary times 
 that it might be hid from ' cowboys ' and 
 ' skinners ' who had repeatedly raided the 
 old house in search of booty." 
 
 Just then the Major coming into the par- 
 lour, Miss Fannie handed him the document, 
 which the Major hastily examined with much 
 emotion and said, " My dear young friend, 
 you have found what was lost — an impor- 
 tant document; for it is the title-deed, duly 
 signed and attested, which we have been so 
 long endeavoring to find. It makes you a 
 most welcome visitor to this house, and it 
 puts my daughter and myself under ever- 
 lasting obligations, for we cannot now be 
 driven from our home, nor can the church 
 and village be dispossed of their property, 
 the title of which has been questioned by 
 JN^ew York lawyers." 
 
OF Revolutio:n^ary Times. 105 
 
 Visitors were now coming constantly, 
 and as the good news sped from mouth to 
 mouth soon the whole village was astir with 
 excitement. A band of music which had 
 been engaged for the Easter festivities were 
 in triumphant blast, bonfires were blazing, 
 and the multitude gathered on the lawn 
 were jubilant with their acclamations. And 
 as the Major locked up the document in his 
 strong box, after showing it to Dr. Holy- 
 oake, who had carefully examined it, " It 
 is," said the Doctor, "a veritable Easter-egg, 
 and it is the truth of the words of the 
 prophet that ' the liberal soul devises liberal 
 things, and by liberal things shall he stand.'" 
 To which the crowd shouted a loud " Amen." 
 
106 Recollections 
 
 CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 " happy youth! 
 For whom thy fates reserve so fair a bride:" 
 
 Dryden. 
 
 Seven years had passed since the events 
 recorded in the last chapter. MoUie Mason 
 had run away with her French dancing-mas- 
 ter; her cousin, Joe, had left his father's 
 farm to become a merchant's clerk in ^ew 
 York, where he gradually rose to be a jun- 
 ior partner, aided, doubtless, by the bags of 
 doubloons found in the plate chest. Being 
 of a quiet and industrious disposition he 
 improved himself by reading and study. 
 Sundays were always spent in the country 
 and his Sunday evenings at the house of 
 Major Waring, where he continued to be a 
 most welcome visitor, when he and Miss 
 Fannie charmed the neighbors with duets. 
 For Joe had not only improved by reading 
 and study, but especially cultivated a fine 
 tenor voice. 
 
OF Revolutionary Times. 107 
 
 The Major had added a tower to the 
 church by way of a thank-offering for his 
 unexpected delivery, to which the inhabi- 
 tants had added a peal of bells, which were 
 now in full swing, as a coach and four drove 
 from the church door with a happy pair, 
 just united in matrimony by the venerable 
 Dr Holyoake; for, as may be imagined, the 
 seven years of devotion, (like that of Jacob 
 for his Rachel ) had been rewarded by the 
 hand and fortune of the belle of the village* 
 Indeed, Major Waring was often heard to 
 observe, that he could not do better than to 
 bestow the hand of his daughter on one who 
 had been so constant and had been the in- 
 strument, under Providence, of saving his 
 family, church, and village from threatened 
 ruin. 
 
 The school and the villagers were enter- 
 tained at the mansion of Major Waring, 
 where a fancy dress-party were celebrating 
 the joyful occasion with a morris-dance. 
 
 As the Reverend Dr. Holyoake had a 
 good deal to do with managing these open 
 air festivals, they naturally assumed the ap- 
 pearance of similar festivities held on the 
 
108 E-ECOLLECTIO^^S 
 
 English village greens, although such Whit- 
 sun-ales were always observed with becom- 
 ing docorum. The Doctor was no anchorite 
 and always preached and practiced modera- 
 tion, insisting that although all people at the 
 Church festivals should greatly rejoice, yet 
 they should not make beasts of themselves; 
 often referring to Gregory the Great, who 
 recommended hilarity but not inebriety, that 
 the animals sacrificed in his time^Dia- 
 bolo, — to the Devil," should be eaten by 
 Christian people " Ad laudem Dei, — to the 
 praise of God." 
 
