COMMEMORATION AT STONINGTOX. 305 



satisfaction ; and it is the most conspicuous object there. 

 The original plain stone that was erected in memory of my 

 grandfather is still preserved, and, after being cleaned, the 

 inscription is quite legible. At the foot of this grave are 

 two small graves, one of an infant son of my grandparents, 

 and the other of a young daughter of my mother, who 

 died while she was on a visit at Stonington. Mr. Hubbell 

 uttered over the grave of Mr. Fish a very solemn prayer. 

 We had little time for the reflections due to the place. I 

 recall to mind the funeral scene of May, 1781, when my 

 father and mother, the Noyes' sons, and the two little boys, 

 with sympathizing friends, were assembled around this 

 grave, eighty - two years ago (to May, 1863). In the 

 meeting of yesterday, myself, a grandson eighty-four years 

 old, spoke of the memory of grandparents, who had de- 

 parted more than eighty years ago. We made a rapid 

 transition to the site of the house of the reverend ancestor. 

 A new house had been built nearly on the site of the former 

 building. Nothing remains except some timbers and other 

 parts of the old building, that are wrought into the new. 

 The well remains, and we drank of its excellent water. 

 A few old apple-trees, belonging to a former orchard that 

 produced very good fruit, are still extant. The site was 

 pleasant, and Long Island Sound can be seen from the 

 ground. This place was the seat of many interesting events 

 in the by-gone years, and here my grandfather wrote his ex- 

 cellent letters and sermons, and fervent prayers ascended 

 daily to heaven. My son has written a fuller account, in 

 some respects, of our Stonington experience. Nothing was 

 wanting but more time to think, converse, and observe. 

 We left the place with the most agreeable impressions, and 

 with grateful, pensive thoughts of the past. 



The present of a photographic likeness of himself, 

 drew a touching response from his now venerable 

 pupil and friend. 



VOL. ii. 20 



