Plaistow, and Haverhill and stayed in eration in 1811. It stood near the Bradford.

"Friday-Walked to Ames'es in Andover, then got on board the stage and went to Boston. Arrived about 2 P. M. Saw the marshalls of the W. B. S. with their banners pass into Faneuil hall. They were accompanied by three uniformed companies and an excellent band of music, and made a very splendid appearance.

Monday-Passed through Littleton and put up at a private house in Groton. Polly brought in the milk and strained it into a large wooden bowl, then seated herself at the table and crumbed the bread into some pewter basons, and with a tin dipper laded the milk from the wooden bowl; then handed the old gentleman his bason and one to Phineas, and I was seated at the table to eat mine. "Tuesday-Passed through a part of Shirley and through Lunenberg to Townsend. Put up at Stines'.

“Wednesday—Passed through Ashby and New Ipswich to the north part of Temple. Stayed at Farrar's.

Thursday-Through Wilton and a part of Milford to Mont Vernon. Stayed in the north part of the town. “Friday — From Mont Vernon to New Boston and Goffstown. Dined at Caldwell's. Arrived home about half past three. Cold N. E. storm." The first cotton factory at the falls of Amoskeag was erected and put in op

head of the falls on the west side of the river, then in Goffstown, about upon. the ground now occupied by the Cheney paper mills, within the present limits of Manchester. The product was cotton yarn only, which was sold to be woven in domestic looms. Jotham Gillis was the first agent of this factory company. He was succeeded as agent, successively, by Philemon Walcott, John G. Moore, and Frederick G. Stark. Mr. Stark's appointment dating from July 28, 1813, and terminating May 11, 1814, when he went into trade, in Goffstown, as a partner to Capt. Trask. From this time until 1820 he continued in trade at Goffstown and at Manchester with various partners. In 1820, after occupying the place two years under a lease, he purchased the Blodgett mansion with its attaching property, for residence and place of business, and lived and traded there on his account up to the time when he removed to Bedford in 1837.

In 1815 he was united in marriage with Nancy Gillis, daughter of Jotham Gillis, Esq.,-above referred to as the first agent of the Amoskeag factory,a lady in every way calculated to promote his happiness and prosperity, and whose Christian virtues and benevolent life endeared her to all who came within her sphere. Their happy marriage relation continued unbroken through forty-one years, until her decease in 1856.

The first agent appointed by the Canal company, "to superintend the said canals, to collect tolls," &c., was Samuel P. Kidder, who had for many years been Blodgett's assistant and confidential secretary. He held the appointment until his decease in 1822, when Frederick G. Stark was appointed

his successor. Mr. Stark held the position continuously about fifteen years until 1837. During this period his correspondence shows him to have been in active communication with the Boston agents of the proprietors of the Middlesex canal, who also owned or controlled the river canals, and he appears to have at all times enjoyed their full confidence.

In summer, matters connected with the river navigation and trade absorbed his attentton. In winter there was leis ure for public affairs. So prominent and active a man, possessing such keen abilities, could not fail to become identified with the business affairs of the town. We accordingly find that from 1819 to 1837, he held some town office almost every year. From 1819 to 1823, inclusive, he was town-clerk. He was on the board of selectmen in 1826-7-9, 1831-2-4-5-6, and as modderator in 1830-1-2-7. He represented the town in the lower branch of the legislature in 1824-5-6, and was a member of the state senate in 1830 and 1831. Most of the small quarrels of the neighborhood were brought before him, as justice of the peace, for trial or adjustment. His record-book of trials is carefully written out, and indicates discreet judgment in his decisions. The river community had many rough members, and naturally a considerable proportion of the cases tried before his justice court were for assault and battery. It appears that the expense of giving a man a sound beating was, generally, about four dollars and costs.

In 1833 Mr. Stark was appointed one of the side judges of the court of common pleas for Hillsborough county. A position since abolished in 1855-for which his business qualifications and knowledge of the county eminently fit

ted him. He retained the place about three years. Geo. A. Ramsdell, Esq., says, in his history of the Hillsborough bench and bar, "It is generally supposed that these judges were but ornamental appendages to the learned judge who actively presided in court; but in addition to the discharge of the duties now substantially performed by the county commissioners, they often aided the court by their sterling commonsense, in matters requiring not legal learning merely, but an acquaintance. with men and the ordinary concerns of life, which is not always possessed by learned lawyers."

