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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1952-10-03, Page 7• TT • • t . „ • • • •.',T1),)3,NRA OM • - Glimpse of Presbyterian Manse Life Given By Daughter of Rev. Larkin at Anniversary *When- the. Barbara Kirkman Auxiliary of First Presbyterian 43bure1t eideltreted its 50tle an- niversary • here recently, the guest speaker was Mrs. Howt ard H. Kerr, Tonna°. Mrs. Kerr, whose addreee treats -with humor and sympathy the life in and around •the Preeby- tortes manse a generation ago, is the former Beatrice Larkin, daughter of Rev. F. IL Larldie, who was 28 years minister of First Presbyterian Church. Be- low is the complete teed of Mrs. Kerr's address,. May I say how thoroughly I have enjoyed theebistory of the Barbara Kirkmate, a uetolded by that story tel of pirofessional reputation, Miss S. I. McLean. In reviving. &elf -forgotten memories of events and old friends connected with this iorganization, she hes also made me feel, after many yeens' absence, very much of you again. I should like to- add my felicita- tions to those already given to the Barbara Kirkman Auxiliary on so. ;successfully reaching this 50th an- niversary. During this half cen- tury, no one has had as great an influence on your destinies as Miss McLean. She has been- the embodi- ment of the spirit of youth and has 'communicated that spirit to the membership of the Barbara Kirk- man. edgy I say bow honored I am by the presence of many old friends from the W.M.S., above all, by the sympathetic presence of my second mother, Mrs. Kerr. Tonight, through 'Shies McLean's kindness, I have been asked to be your guest speaker on this impor- tant anniversary, solely, I know, as a representative of the Larkin, fam- ily, especially of my father and of may mother. They felt themselves CC77//.(1 YOUR FAVOURITE BIVERAG; KIST . . LEMON — LIME fa/ nut& a part of this comnsanitY that, after they left Seeforth, they still regarded Seaforth as their home ands, in the course of time, found their final resting plaae here. Past Provides Stories You will have been aware of the flood. of historic articles and novels pu,blished in the past decade in which writers, finding the present barren of creative material, have reached into the past for good stories. I felt I would be quite in the „mode if I too delved- into the Past as experienced, by the Larkin family in Seaforth during the first quarter of this century. This period, as you ,know, was spent by us in the Manse where, as the ministers family, a life subtly apart from the commuity, was lived, I am going to,allow you to look through the huge windows of the Manse just as we inside look- ed out at you. In a moment I shall announce the subject of my address so that you will not find yourself in the position, of the man who, arriving late in the middle of a lecture,, whispered- to his neighbor, "What is he talking about?" to which his friend replied, "He ain't told us yet." In brief, my topic is, "A Two -Way Street—Through the Windows of the Manse." The 'Seaforth Manse, even in its modernized state, brings back mem- ories, many of so personal a nature that it may seem egotistical to re- call them. Nevertheless, I am pro- ceeding on the assumption that you are interested in people and their foibles and I am reasonably confident you will enjoy these reminiscences. As you know, the Manse contain- ed many high windows, deep re- cessed retreats from which to watch the passersby; windows from which, in the absence of a telephone, unexpected visitors could be announced, one or two of whom caused, a stampede for the back- stairs; windowe from which, on a Sabbath morning, the size of the con-gregation could be accurately estimated,, and the state of the weather, with its influence thereon, predicted. From these windows up-, stairs and down, facing north, south, east and west, the Larkin family observed the world of Sea- SEAFORTH MONUMENT WORKS OPEN DAILY PHONE 383-J T. PRYDE &, SON TYPES OF CEMETERY MEMORIALS En4nizies are invited. Exeter --phoni,„44,4 • Clinton -Phone 103 esneMweereme • Your Business Directory LEGAL • A. W. SILLERY Barrister, Solicitor, Etc. Phanes: Office 173, Residence 781 SEAFORTH : ONTARIO McCONNELL & HAYS Barristers, Solicitors, Etc. PATRICK D. McCONNELL H. GLENN HAYS, Q.C. County Crown Attorney SEAFORTH, ONT. Telephone 174 ACCOUNTING RONALD G. McCANN Public Accountant 4ILINTON : ONTARIO Office: Phones: Royal Bank Office 561, Res, 455 Licensed Telephone MuniMpal Auditor 343 A. Me HARPER Chartered Accountant 55 South St. : Goderich, Ont. CHIROPRACTIC D. H. McINNES Chiropractic - Foot Correction COMMERCIAL HOTEL Monday, Thursday — 1 to 8 p.m. Ma.1.11....1•011Madalm1•14...