Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-03-01
The NeW ENGLAND Festirdl.-The folio,

ing is response by Mr.. VIM PORTER, to tn
toast, sour Old Homes" at the New England
Festival, oh the 18th of February. This is
all We have in relation to the Festival for pub.
lication. We promised in our last weeks Ga.
sette, to give report this week, but we are
unable to do so, simply because the Secretary
has failed to hand it in.
Whenever the children OF one home the descendants oil
one ancestry, meet-however far from that Hometown
ever worthy, unworthy Of that ancesry-the fegath
ering brings wildly to mind those which men,
ory loves to linger The hopes the fears joys and
sorrows Of the past come throngng to the rrospecton
and we again live lives in miniature partakng OF the
joys and sharing the OF former days Tonight
our old homes. New England homes are the para.
mount subject Of contemplation The first among these
associations the Old Homestead is most sscred-a the
same, whether hillside in valley il is dear TO the
wanderer. The orchard the meadow the deem tangled
wild wood" the play grounds Of youth are all there
The old house tots Kitchen its garnet the cellar
With its bins OF rosy apples the paror which was rarely
opened except when the minister made his monthly call
And that solemn sorre horse stood by the garden gate
We see them aand Grandmas ROOM the place the best
Of all cosy and neat where we met every Sabbath
that astute rhynstr Watts upon the mantle with the
large Old Bible and Thomas almanac She heard US tell
Of mans chief end and what the scriptures taught the
deealogtc and the sermon on the mount.
And il We said our lesson WE'LL the promised story came
but on that day always o Joseph and his spotted
coat OF David and his athul sling Of Sampson and that
h'rrd bone, good old Daniel in the lions den There
TO- the shade tree under which We used to spend each
Sahh vsn;a 10
laughed about Deacon Jerrys curious cue Grandfather
was sure to come and tell Of those awful bears that
more than forty children at time There TO- 10 the
old school house. with hs molly crew. from the little R
who wspt when others wept, to Young america. who
scorned to weep al all.
There TO- is the faithful teacher who was wont to child,
each youthful folly and command each youthful EFFORT
The old school house wherein learned all che way,
from B TO plus the scenes Of our Efforts, vie.
tories und defeats speaks Of medals tss We won and
medals that did not win. There are all che schools
al the schoarsall the teachers Not forgetting the
spelling schools where spelled u! tie scholars down
and then went home with Jerusha There TO- is the old
play ground which speaks Of countless sports The
ing HILL where John and James and Harry and Sarah
and Ann. and Jenny, all slide down together There ara
but few sad memories there unless they be Of rrue and
rattan There Is the old church with ts square pews
and flgreed galleryts high pulpit and awful sounding
boards, where the vsge parson weekly edited the faith.
ers with discourses on total depravity and kindred
themes while he tortured eh:!eren with rheumatic
pains as We waited patiently through the long de-
fered eghteenthly for the las Amen Around the pul.
pits base 10 the next most holy place with Heightened
faces and with ears sat the deaeons and the deaf
In his pew Uncle John was sleeping soundly; In his f.
vorse corner Uncle Eph vas breathing loudly-whe in
the corner pew, her which masculine feet did
dare invade, with ptim decorum Aun, Debbe the
village spnster sat- and exercised that general surveil
lance, which custom made her right Faithfully she noted
for the next weeks budget emitting nothing from, the
tnsel bow on Mary Tayor's bonnet to the vhiskered
beau at Jenny Harwoodh side.
What would picture Of our New England kome b
worth without her For myself, would never know /
vas At home unless met her. Courtship mairimony
DEATH funeral and what the mourners said and did, she
sought "a know in the minuts and when she knew she
felt herself wiser Her contributions always were re-.
ceved with aereotype-"I told you So" and dispensed
with faithful" you shsnt tell "-as public informer
the press, railroad and telegraph We'd with her In
The fathers said she horrid -he mothers be-
eyed her good woman.-to the young she wasa living
terror 70 all real friend There are memories sad -
we'll as pleasing. The old churchyard where We went
when others went and LEFT the quaint Inscription on the
headstone half unread rather than be the last
to Co. Is there not some mound where flowers planted
by our own hand, prompted BY affection. yearly bloom
Have We not the mortal OF brother or sister
gathered to this convocaton Of the desd Perhaps in
some sequescred spot o!our old homes here the length
enng shadows Of the church spre falls noon or svenn
beneath some willows bending bsugh that most sacred
spot-s mothers grave Oh how tender IL the tic that
binds us to that halowed mound where se who had our
earliest kiss. sleeps in her narrow home These memo.
res, woman province to cherish forever and their
binding influence no shame for manhood y acknowI
sdgs. 95 EKbt. #-tEt5 ~