From the Scrap Book
Universalist Church in Little Settlement
August 17, 1990
By: Dr. Bill Randall
Lloyd Embleton and I take occasional tours around the Harvey area looking for picture material for the Scrapbook items. We both could remember the Universalist Church in Little Settlement, but we had to elicit the help of Donnie Watson to find the exact location. Of course, the church is gone, and though Lloyd did his best we got only a picture of a scar on the surface of the earth – but Doris Messer came up with the accompanying picture.
From records provided by Regina Clark, we got a bit of the drama involved in the organization of the Universalist Church and the discussions involved in the actual building of the church. The first organizational meeting was held at the Farmer’s Trading Company Hall at Little’s Settlement on Friday evening, August 30, 1912. At a meeting in the same place March 14, 1914, the question was where to build the church. In York Mills or in Little’s Settlement. On June 4, 1915, a business meeting was held in the church. On July 2, 1915, particular plans were made for the dedication of the Church which was to be held on July 14 and 15.
Church people know that during those three years many prayers were raised; much work was done; sacrifices were made; and the ladies of the congregation were foremost in all of this.
David Embleton (born Sept. 7, 1878 – died in 1946) supplies us with some of the names of these patient, modest ladies, as well as a bit of trivia about their lifestyles (Doris Messer also found this for me).
THE UNIVERSALIST SEWING CIRCLE
BY David Embleton
In York Mills and Coburn
There is a circle of dames
If you list with attention
I will give you their names
The first name is Vivian
In this circle’s procession
District nursing is her favorite profession
Attends to the sick with the greatest of care,
And the patient feels safe when Vivian is near.
The next one is Eva
Who talks like a dream
Her favorite beverage
Is coffee and shorthorn cream.
But Eva is jovial and makes lots of sport
And though she is tall
She can easily be short.
She seems quite content
In her man’s occupation
She came to this town
From a place called Lawrence Station.
The next one is Olive
She entertains the circle with joy
She runs a large hennery
And her man’s name is Roy,
She attends to the incubator
The broader likewise
And then in the summer
She makes nice chicken pies.
And then on the Murray Road
To the rear of the town
At the end of the road
We find Mary Brown.
A wife and a mother
She is kind
And Sterling is Lucky
Such a partner to find.
Then we have Cora and Lottie
Each an important place fills
Because they are co-mistresses
Of the York Woolen Mills
In regard to their conduct
We have nothing to say,
For each have money,
And their bills they can pay.
In the shades of the pines
There’s a nurse whose name is Rosella,
She married a Millwright
He’s a very good fellow
They are doing much good
With their modern mill,
Making big pails
With sweet candy to fill.
And next we find Amy,
As we pass o’er the field,
As York Mills secretary
Great power doth she wield.
But Amy keeps calm,
In the routine of life
She makes a good mother
And a very dear wife
Then on to the Upper Mills
There is another group there
Some have faded and others are fair.
Emily, the first one,
Once a fine lass
She married Ward Little
Of the mechanical class.
She just came to this town
A little money to earn,
But she was captured by Little
Now she cannot return
The next one is Alma,
So youthful and fair,
No X-ray in her head could find a grey hair.
But of sorrows and troubles
She sure has her share,
But yet she has been strengthened
Each trouble to bear.
And then there’s another
whose husband keeps foxes,
The rest of his time
He’s engaged making boxes.
She jolly, she’s stout,
And she’s always the same,
Is Mrs. Clarence Little,
But we call her Mayme.
Then we cross o’er the North East
And we find Aunt Nell,
She married the violinist
Who makes sweet melodies swell.
She’s done lots of hard day’s work,
And had lots of life’s ills,
Since she moved down from Coburn,
To live at York Mills.
But we trust in the future,
That her path may be bright
And somewhere in life’s line,
All will come right.
The next one we find
I call her Aunt Bell,
She don’t always be with us
But we know she’s not well.
But she entertains in her turn,
This circle ring,
By preparing a spread
That is fit for a king.
The next one we find,
We call her Jane Agnes,
The reason we love her
Is because of her goodness.
And though she is frail,
She speaks words of cheer,
Which encourages the circle
From year unto year.
And now down the low road,
As fast as we can,
We find nurse Kelly,
But we call her Nan.
From her lips a complaint
Is quite seldom heard,
We believe she is founded
On the good Lord’s word.
And now we have Ida
To Tweedside she has moved,
But we know she has gone
With the one she has loved.
And since she’s removed
And is now not so near,
Yet we know to her heart
This circle is dear.
Then we have Annie
So smiling and sweet,
Although she is heavy
She is smart on her feet.
And the reason for this
To me it would seem,
Is because she’s well fed
On good Jersey cream.
But Annie’s is a worker,
Always doing her share,
And the circle feels better
When Annie is there.
Now we want all the names
On our good list
So I trust when I’m done,
No names has been missed.
So we’ll move down to Harvey,
And we have none to lose.
There’s a lady down there
Pays always her dues,
She don’t come to the circle
Or meetings attend.
But we now to the cause,
She is a good friend.
The name of this lady
I’ll tell when I’m bust
Is Mrs. Lorne Coffey,
But we call her Lizzie
Now we are near to the end,
Which is plain to be seen,
We only have Carrie,
So neat and so clean.
For Carrie is generous,
And believes in much giving,
And she’s boarding the teacher
To help earn her living.
And now I will close
By saying Goodnight,
Hope I’ve said nothing
But what is all right.
Source: Rev. Bill Randall’s “From The Scrapbook Vol. One.”
