This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 edition. Excerpt: ...and a choir of considerable size. The vestry in which the evening meetings wero held was a small, low-roofed building, not very well lighted. The meetinghouse grounds were not inclosed, and the public travel was directly through them. The deacons were Deacon Paul and Deacon Cook. Deacon Ebenezer White was still living, past eighty years of age and too infirm to attend meetings. He came to church on the first Sabbath after my ordination and never after that. Deacon Paul had been in office a little more than two years, having been chosen to fill the place made vacant by the resignation of Deacon Jackson, at the time the Eliot church was formed. Ho held the office eighteen years, until his death in 1863, at the age of seventy. Deacon Cook had been in office about a year and a half, having been elected at the time of Deacon Woodward's death in 1846. He held the office nearly twenty-six years, until his death in 1872, at the age of seventy-five. Of those who were members of this church thirty years ago, only thirteen, are now seen in our Sabbath congregations. Of the one hundred and ninetysix whose deaths are recorded upon our books, forty-one were under ten years of age; twenty-four were over seventy; twenty were over eighty, and four were over ninety. Thirty years ago the church had been weakened by the loss of more than thirty of its members, who had just left to form the Eliot church, among whom were some of the most active and efficient members of the church, and some of its most liberal givers. In less than a year after the formation of the Eliot church, occurred the death of Deacon Elijah F. Woodward, who had been deacon, and leader of the choir, and Superintendent of the Sunday School more than thirty years. Deacon Jackson had been in...