 Some time after Joe Mason and his wife's 
 return from a European tour, which in those 
 days was by no means as common as in 
 more modern times, an addition w^as made 
 to the old Dutch farm-house, in which Joe 
 was born, and which gave an air of greater 
 style to the house intended for the accommo- 
 dation of the young ]3eople. The j^ew 
 York architect, however, Avas governed in 
 his design by the English taste for Gothic 
 architecture, just then reviving. 
 
 There was a huge fire-place and an oak- 
 panelled ceiling much more elegant than 
 
or Revolutionary Times. 109 
 
 the heavy timbered roof in the entrance hall 
 of the old Dutch farm-house. The family 
 had learned to highly prize the house in 
 which the hidden plate-chest had been found, 
 and they had determined not to part with 
 it but rather to improve the land about it by 
 not only planting an avenue of trees from 
 the road to the house, but with additional 
 plantations and other improvements and 
 embellishments, being in no wise deterred by 
 fear of the goblin that had watched over the 
 treasure trove. 
 
110 Eecollections 
 
 C0]N'CLUSI0:N. 
 
 " All 's well that ends well." 
 
 Shahesi^eare. 
 
 The foregoing tale was told by cousin 
 Jack, the Church-warden of St. Paul's, as he 
 drove little Mary to and from her school in 
 Albany, where she had been sent by her 
 parents, to finish her education; for they 
 had removed to Troy, ]S^. Y., with cousin 
 Jack, soon after the yule-tide party at her 
 grandfather's house, which old farm-house 
 continued to be the resort of the grand- 
 children for many years after ; indeed, un- 
 til they were grown up and married and 
 had homes of their own in difi*erent parts 
 of the country. 
 
 Mrs. Starr's boarding-school in Albany 
 was quite eminent at that time until Mrs. 
 Emma Willard had established her famous 
 Female Seminary in Troy, ]^. Y. The roads 
 between Troy and Albany in those days 
 were rough, ill-made, and not much traveled, 
 
OF Revolutioi^ary Times. Ill 
 
 so that Miss Mary was glad to avail her- 
 self of her cousin's polite invitation to drive 
 over. 
 
 The Church-warden continued his " Re- 
 collections of Revolutionary Times " as he 
 drove to and from Albany, which it seems, 
 the young lady committed to paper and 
 transmitted to her cousins residing in the 
 old homestead. 
 
 As the manuscript related to ^'Revolution- 
 ary Times " it naturally found its way into 
 the receptacle provided for such travelers' 
 tales not in but over the fire-place, and yet 
 the story has this merit of being something 
 more than a mere traveler's tale, for the 
 title-deed is now on record, which proved 
 to be so acceptable an Easter egg to Major 
 "Waring ; and his friends and the school were 
 also equally substantial, although seeming 
 to be but a part of a fairy tale. 
 
 Title to land in the Colony of ^ew York 
 in the last century was very much as it was 
 in England. The eldest son must sign off 
 with his father in case an entailed estate * 
 
 * The earliest statute abolishing entailed estates 
 was passed in 1782. 
 
112 Recollections 
 
 was sold. This it appears actually hap- 
 pened on the banks of the Hudson although 
 the estate was not in .Westchester County, 
 and as in the story a multitude of innocent 
 purchasers might have been ruined had it 
 not been that a title deed was accidently 
 discovered, properly signed, and which is 
 now on record. Had not this discovery 
 been timely made a most useful Institution 
 similar to that described in the foregoing 
 story would have been greatly damaged if 
 not utterly ruined, all of which is an addi- 
 tional proof, if one were needed, that there 
 is a wise over-ruling Providence causing 
 useful discoveries to be made where they 
 are most needed. 
 
 Moreover, people began to talk about the 
 attention of the Church- warden to his fair 
 cousin. Miss Mary, and in spite of objections 
 made by their relatives, the young lady de- 
 clared she would rather be his daughter 
 than another man's wife, having been sin- 
 cerely attached to her cousin Jack ever 
 since their merry making in the old farm- 
 house " Round about the Yule-log." 
 
Recollectioxs 113 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 This ruinous chimney has quite a history; 
 for after the old house was burnt (some- 
 where about 1825) the chimney remained 
 standing, serving as a landmark, for half a 
 century, to ships going in and out of the 
 harbor of ^N^orwalk. When at length it fell, 
 there rolled out from a secret deposit a capa- 
 cious earthern jar filled with papers. This, 
 with the seal unbroken, was sent to the 
 editor, who had previously received from 
 the proprietor the old arm-chair and kitchen 
 clock, with a request from the donor that 
 if there was money in the jar a dividend 
 should be made among the numerous de- 
 scendants of the original j)roprietor. 
 