• AUCTIONEERS HAROLD JACKSON Specialist in Farm and House- hold Sales. Licensed in Huron and Perth Counties. Prices reasonable; satis- faction guaranteed. For information, etc., write or !phone HAROLD JACKSON, 661 r 14, Seaforth; R.R. 4, Seaforth. JOSEPH L. RYAN Specialist in farm stock and 1M- ei1ements and household effects. Satisfaction guaranteed' Licensed In Huron and Perth Counties. For particulars and open dates, write or phone JOSEPH L. RYAN, R. R. 1, Dublin. Phone 40 r 5, Dublin 4217x52 EDWARD W. ELLIOTT Licensed Auctioneer 'Correspondeneetpromptly engineer- erel. _Immediate arrangements can be made for sale dates by jphoning 455-J, Clinton. Charges moderate Ana satisfaction guaranteed. MEDICAL PERCY C. WRIGHT 'Licensed AUetietieer Crotearty " LIVestock and Farm Sales a Specialty Moir a better aitetien, sale; call the ,Wavearr AUctioheer. Phone Hen. 1i,59OlrZ2. DR. M. W. STAPLETON , Physician and Surgeon Phone 90 Seaforth JOHN C. GADDARD, M.D. Physician and Surgeon Phone 110 Hensall JOHN A. GORWILL, B.A., M.D. Physician and Surgeon Phones: Office 5-W; Res. 5-J Seaforth SEAFORTH CLINIC E. A. McMASTER, B.A., M.D. Internist P. L BRADY, M.D. Surgeon Office Hours: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., daily, except Wednesday and Sun- day. EVENINGS: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday only, 7-9 Pan. Appointments made in advance are desirable. OPTOMETRIST JOHN •E. LONGSTAFF Optometrist Eyes Examined. Glasses Fitted. Phone' 791 MAIN ST. : SEAFORTH Hottrs: 9-6 Wed, 9-12:30; Sat. 9 nm. to 9 p.m. VETERINARY TURNBULL & BRYANS Veterinary Clinic J. 0. Turnbull, D.V.M. W. R. Bryans, D.V.M. Phone 105 Seaforth THE McKILLOP MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE O'Y. HEAD OFFICE—SEAFORTH, Ont. OFFICERS: President - J. L. Malone, Seaforth Vice -Pres,* - H. MeEwing, Blyth Manager andSec.-Treas. - M. A. Reid, Seaforth. •,te DIRECTORS: a J. Trewartha, Clinton; J. L. Malone, Seaforth ; S. H. Wldt- more, Seaforth; Cern, Leonhardt, Bornholm; Robert Archibald, Sea - forth; John H. MeEwing, Blyth; Frank McOregor, Clinton; Wm. S. Alexander, Walton; Harvey Fuller, Goeeriebe AGENTS: J. E. Pepper, Brucefield; R. F. MeKereher, Dublin; Wm. Leiper, Jr., Londesboro; 3. P. Prueter, Brodhagen; Selwyn Baker, Bruer .•• , • .••.• .tteee;..atetetatel,ecennee, fortlinand netting escaped eta col- lective -eye. The Immense Maltose In retrospect, the Manse Appears to have ben, compared to the mod- ern, home, immense. It contained some twenty rooms with vaulting ceilings and lofty windows. By dint of considerable -contriving by iny mother, who had an artistic flair, some rooms were reasonably well furnished, while others, in contrast, were 'almost empty.' In the library, the tall, oak bookcases, with ea- pacioue cupboards underneath, were well known to you and well remem- bered by a visiting clergyanan,. His learned monologue was eudely in- terru,pted when a twin, like a Jack- in-the-box, suddenly popped out of nee of. those cupiboards. In this house, we learned the art of 'putting our best foot forward— something I have since found very useful, as on the occasion of one tea party. On this afternoon. all the furniture was transported to one side of the ;house, with a charming result, leaving the other half, doors tightly closed, as bar- ren as the Arctic. This -habit of forced ingenuity caused ray sister, Helen, to become an inveterate furniture and picture shifter, and to this day things begin to move in our home shortly after Helen's ar- rival. Then the large halls up- stairs and down, uncluttered. by furniture, were perfect .gymnasiums for us and our friends, connected as they were by beautiful walnut bannisters, offering free one-way transportation from one to the other. Strange to relate, the part of the house which, to this day, retaine for me an aura of mastery, and of which I have had recurrent dreams, was the little apartment of three rooms over the old kitchen, a maid - less maid's quarters, 'built in Dr. McDonald's time. This apartment was livable only in 'elle summer months, since the only source of heat was the stovepipe above the kitchen range. It had two en- trances, one a door from the front stairs, and the other •the cluttered back stairway, useful for sudden exits in times of stress. This back stairway was used many tulles as a speedway by the Rev. F. H., when a certain poetic lady, glasses slight- ly askew, arrived unexpectedly at an inconvenient moment. Ideal Play House The furniture of these little rooms might be listed as button boxes, rag bags, old hooks and magazines, and discarded clothine, with a legless doll lurking in the vieinity—all uninsured, and excel- lent, material for the