county, but having both Democrats and Whigs opposed to him it was but an empty honor.

He was a pastor of three churches seventeen years, and: a teacher of youth forty-five years. In very early life he studied law in Doylestown, but soon left it and returned to teaching. Mr. Aaron was an accomplished Latin and Greek scholar, and a profound mathematician. He also understood French. Da-vis, in his "History of Bucks County," recently published, says: "He was one of the most brilliant men Bucks county ever produced." His ministerial labor was three years at New Britain, five at Burlington, three at Norristown, and six at. Mount Holly.

In addition to the children of his first wife, before named,.. there were afterwards born to him John G. (died in infancy), Mary E., Emilia D., and Louisa C., all now living in Mount Holly. The eldest daughter, Martha D., intermarried with Conrad Wiegand, and lives, with her family, at Virginia City,. Nevada. Her husband is assayer of gold and silver, for which he is fitted by years of such service in the United States Mint in Philadelphia and afterwards at San Francisco. Conrad and Martha D. Wiegand had only one daughter, Emilia A., who grew up to womanhood in the West, and married Thomas W. Dunn, by whom she had one daughter, Adelaide Z. The latter survives her mother, who recently died on the Pacific coast.

Charles E. Aaron left Mount Holly in 1872, abandoned? teaching for lack of health, and is engaged in outdoor employment at Maryville, East Tennessee, where he owns a saw and planing mill and sash and door factory. The living children of Charles E. Aaron and wife are Eugene M., S. Francis, and Margaret M. The eldest, Eugene, is married, and has two sons, Joseph M. and Frederick E.

In person Samuel Aaron was nearly of average height, stout built, florid complexion, light hair, slightly inclining to baldness, a small eye, but a prodigious forehead, conveying the impression of immense intellectual force and strength. In fierce invective and burning eloquence against wrong-doers he probably never had a superior in our State. He nearly always spoke from the inspiration of the moment, and on rare occa

sions, from trusting to impromptu utterances, made addresses that did not satisfy himself or his friends.

His biographer, Mr. Post, in closing a long notice of him,

says:

"He lived to see the triumph of the principles he advocated (so far as slavery was concerned), and the dawning of a new national day. On hearing of the fall of Richmond and surrender of Lee, a few hours before his death, he exclaimed: Thank God! I rejoice in the salvation of my country.' His last words were: 'Thy grace is sufficient for me.''

His funeral was numerously attended from distant places, and the house of worship could not contain the throng. Sympathizing letters were also received by the family from John G. Whittier, Wendell Phillips, and others. He died at Mount Holly on April 11th, 1865, in his 65th year, and his parishioners erected in their yard a tomb-stone on which is the following inscription:

HONORED AS A MINISTER, BELOVED AS A FRIEND, REVERED AS A TEACHER OF YOUTH, HE IS MOURNED AS THE GUIDE AND COMFORTER OF MANY.

REV. NATHAN STEM, D. D.

Servant of God, well done!

Rest from thy loved employ.-Montgomery.

Rev. Nathan Stem, many years rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, Norristown, was born in 1804 in East Nantmeal, Chester county, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Stem, and his grandparents on his father's side were Conrad and Mary Stem, who came from Germany. His maternal grandfather and grandmother were John and Catharine Kline.

At the very early age of ten or twelve years Nathan exhibited a thoughtful, pious turn of mind, and was thus early baptized and confirmed at St. Mary's, under the ministrations of Rev. Levi Bull, D. D., of that place. Receiving a good pri

mary education in the schools of the neighborhood, he was then sent to college at Alexandria, Virginia, for several years, and graduated about 1829. From college he went West, and was ordained to the work of the ministry by that eminently evangelical man, Bishop Chase, of Ohio, at Columbus. Shortly after Mr. Stem was called to minister to two churches at or near Delaware, Ohio. He remained settled there nearly four years, during which (June 19th, 1831) he was married, by their old pastor, Rev. Dr. Bull, to Miss Sarah May Potts, of Warwick, Chester county.

In March, 1832, Mr. Stem removed to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and was installed rector of a charge, which he held about seven years, till Rev. John Reynolds resigned charge of St. John's, when he was elected by the vestry, and removed to Norristown in January. He preached his first sermon here on the 17th of February.