 It would seem that the Yule-log annu- 
 ally burnt in this chimney has brought good 
 luck as if it stood on fairy ground. 
 
114 OF Kevolutionaky Times. 
 
 A YULE SONG. 
 
 Now blazing yule logs crown the hearth, 
 Dispensing warmth with light and mirth; 
 Now Christmas gambols, quaint and rare, 
 Delight the heart and banish care. 
 Chorus. 
 * Rejoice ! our Saviour He was born 
 On Christmas day in the morning. 
 
 Now holly boughs bedeck the wall, 
 
 In lowly cot and lofty hall, 
 
 And mistletoe with promise fair, 
 
 Its berries yields to those who dare. 
 Chorus. 
 Rejoice ! our Saviour He was born 
 On Christmas day in the morning. 
 
 Then open wide the stately hall, 
 
 And banquet spread for great and small; 
 
 And we with garlands gay will bring 
 
 The tuneful harp, and ever sing. 
 Chorus. 
 Rejoice ! our Saviour He was born 
 On Christmas day in the morning. 
 
 * This chorus is to be found in several old Eng- 
 lish carols, and is quoted by Mr. Irving in his 
 Sketch Book. For music, see Carols and Operet- 
 tas published by Pond & Co. 
 
OF Revolutionary Times. 115 
 
 APPEISTDIX B. 
 
 These tales of Revolutionary Times were 
 suggested to the author by the history of 
 ail institution originating many years since 
 by a benevolent old lady, a native of ^N^or- 
 walk, Conn., who, with her husband and 
 family, had immigrated to Troy, ]^. Y., in 
 1798 ; where being much interested in the 
 planting of the Church in that village, had 
 endeavored to promote the interest of St. 
 Paul's, founded in 1804, by looking after the 
 Catechetical instruction of the children. 
 
 Among the evil consequences of the 
 unnatural war of 1812, was the increase of 
 neglected children amongst the poorer 
 class. The pious and benevolent old lady 
 collected as many of these as she conven- 
 iently could for a Saturday sewing-school, 
 or school of industry, in which they were 
 taught their Catechism and plain sewing. 
 From this small beginning was developed 
 
116 Recollections 
 
 a Mission Church, the corner-stone of 
 which was laid the 25th of April, 1844. 
 " We had," says the Diary of the founder 
 of the Mission Church, " a bright and glo- 
 rious day for our services, which, I trust, is 
 an omen of the smiles and approbation 
 of an overruling Providence on our under- 
 taking." 
 
 The prayer of the founder seemed to 
 have been answered in a remarkable man- 
 ner and to be in harmony with the dream of 
 the old lady who originated the school. We 
 quote from the Diary: " I would observe, 
 that, as the life of my aged mother ap- 
 proached its termination, her thoughts often- 
 times seemed to soar to far distant scenes, 
 and sometimes to be lost in visions of eter- 
 nity. She would frequently exclaim, after 
 rising from sleep, ^ Where am I? Have I 
 come back again? O what beautiful things 
 I have seen! how beautiful ! how sweet!' 
 And again, ' What beautiful candle sticks 
 I have seen for the Church ; so surpassingly 
 so that they are indescribable ! ' " 
 
 The old lady died in 1835, bequeathing 
 the little school to her daughter-in-law who 
 
OF Revolutio:n^ary Times, 117 
 
 had promised to continue it, greatly to the 
 dying woman's satisfaction. 
 
 In 1839 this Saturday sewing-school was 
 converted into a day school, using the up- 
 per room of the Sunday-school of St. Paul's 
 Church, by the kind permission of the 
 Yestry. 
 