imaginative Play of childhood. •Mrsn Jeffery may remember the occasion when one twin, the other one, visited her in a trailing mauve dress atid. en- joyed the usual cookie. How astonished she was to see the same gown worn to church the following Sunday by an unsuspecting min- ister's wife! The apartment, teeth, was an ideal play house where the twins and their friends spent many ex- citing moments. But when its meagre resources offered no fur- ther diversion, there were always, g my subject suggests, the win- dows of. the Manse, of which these rooms boasted three pairs. To the east, the windows facing this beau- tiful church had a somewhat chas- tening effect, reminding us that on- ty so far, as minister's daughters, could we go. This feeling was somewhat offset by the view of the two stately elms, queea trees, with the promise of adventure of- fered by their still unsealed upper branches. When in later years it was found necessary to cut down these ancient trees, it seemed as if old friends had gone—friends who had been, providing exercise, had offered shade below for the making of daisy and dandelion chains, and a general feeling of security. But to return to our windows. In the fall the west exits from this little apartment offered the best opportunities for diversion. From these, by judicious scrambling along the eavestroughs and keep- ing A weateereye open fo rour self- appointed guardian, Auntie Jen Kerr, we reached for the 'largest apple from the unsprayed snow ap- ple tree. These apples had a flavor all their own, rendered all the juicier by the worm hole in the centre of each and every one. Wiheu, during the last 25 years our family has looked ,aeltance at an apple so decerated, I say to myself as one man said to atother, "Things ain't • what they used to be," to which the other farmer re- plied, "No, and they never was." Hallowe'en Adventure Then again, on sunny days, the windows to the south were irresiet- ible. From time we emerged te a ready-made patio er sundeck, oth- erwise known as the roof of the woodshed. Here we would pause foe a moment to admire the old crab apple tree shading the burial ground of many a pet—dogs, cats and birds, It was a tree with its pattern of pink blossoms in spring and its promise of apple jelly in the fall. Then we would return to the 'business of the moment, to long exciting rides down the steep shingle roof, stopped with great skill at the eavestrough What hap- pened to shoes or shingles seemed of no great .moment. But about the windows at the front of the house. At one time, as you may retnember, HallOweeen was not the tame, somewhat. Irritat- ing "shell -out" affair it has now be- come. It was a night of real ad- venture to be anticipated or dread- ed according to the point of view. On that night, gates, fetuses e— and everything kaorable—moved, in- cluding nittn,y little buildiegs which Were inevitably Shifted from their foundations. Memories of `the pre- vious. Hallowe'en still being greeit, ray. brother, Fred, on this partiele ler Halloween, was in hie bed/1101U with ereers to stay there unlit morning. The houts of the inv- itee bands proved; too tempting. Quickly a rope of kaotted sheets was fashioned and Fred dropped noiselesedy down to join, once more in the revelry of youth. The Terrible Twins - We'll now emerge for a. moment from the Meese •and recall one more tale which -might -be titled, "Through the Lento Fence of the Manse." Many summers ago, a highly respected figure in, town, Mr. William ,Somervilte, sometimes known, I am sorry to say, to the younger element, as Willie, was in the' habit of taking an , evening stroll down Ceoderich St. He was immediate with straw hat, white shoes, and white ducks The "Tter- rible Twins"—so named by our old friend, Mra. George Murdie, who once credited us with the ability to pull the veranda down—retired behind the green, lattice fence on the north side of the house to con- sider the possibilities of the situa- tion. In. a flash, two tomato cans were tethered by a length of string and each filled with water. Then as the familiar figure, cane in 'hand, came tap -tapping through the twi- light, 'one can was placed on either side of the sidewalk. The experi- menters then retreated behind the fence, well protected by the waving goldenrods in front. The footsteps came close; there was a Splotch and a clatter, followed by a sinis- ter silenee. Suddenly the air was shattered vvith expletives such as were sure a manager of the Presbyterian Church should not have known. We could feel a malevolent glance find- ing us with radar -like certainly be- hind our barricade, and experienc- ed a moment of acute suspense. Slowly the wet shoes •pivotted and