Mr. and Mrs. Stem had born to them six children, three sons and three daughters, all deceased young except two. Of those living, Martha Ellen is intermarried with Major Oliver C. Bosbyshell, then of Pottsville, but now of West Philadelphia; and Sarah Potts Stem, who resides with her mother.

Mr. Stem was settled in Norristown at a period of great religious activity. Rev. S. M. Gould had a short time previously been installed pastor of the First Presbyterian Church and his congregation visited with copious revivals and large ingatherings. The Baptist pulpit was filled by Rev. David Barnard, and later by Revs. Samuel Aaron and Isaac N. Hobart, who held like meetings. The Methodists also were actively working, as likewise the church of which Mr. Stem was the rector. Shortly after, all these congregations entered upon needful improvements to their houses of worship. St. John's church edifice was unsightly and without ornament of any kind. Under Mr. Stem's pastorate the congregation went into improvements and repairs with a will. A front addition, including a tower, was built, a fine bell procured, flanking buttresses erected on the outer walls, and the whole interior done up in modern style.

Mr. Stem was a man of courtly manners, a very comely per

son, and a fine reader. Few men, who did not make mere pulpit oratory an exclusive study, were ever more popular with their people and the general public than he. During his whole pastorate this church was quite as prosperous as those of other denominations at Norristown, and in the operations of the Bible society and works of charity and benevolence Mr. Stem and his people co-operated in a fraternal spirit with members of other denominations. Although St. John's has always been ranked as what is called "high church," there was no minister in the town more evangelical in his views or preaching than Mr. S., nor was there ever an undue lifting of the ceremonials of religion above plain Bible preaching so far as the rector of that church was concerned. A strictly temperate man, Mr. Stem's sympathies were with temperance, though he never joined in concert with the active workers in that cause. But in reference to its twin sister, the cause of freedom as against slavery, Mr. Stem was widely known as an original Abolitionist. He was so strongly committed on this subject that at one of the first annual gatherings of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society he was elected to preside over its sittings in the Baptist church, Norristown. This was in 1838 or 1839, and although subsequently, from prudential reasons, he did not act openly with Abolitionists (when it required less courage to do so), he never lost his interest in the cause of the black man or ceased to defend his rights where he could make it effective This sympathy for a down-trodden race was appreciated by them till his death, when great numbers of colored people attended his funeral as sincere mourners as any who followed his remains to the tomb. For a number of years Mr. Stem alternated with other clergymen of the town in holding Sabbath afternoon services in the corridor of the prison.

As a preacher Mr. S. was terse, argumentative, and earnest, never addressing himself to the ear, but always with plainness to the judgment and hearts of his hearers. His manner of reading the service also, was solemn and natural in intonation, with an entire freedom from that affected tone and manner sometimes heard in the church service.

Toward the close of his pastorate the Faculty of Franklin and Marshall College very worthily conferred the degree of Doctor of Divinity upon Mr. Stem, which but for his native modesty had been much earlier bestowed.

A few years before his death his constitution, as that of others, was shattered by a fearful snow storm which, blocking up the railroad track, arrested an evening train upon which they were returning home from Philadelphia. The blockade was so complete, and the cold so intense, that, being without fuel or food, and after waiting hours to be extricated, the passengers had to walk nearly two miles in the midst of drifting snow and cold to reach Norristown. Some actually perished within a few days from the sufferings and exposure of that terrible night. Dr. Stem never fully recovered, but still for a period officiated as before. Going to Swedesburg, however, in June, 1859, to fill Rev. Mr. Reese's place one evening, the house being overheated, he fell into a perspiration, and riding home he took a violent cold, which, between June and November, developed into a rapid consumption, carrying him off on the 1st of the latter month, in the 55th year of his age.

Perhaps no man ever died in Norristown whose demise produced more profound heart-felt sorrow. His remains were attended to the grave by all classes and denominations of our people. His body is interred immediately in the rear of St. John's Church, in an enclosed lot, upon which is erected a handsome but plain marble obelisk. On this is chiseled the following simple but truthful inscription:

A tribute of respect

To the memory of our pastor,

REV. NATHAN STEM; D. D.,

Who died Nov. 1, 1859,

in the 55th year of his age.

He was Rector of St. John's Church 20 years and 9 months. In life he preached Jesus,

And now he sleeps in Him.