 One Monday morning, in the summer of 
 1843, the patroness of the little school went 
 in as usual and found the children all in 
 tears. On inquiring the cause of the dis- 
 turbance, she Avas told by Miss Pierce, the 
 teacher, that the Sunday-school Superinten- 
 dent had just been in, and had lectured the 
 children on the impropriety of uniting their 
 voices with the regular choir. The chil- 
 dren had six or eight pews set apart for 
 them in the south gallery, next to the organ 
 loft in St. Paul's Church, and as they had 
 been for several years taking music lessons 
 of the late Professor Wihiam Hopkins they 
 had become quite accomplished singers 
 for children; but the choir were unwiUingj 
 the Superintendent said, that the children 
 should assist in the music of the church, 
 and that unless he could stop them they 
 would quit. 
 
118 Recollections 
 
 This musical strike frightened the Super- 
 intendent, who was a benevolent man, and 
 doubtless had no idea of the pain he was 
 inflicting. The j^atroness said to the chil- 
 dren, " Dry your eyes, and like good chil- 
 dren do as you are bid, and you shall soon 
 have a church of your own to sing in, and 
 in which you can sing to your hearts' con- 
 tent." 
 
 The children had been a little exalted 
 since their elevation to the organ loft on 
 the Holidays occurring on week-days, and 
 since a Sunday-school celebration at which 
 they assisted at a Choral Service, on which 
 occasion the venerable Superintendent ex- 
 pressed himself decidely pleased, declaring 
 "that it was very solemn." 
 
 The children were evidently proud of 
 serving in the sanctuary, which is not very 
 strange when we consider that they had 
 very little to be proud of at home. By the 
 way, it is noteworthy that since children 
 sang Hosanna in the Temple to the pres- 
 ent day, the service of praise has always 
 brought with it a social advantage and dig- 
 nity. However, the patroness of the school 
 
OF Eevolutioi^ary Times. 119 
 
 had made provision for a Missionary Chnrch 
 in her will. On the spur of the moment 
 she decided to be her own executor, other- 
 wise the matter might have been deferred 
 indefinitely. These musical services at 
 St. Paul's were not without good results, 
 and much credit is due to the energy and 
 zeal of their music-master, who for nearly 
 a quarter of a century continued his ser- 
 vices, which were highly appreciated. Even 
 the Bishop of the Diocese, distinguished for 
 his musical taste, said to the writer, " that if 
 it were not for robbing you I would try and 
 persuade your choir-master to come to ]N'ew 
 York"; for northern ISTew York had not at 
 that time been separated. 
 
 At the laying of the corner-stone of the 
 Mission Church the following anthems were 
 sung: 1st. " O, send out Thy light and 
 Thy truth;" 2d. ^' Great is the Lord, and 
 greatly to be praised in the city of our God, 
 in the mountain of His holiness." The or- 
 chestral accompaniment was led by Pro- 
 fessor William Hopkins, who then laid the 
 foundation of the choir, which has since 
 become quite celebrated. 
 
120 Kecollectioxs 
 
 The Missionary Church was thus deter- 
 mined on, with the approbation of the 
 founder's children, the youngest of whom, 
 George Henry, promised to give a lot for the 
 Church, which promise was faithfully kept 
 when he came of age; whilst her daughter 
 offered to furnish the painted glass, and her 
 son, Stephen E., promised a bell which he 
 afterwards increased to a peal. 
 
 Many other offerings have been made 
 from time to time by pious persons inter- 
 ested in the Church. 
 
 Another who proposed to give the organ, 
 being of an ecclesiological turn of mind, 
 suggested the ruins of the Lady Chapel of 
 Glastonbury Abbey as a model, being not 
 a little influenced doubtless by an ancient 
 tradition. It is said that St. Joseph of 
 Arimathea with some of his disciples landed 
 in Britain on a Christmas Eve, planted his 
 staff on the ground where afterwards a 
 Chapel was built, and discovered next morn- 
 ing that the staff had taken root, and like 
 Aaron's rod had brought forth leaves and 
 flowers on " Christmas day in the morning." 
 
 The suggestion was adopted with some 
 
OF Eevolutioxary Times. 121 
 
 modification, and the building has been 
 added to from time to time until it has 
 grown into a goodly sized Church of nearly 
 one hundred and thirty feet in length, and the 
 centre of a picturesque group of buildings. 
 
 It is a singular coincidence that the 
 Church was first opened for service on 
 Christmas Eve, under the care of the Rev. 
 J. Ireland Tucker, S. T. D., under whose 
 spiritual charge it has continued, and like 
 St. Joseph's stafi* has taken root and 
 brought forth branches and flowers like a 
 modern Arimathean Christmas-tree. 
 