the white ducks retreated into the deepening dusk of a peaceful sum- mer evening, From then on Mr. Somerville, though he nobly re- frained from acting on his suspi- cions, always looked at the twins as if he had his own mental reser- vation& It would seem as if I have dwelt long enough on the exploits of the twins: exploits so far in the past as to seem completely impersonal, 1 should like for a few minutes to speak of the personal life of a minister of that period, as I saw. it in my father's nneer here. It was a life of contrasts, in that it con- tained much loneliness and frus- tration, as well as deep happiness, caused by an intimate contact with the people of this congregation A Clergyman's Loneliness As Rev. F. H. looked out his study window for much soberer rea- sons than his children, there must have been moments when a depres- side descended on him, bred in Part ley the constant struggle of financing his too large family and caused to some -extent by the in- evitabie loneliness of the man of the cloth. The barrier between the clergy and laymen 'has, I think, been to some extent broken down in recent years without lessening the respect with which the minis- try IT regarded: -To -the isolation of his profession he adjusted him- self As the years rolled on, "be became somew,hat of a recluse and found his real happiness at his desk surrounded by books and menu- scripte. Courageous was the mem- ber of his household who in his study attempted to restore order out of the chaos. In. his heart, F. H., as he dream- ed at the window of his study, knew that he was beloved in this congregation, and, in his warm- hearted Irish way, returned the af- fection wholeheartedly. He remem- bered the kindnesses of the older ladies: of Mrs. Sclater, who saw to it that be had. a second helping of the choicest piece of turkey at the tea meeting; of the Misses Brine, who, to the day of his death, sent hrim a card on his birthday; of Mrs. Murray; with whom he enjoy- ed a cup of tea on his way for the mail. One particular day, near the Christmas, season, he needed that cup of tea to fortify him for whet was ahead On reaching the crowd- ed post office he was pleased to receive an unexpected parcel, which seemed:to rattle and gurgle. In his excitement, he dropped the pack- age which, to his horror, broke in- to a thousand pieces. From each piece rose fumes of a definite alco- holic flavor. Some friend had ap- parently considered the minister could do with a little Christmas cheer. F. H. quickly recovered Presbyterian W.M.S. , Set Anniversary Plans The Women's Missionary Society of First Presbyterian Church met Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 23, with Mrs. D. Glenn Campbell, president, in the chair. Following the singing of a hymn, the secretary's re ort was heard and the treasurer's ye - port bead be Mrs. T. Bickell. Plane were completed for the 75th anniversary service which will be held October 28. Mrs. William Manson ,presided for the devotional period, and the singing of a hymn was followed by the Scripture lesson, read by Mrs. Harry gtewart. Mrs. Robert Eber- hart gave a reading on British Guiana. An informative reading on "The Protestant Ohurch in British Guiana," wits given by Mrs. Jelin Beattie. Mrs. Campbell read a re- port of the Presbyterial meeting in Hensall, and Mrs. 3. C Greig mov- ed a vote of thanks to Mrs, Oamp- , bell. PHONE STONE'S FOR PROMPT REMOVAL OF DEAD OR DISABLED COWS -HORSES WM.STONE SONS LTD, PHONE COLLECT INGERSOLL 21 WM.APROAT; SEAFORTH, 655 r 2 .rrV,00Crlj,Mi.cA(Oir jas PO§ttrragtiVe SoclaI Newly 30 ehes p lro,t Fre* bytereta Church choir enjoyed] a social evening lest week follewing the regular cheer practice, Miring the iutermission, between practice and leneh, President Mat. K. I. Mc- Lean asked for -better attendance and co-operation among the mem- bers of the choir. At the social eve- ning to be held next month, the men will, be in charge. • himself', bid good -day to those neareet Wm, and without comment left the post office in as dignified a fashion as was Possible. Knew His Congregation No doubt in his study F. H., be- ing human, thought of those who did not agree with him, but to whom on the street. he raised his hat courteously and, like Mr. Pim, passed by. In this room he pre- pared. and rehearsed his sermons and no doubt many of the contro- versies, public and private, in whien, true to hes Irish heritage, he became involved --controversies which could still, after a quanter of a century, rouse considerable heat if recalled. Except for Dr. Scott, Dr. Mac -1 Kay and later, Dr. Ross, F. H. pos- sibly knew more about the person- al lives of this congregation than any other man. Rare was the