The commencement of the present manufacturing establishments of Manchester dates from 1836. In that year the Amoskeag Company began to purchase the land adjacent to the falls, with a view of constructing canals and factories and building up a manufacturing town. Mr. Stark sold to them such of his real estate as they desired, including the residence at the old Blodgett mansion, and at once commenced to build him a new dwelling in the neighboring village of Piscataquog,— then in Bedford, but since annexed to Manchester,-where he took up his residence the next year, and from which he never removed. From this period (1837) to 1847, or later, he continued his mercantile business in the village of Piscataquog.

He also held the office of high sheriff of the county for five years,-from 1837 to 1842. Subsequently his attention was absorbed in the care and management of his investments, especially his landed property, which, being situated in and near the growing city of Manchester, had become valuable. Thus passed his dedeclining years. Identified with the local projects of his vicinity, in good

WHAT THE OLD CLOCK SAYS.

BY HORACE EATON WALKER.

Tick, tick, he whispers tales of love

To milkmaid by the bars;

She blushes like the new-blown rose
Beneath the smiling stars.

Tick, tick, the white-haired priest has come,

To join their holy love,

And down from out propitious skies

The angels smile above.

Tick, tick, and smiles a pretty babe

To join them closer yet,

And mothers said from out the heart
Two mates for once are met.

Tick, tick, and now her aged form

Is still at last in death;

A rugged son, a faded sire,

Are mourning 'neath the breath.

Tick, tick, and now two holy graves
Are mouldering side by side,
The bridegroom of her earliest love,
And she, his lovely bride.

Tick, tick, and by two graves at last
The son stands there alone ;

The world is large, but crowds of men
Heed not his piteous moan.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, and now

The graves are one, two,-three!
The same sweet skies are smiling yet
On flower and weed and lea.

The old clock still is ticking on
Beside the great hall door,

The same old face, tho' faded some,
We saw in days of yore.

Its solemn tick more solemn still,

Does softly say to all:

"From life to death we all must go,

The fairest flower will fall!"

Claremont, N. H., July 23, 1883.

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS.
BY RUSSELL STURGIS, JR.

THERE is an old French proverb which runs: "L'homme propose, et Dieu dispose," which is but the echo of the Scripture, "A man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his

GEORGE WILLIAMS.

salvation of its tenants by the sacrifice
of his Son, to take no further interest in
it, but leave it subject either to fixed
law or blind chance! Indeed the God
who provided for the wants of his
people in the wilderness is a God who
changeth not. The principles which
once guided him must guide him to-day
and forever. There never has been a
time when to the open eye it was not
clear that he provides for every want
of his creatures. Did chance or the
unassisted powers of man discover coal,
when wood was becoming scarce? and
oil and gas from coal, when the whale
was failing? Cowper's mind was clear
when he said :-

"Deep in unfathomable mines
With never-failing skill,

He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his gracious will."

If in his temporal affairs God cares for man, much more will he do for his soul. Great multitudes of young men came to be congregated in the cities, and Satan spread his nets at every

steps." In truth, God alone sees the street-corner to entrap them. end from the beginning.

From the beginning men have been constantly building better than they knew. No unprejudiced man who looks at history can fail to see from how small and apparently unimportant an event has sprung the greatest results to the individual, the nation, and the world. The Christian, at least, needs no other explanation of this than that his God, without whose knowledge no sparrow falleth to the ground, guides all the affairs of the world. Surely God did not make the world, and purchase the

In 1837, George Williams, then sixteen years of age, employed in a drygoods establishment, in Bridgewater, England, gave himself to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. He immediately began to influence the young men with him, and many of them were converted. In 1841, Williams came to London, and entered the dry-goods. house of Hitchcock and Company. Here he found himself one of more than eighty young men, almost none of them Christians. He found, however, among them a few professed Christians,