 A correspondant of the " Troy Times " 
 of May 9, 1891:, writes as follows: 
 
 " It was with deep interest that I, one of 
 the former pupils of the ^ boys' school of 
 the Holy Cross,' read the announcement 
 of the semi-centennial anniversary of that 
 well known and beautiful stone church upon 
 Eighth Street, of which Eev. Dr. J. Ireland 
 Tucker has been pastor for half a century. 
 The doctor's late historical sermon has 
 aroused many memories to my mind, for I 
 have attended the Holy Cross, more or less, 
 since I was ten years old. 
 
122 Recollectio:n^s 
 
 "It was a church that impressed the young, 
 particularly by its ritual and architecture, 
 so different from the other churches of the 
 city at that day, for it was the advance 
 guard of that mighty host which has spread 
 throughout our whole land, worshipping the 
 Lord in the ' beauty of holiness.' 
 
 "It is worthy of mention, that out of that 
 band of young presbyters, who in 1844 par- 
 ticipated in the laying of the corner-stone, 
 four afterward became distinguished pre- 
 lates of the church, — Drs. Kip, Potter, 
 "Williams, and Bissel. Bishop Williams is 
 at present presiding bishop of the United 
 States, while several of the other clergy 
 also reached positions of eminence, Drs. 
 Van Kleeck and Twing occupying the 
 position of missionary secretary in ;N"ew 
 York, and Dr. Fairbairn now being presi- 
 dent of St. Stephen's College, Annandale, 
 N. Y. 
 
 " It was soon discovered, before the Chapel 
 was half finished, that the school-house be- 
 hind St. Paul's Church was too far removed, 
 therefore the old Mansion House, built by 
 Jacob D. Yanderheyden, 1794, was pro- 
 
OF Revolutioxary Times. 123 
 
 cured for the new Mission Church, nearly 
 opposite on Eighth Street. In style and 
 size the building was very like the manor 
 house at the north end of Albany, and be- 
 fore Seventh and Eighth Streets were made 
 it was surrounded by a beautiful grove of 
 walnut trees, twenty-one acres in extent, 
 which must have given it yevj much the 
 appearance of an old English manor house. 
 The girls' school occupied spacious rooms 
 on the ground floor until it was burnt down 
 m the great fire of 1862, when the present 
 school-house was built." 
 
 The patroness of this little school had 
 been accustomed to give annually to the 
 children of the Institution two entertain- 
 ments, — the Christmas-tree at her residence, 
 31 Third Street, or at the Vanderheyden 
 mansion, corner of Grand and Eighth 
 Streets, and a midsummer or strawberry 
 festival at Mt. Ida, her summer residence. 
 These parties have been continued by hei* 
 sons, who, in memory of their loving- 
 mother, have kept up their observance. 
 
 Dramatic entertainments have grown out 
 of these children's parties, like the plays 
 
124 Eecollections 
 
 which in ancient times nsecl to follow the 
 great festival, and which were doubtless in- 
 tended to impress on the minds of young 
 people the teaching of the great doctrines 
 of the Christian faith. 
 
or Ke VOLUTION AEY TiMES. 125 
 
 APPENDIX C. 
 
 Choral Service. 
 
 The example of the Choral Service which 
 originated with the Church of the Holy 
 Cross, Troy, ]S^. Y., was very slowly fol- 
 lowed, at first in Boston and then in 'New 
 York. Objections were made to it on the 
 ground of its irregularity; these seem to be 
 best answered by the following extract from 
 an address made by the late Dr. Hodges, or- 
 ganist and choir-master of Trinity Church, 
 New York, to the Church Choral Society at 
 its first meeting at St. John's Sunday-school 
 room, New York, on Wednesday evening, 
 Jan. 7, 1852. 
 
 " The unsolicited honor of an appoint- 
 ment as first or senior organist of this 
 Church Choral Society having been con- 
 ferred upon me, it has become my duty to 
 undertake the musical direction of this, our 
 first meeting for practice. 
 