family to whom he had not min- istered in baptism, marriage or bur- ial. After the members of his flock had passed on, he did not for- get them. On one occasion, after we had walked to the HarpurheY cemetery, he regaled me for an hour with tales of elds friends wiose inscriptions he was. reading. F. H. was a rapid and fluent speaker, delighting in long words and complicated sentences, in. the, Gladstonian manner, such as. are seldom heard today. -Sometimes in his sermons he became so carried away by his own eloquence that, tObis most severe critics—his fam- ily—he became unduly long. Then leis. Dickson, 'behind the family pew, would poke a long finger into the back of a wriggling twin to indicate that her movements were not unobserved. One Sunday morning the service was enlivened, by our dog, Jack, who followed my father as he as- cended into the pulpit. Rising to the occasion, Rev. F. H. patted the dog, descended the pulpit, Jack to heal with the congregation looking on in delight, out the side door of tile tboretie tber0; 9,14, (I MO an.Irish gOtat PrAlgi4: 4.91P . ke clerical gown awl Jeolt refeirg the kiek the occasion wakeee Then. the ,service ProCeedeld out intlerraption. AngeIS Drowned Out During the serteces the tener Votes of the minister was plainly au,dlble above the emegregittiOn aft he sang the old hymns, "Untie the Hills" and "Sing Thew. Over .Again To Me," with great guste. He was somewhat taken aback when Mr. Craig, the ehotrmentee and a line musician as I remember; (old his Pastor of a &ream: He OVIr. Craig) had been Listening to the heavenly choir, the leader of which, the An- gel Gabriel, had had to request a minsiter therein not to sing so loudly since he was drowning out the voices of the other,angels. Whe- ther or not my father sayeethe mor- al of the story, 1 can't recall, and does it matter? For pastoral visiting, my father used his bicycle. This mode of transportation had its compensa- tions for, unlike many of his friends who passed him in their motor cars, he retained his slim, erect figure until the day of his death. When he reached the house of his oallee ,(I hope not his vic- tim), the front or the back door were all the same to him and his feet, as if drawn by a magnet, were soon braced on the front of the kitchen, stove. An old friend of his in E,gmeendviele recently recall- ed hearing someone singing in her kitchen and, on h urrying down, found the minister stirring the soup —in anticipation, no doubt. A 'Fond Farewell With these tales of long ago, let us say farewell to my father and to my little mother, dear to me as mem:pales of your parents are dear to you. Farewell to my brothers, who as fun -loving little boys, play- ed under the old elm trees of the Ma71.1341 And now my time is about up; .W.,tgOlte"0,4810e tagilet,er ,rine- preached , Towards ' :UP looked, at ttlo watch: trhg the' lengt./). Qt.'1I;Pi g0134.).*# YOU CAN DEPEND ON remove excess acids and wastes. back- ache, tired feeling. disturbed rest often follow. Dodd's Kidney Pills Mime. late kidneys to normal duty. You feel better—sleep better, work better. Get Dodd's at any drag store. You can depend an Dodd's. 50 When kidneys fail to •441god 'tut uloroi to 4,11.41'4 any gmuiv, betuo §4ett Attortyrw ty mituutes. %K.•• twen# 42094,•',02),;,.• lotted to, lee are UP. 040' IeeavIpg the saving of your some, lo, luora capable had,, 1 WY hope, to have entertained you hy by re, rainiseeaces of long Again may 1 offer the Earhatre Kirkman ,heartiest congeletelatione,, which my tesisters, Helen and Marione join me. In the yeare ahead may the men of this auxiliary 'find in the words, Of my at!• eit GuaY.'• •Osr,- Wto.hg, Ses*Our, . exRh'. elePthii„,4740. gitest. to mit tho,ItietitlIte'..M•t, Any thee. You .will be Op -kee At 4,t 207 father's benediction, "The ewe of conned into Pm gAwp, GIGANTIC BING Friday, October AT Memorial Arena, Mitchell DOORS OPEN AT 8 P.M. AT 9 P.M. 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INC THE 't R/ZE* t°4 th one kok °Be hig wid at and en e seat, and w.;;;'' Ileadiroozo sold! completely likE DIE COMFORT,' an ail-daY driver myscif --and Ford's solid conifor sure pays off—you relax relax behind -the wheel an really enjoy driving. a" "1 LIKE ME VISIBILITY4 can really see where I'm doing with so much exile visibility all around—and back- ing up is juat as easy! Buy out of income—see your dealer for a "TIME PA YMENT" plan. BEFORE YOU BUY ANY CAR iirEsTioNivir ett 5,?Ctt. SEE YOUR FORD DEALER DALY M Phone 102 TORS Seaforth, Ont 4111111.111111•1111111•111111111112111121111111211111111 FOR THE BEST BUY IN A US D CAR SEE YOUR FORD DEALER , ." rttetekeen.,e,,tee,Iete eeereneeeeeeer•,--ete, •• ("_.!A.!;af •ttet,„-. ' .