The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-04-12
Genfral Misfsllanu.

Written for The CaledOnlan.
GLOW small. of all that human hearts endure
That part which laws, ,or kings cause cure
Still to ourselves in every place consigned.
Our own :ecilty we make or find.
With secret course which no loud storms annoy.
Glides the smooth current of domestic JOY
There is pleasure in contemplating the set
tlement of a neighborhood or town, the gen
eral increase of population, the success of
families in the progress Of the race, which is
not nnlike the enjoyment we experience il
viewing from some mountain top the distant
landscape, where from beneath our feet the
glittering rain-drops, beautiful at first in pu-
rity, silently course their way, involving kin
tred drops, until away below, alternating cas-
cade and cataract, they sweep over the dis
tant plain, widening and deepening their
channels, Entil lost from the view.
Happiness derived from the possession of
a reality. oftentimes, dots not consist so much
in the thing itself as in the associations ava
kcned by it, Few of the many readers of
The CALiDoNIAN can realize the hardshlps
endured, the privations suffered, and the OBJ
stacles encountered and overcome by our pa
rents and grand parents in the first settle
ment of Northeastern Vermont, and less OF
them will anticipate from what have writ
ten that my present design is only TO describe
family visit lately made in farming neigh
borhood; by farmers, farmer wives, their
children and childrens children, brothers and
sisters, al the residence of William Hovey
Esq, in Waterford a farmer, who was him
self father, grandfather, brother, brotherin-
law, nephew and cousin to the guests. Mrs
liovey, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt
niece and cousin. All of them are temper
ate industrious, economical, enterprsing ant
intelligent. "No impotent folk" There
we're gathered the evidences of family sue
cess-the faithful wife, the stately mother
he atfectionate sister, Tie kind friend, will
their well-to-do here the true husband
good father kind brother and useful citizen
with their sons and daughters. Now. kint
i reader, modern literature is highly artistic
manners in some quarters desperately artlfl
cial-therefore, should continue the connec
ton of the design, without full stop AM
an angle, some critic might enquire the nam
ofthe writer-where your vulgar correspond
ent resides TO avoid censure, prefer
S compromise, and for the present will lea'
with Mrs IIovey, her four brothers and :iv
sisters, the sons and daughters of the Ia.
Ablal Richardson For whenever in the &c
to scent there are no failures, We like TO becon
acquainted with the ancestors.
\ believe it is now acknowledged that ";
terford belongs to the first class of agricultl
raj towns in the state, and is equally d;stll
guished for the intelligence and thrift OF /
poDulation. Yet was never able to con
prehend that degree of courage, that strenS'
of tortitude, which enabled the early settle
Is. Of this town, from Connecticut, Rhode
land, Massachusetts, and the Sou,E-~eStel
D. part of New Hampshire, to brave prospe
so forbidding, or disturb a solitude so pr
- found But among these were the psren
G of Mr. Hovey and his wife. First and for
most however, were the father and moth
.1l 1l of Mrs Iiovey, young, without experlent
their possessions all prospective, alone IN
log cabin in Waterford. primitive forest
sc around them to be subdued ,and an unwlll!l
soil to be cultivated, or poverty and star'
~. ton to be endured. Here was an alternatl'
'se RELYING upon the blessings of kind Pro
dence, strong hands and willing hears,
choosing the former, they resolved to ave
the latter. They succeeded Here upon
same farm they toiled, suffered and enjoy
" there they lived and died. there Their CT
- dren were born and brought up, where tn
". Youngest son now resides with his family
Now the domestic relation is subject to TIN
ans yicssitudes, the happening of either one
which makes an epoch in the family histo
birth, marriage, or death. No one
Y, these had been recorded in the family hlstt
ties Of Abial Richardson except the birth of tC
hopeful sons and six healthy daughters, VI
s the 2Sth day Of February, 1921, at the
homestead, Lydia the eldest daughter, v
married to VIM. Hovey, farmer and a
mers son, born and brought UP in the sa
neighborhood, and upon the same farm VIII
ne now resides. Her four brothers and
E sisters were present, all of whom on the .
. day Of February, 1861, with their wives, h
bands and children, were assembled at
residence of their sister for vlslt-fo
wears afterwards. The brothers all farm'
the sisters all wives of farmers, and ALL "
one exception. reside within ten miles OF
sc, old homestead Their aveaage age,
Oldest "a, youngest 45. The only bro
rs er and remaining sister of Mr. Ho
were also present, with other relatives m
ing ffty-three guests. All hearts were g.
dened by the presence Of an aged uncle
E. Mrs Hovey, like the mountain oak in
ter's storm, leaAess, but not dead. Cours