126 Eecollectioxs 
 
 " You may be well assured that this inci- 
 dent has forced upon me much matter for 
 serious reflection; and I would not enter 
 upon the duty lightly or unadvisedly, but 
 'discreetly, reverently, and in the fear of 
 God;' well knowing that although our prac- 
 tice meetings be not strictly assemblies for 
 Divine Worshijif, they are professedly in- 
 tended as preparations thereto, and there- 
 fore should be conducted in a reverential 
 spirit. 
 
 " Let but such a spirit prevail among us, 
 and our meetings will be profitable, even if 
 our musical performances should not attain 
 to the standard of absolute perfection. We 
 shall be endeavoring to do some small por- 
 tion of the Church's work, and let us not 
 doubt that a blessing will go with the en- 
 deavor." 
 
 The Protestant Episcopal Church of the 
 United States, although she has never legis- 
 lated against musical services, has I believe 
 never in her official or corporate capacity 
 done anything to promote them. She has 
 never founded any "choirs," she has not 
 
OF Eevolutionary Times. 127 
 
 appointed by rubric any place where an 
 anthem may be sung, ^ow the reason of 
 this may be found in the troublous times 
 which immediately preceded her first regu- 
 lar incorporation as a Church, properly 
 organized under her own Bishops. Times 
 of war and tumult and revolution were never 
 favorable to such estabhshments. For a 
 long time preceding, indeed, it seems doubt- 
 ful whether all knowledge of what in the 
 constitution of this society is termed " truly 
 ecclesiastical music" had not died out of 
 the land, even if it were ever previously im- 
 ported into it. It is not to be wondered, 
 therefore, that the compilers of the Ameri- 
 can Prayer-book should have omitted such 
 a rubric as occurs in the English book after 
 the third Collect at Morning and Evening 
 Prayer : " In choirs and places where they sing 
 here folloioeth the Anthem.''^ They might have 
 reasoned, "Of what possible use can such a 
 rubric be to us, seeing that there is not a 
 choir in the ' whole country capable of sing- 
 ing an anthem, or of doing more than pro- 
 ducing a bad imitation of a metrical psalm 
 tune?' This will be so perhaps for genera- 
 
128 Recollections 
 
 tions yet to come. The anthem rubric will, 
 therefore, be perfectly superfluous. Strike 
 it out. If time should change and need its 
 introduction, it can be replaced by our suc- 
 cessors." 
 
 In a similar manner, and from precisely 
 the same cause, the pointing of the Psalter 
 was also omitted. 
 
 !N"ow both of these circumstances are 
 much to be regretted, but I cannot imagine 
 that any legitimate argument can be drawn 
 from them adverse to the chanting of the 
 psalms for the day, or to the occasional or 
 even stated performance of an anthem, if 
 " choirs and places where they sing " can 
 now be found amongst us. 
 
 We will consider it then as a settled 
 point that the Church did not legislate 
 against music, but merely adapted her reg- 
 ulations to the exigencies of the time. Ac- 
 cordingly she has given us a rubric prefixed 
 to the Psalms and Hymns in metre, " to ap- 
 point the portions of Psalms which are to he 
 sung f and further, but in this case "with such 
 assistance as he can obtain from persons shilled 
 in music, to give orders concerning the tunes 
 
OF Kevolutionary Times. 129 
 
 to he sung;'' ^ and especially to suppress all 
 light and unseemly music (that is, as we un- 
 derstand it, all music not of a " truly eccle- 
 siastical'' description) and all indecency and 
 irreverence in the performance, by which 
 vain and ungodly persons profane the Sanc- 
 tuary." From this, as also from several 
 rubrics prefixed to the Venite, the Te Deum 
 Laiidamus, and other portions of the service, 
 appointing them to be either " said or sung," 
 it is perfectly evident that the Church looked 
 to the possible introduction of music as a 
 stated part of Divine Worship. 
 
 But, more than this, — in the Preface to 
 the Prayer-book she states explicitly her 
 wish to assimilate her usages as far as prac- 
 ticable to those of the Church of England. 
 These are the words : " It will appear that 
 this Church is far from intending to dei^art 
 from the Church of England in any essential 
 point of doctrine, disciphne, or worship^ or 
 further than local ciixumstances require?'^ 
 
 Note. — The Editor had the honour to be elected First 
 Vice-President of the Church Choral Society.