Sunday, October 13, 1963 The Frances Hubbard Diaries

October 13, 1963

Sunday.  Beautiful sunny day 60's.  Girls and I went to church and Sunday school.  We went to Evelyn and George Baileys 25th Wedding Anniversary in pm and to Catskill with Wayne and Linda.  Girls and I went to church and Sunday school at night.  Gerald went back in pm.

Comment: Another busy Sunday with visitors and visits. Lots of church. Here is a recounting of a Sabbath day by Socrates Hubbard, possibly a relation of ours who lived in Scott's Patent and went to church probably at Scott's Patent church that I cannot remember well. He was born March 19th, 1825 so this recounting was probably in the 1840s or so. This the original spelling and was sent to me by Craig Evan Hubbard of Nuevo,  CA who is Group Administrator of the Hubbard DNA Project.  I'm working with him trying to determine our lineage and if it intersects with his somewhere.  Right now we are stuck trying to find out the father of Jabez Hubbard, the father of Gamalia.  Here is what Socrates wrote about Sundays.  The last line refers to a "dinner of bread and milk".  Wonder if that's where our Dad go the idea....

The Sabath and Church

          The morning is bright and a solem stillness seems to pervade all nature.  The very cows seem to know that it is Sunday.  There is no husel about the house  the children are all got ready for Sunday School.

          Mary and myself are at last ready washed and dressed cleene, and start for the church which is perhaps three quarters of a mild off.  We arive there  we are early but few have got there yet: so we sit down on the square blocks of timber in front of the house and look around us.  The church stands in a grove of Beach  the tender leaves have just put out and the soft light green is magnificent.  The birds seem full of joy almost crack there throats with there melodious songs.  The distant mountains seem so blew and peacefull while on the opisit mountain side is seen no signes of labor.  The cattle are seen quiately feeding in the pastures but the plough is left in the furrow, and all shows that it is Gods holy day.  I shall never forget the influence of these peasfull Sabaths.  To say that I was happey would not express the feeling.  My verry soul over flowed with joy and prase to God for the beautiful world he had placed me in.

          At length all are here  Hurshel Hurlbert is the superintendent. There is fifteen or twenty children present.  The opening cervices are solem feeling and seeme to impress every mind taking us as it were into the very presance of our Saveier.  My lesson was the reading a portion of the New Testiment and perhaps saying a few verses.  We had no Question books.  The superintendant was generaly my teacher and how affectionately and earnestly he always pointed me to the way of salvation.  We had some thirty or forty books of the sunday school sermon.  they were kept in a table drawer and were considered by the children a very large liberary.  Books were not so plenty then as now and how eagerly we received one of them and if it chanced to have a picture or two it was a prize indeed.

          The Sabath School generaly closed an half hour before church time. The children generaly remained to meting.  This half hour was spent walking about in the shade of the woods.  Somtimes geting over the fence and going some distance in the center of the wood to a spring and refresh ourselves with the cool clear water.  Then we would sit on the blocks in front of the house watching the people come to church.  They came young ladys from the Hollow and oposit mountain across the fields, climeing the fence in front of the Church.  Then came women carreying there babys. Women and men on horseback.  Lumber wagons full of people, men, women, and children seated on chairs.  Then a lot in a wagon all seated on straw in the bottom.  And now a wagon with a hay rigin on and girls boys and men purched about on it like chickens at roost.

          We have preaching every two weeks and this happens to be preaching day, which accounts for the immence crowd of people  The church or (meeting House as it is always called) is nearly full.  I am siting or standing out yet wating for Father and Mother to come.  Directly Eliza Hulbert comes a tall bashfull awkward girl.  The crowd out side so abash her that she dont see where she is going.  in assending the half doz steps to the church she takes the last step for the church floore and gos to walk in and coms with a loud rattle of elbows and knees upon the floor in side the room.  There was of course maney ill bread and cruil enough to laugh out right.

          The Preacher has come his name is Cook.  The serveses are gon throu with I can tell but little of them at this late day.  After the preaching all the members of the church were invited to remain to class meeting  I was not a member at this time but remained.  The Preacher asked each one the state of his mind and then gave some good advice.  Somtimes mearly saying go on brother, or persevear Sister.  Each one said from Sunday to Sunday about the same thing.  Complants of a hard hearte of neglect of duty living far from Christe hopes of living better and a desire for prayers of Gods people.  I had maney of these little speaches by hearte.

          Servises over we go home and have dinner of bread and milk.  The rest of the day is spent in rest.