The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-01-01
Auriferous Domestic

o"eo ttie udys OF MISS hflmanseggS golden
birth, christening, betrothal, marriage and death
we have had nothing quite so aurifer GUS and
factolian as the account given in the Tribune
OF 2lst ult., of Commodore VANDERBuTs Gold
en- Wedding, Golden, indeed, it was. With
the exception of Mrs. Commodore VANDERBIrTs.
curls, which, we are told, were siteered, and her
dress. which was of a slrer gray, no baser met
al was allowed to presume on those premises.
on that occasion: There was @
s'God Gold! Gold Gold
Bright and yellow, hard and cold,
| Molten, craven, Hammered, and roll'd
recklessly, riotously, we had almost said, osten-
tatiously. strewn about.
| ga profusion of bracelets, porte-monnaiss,
gold plate, exquisitely carved chess men, sup
erbly bound Bibles, brooches, and feminine or
naments Of every kind, made the whole table
one blaze of gold. - o,
''The Commodores princely gift TO his ma
| tron bride occupied the centre of the table, 1t
was minia ture propeller of pure gold.
The party seems to have been arranged with
view to make pretentious shoddyites, whose
rooms are said TO be papered with thousand
dollar greenbacks and whose pincushions are
| stuffed with postal currency, die with envy
The golden canes. golden whips, gold chains,
gold dressing g-cases were scattered about accord
ing to the 1'7bune's account, so promiscuously
that stranger would have supposed himself in
Bric-a-brace or a jewelers. store, and not in q
genteman's private parlor.
In what language shall the parties to this
feast of Midas be depicted? The golden light
which the chandeliers shed, the gold effulgence
which emblazoned the brow of the illustrious
Commodore, who was in ''black, with his usual
snow-white waistcoat'-how shall all this be-
told by the rustic who stands wistfully bv, eaz-
ing on at the Pactolian stream which is rushing
| by, but at which he can only look and so much
as put in his little finger? y
! Gold and Gold and Gold without end
He had gold to lay bv, and gold to spend,
| Gold to give and gold to lend
And reversions Of gold ,m fitt,,ro.
In wealth the family reyelled and rolled.
Himself and his wife, and his sons SO bold!-
| And his daughters sang to their harps of gold Z
| go bek eta dsr oyo :"
| Then, too, there, were ceremonies" at this
family gathering, lis the reporter Of the Tribune
J a member of the Commodore's family we won
| der),-set speeches and replies, and all those
dreary formalities of decorous manifestation Of
pre-arranged affection for which English family
| dinners used to be celebrated, bat which they
had the good t%sto to give up, and which they
never did have published in newspaper. And
that it is in a newspaper, is the reason and tho
moral of our meddling with the private {! par
| ty Of Commodore VANDERBILT. Do we mock
at his money and his golden wedding Far from
| it. We respect the ability which has acquired,
and admire the liberality which makes so good
use of, such vast means. But we would have
liked the Commodore better had he not invited
that newspaper reporter. We would have
thought more Of him if he had looked upon that
| anniversary of long past happiness, and that
testimonial of a present pride and affection, as
something sacred which should have been con-
cealcd from the public gaze. The recolections
and emotions which such moment should call
| forth are those which cannot live in the blaze of
| publicity. They are evoked and best celebrated
| only in company with those whose feelings par
take of the sentiments of the occasion-who
love- too, to look down the valley that has been
| trodden, and can join in the future hopes which
inspire the interested heart The sons, the
daughters and descendants-even the dear old
| friends of boyhood, who have accompanied and
| fought with us in the hustle of ife-may be
properly admitted as rightful participants and
| accessories of such a celebration; but let not
tHc PiiFate Ecafbu, Win ltS LGllueT, FOOLISH
miniscences, its griefs and loves, and happy
memories be exploits for the delectation of the
town. That is not celebrating agolden or any
other wedding. 1t is consecrating the ''golden,"
but desecrating tho wedding" lo9 .3pcH
Has not the whole of our American life be-
come too open, too notorious? Are we not los
ing our relish for merely home enjoyments, and
are we not getting to depend for our pleasures
too much on outside admiration? If it be so,
without stopping to consider the reasons which
have brought it about, let uspauss, and endeav-
or retrace our steps to the simple virtues of our
fathers. Let us learn to keep something that
is for our own selves and our own families a.
lone; that no prying eyes of public curiosity
may make comment some feelings that we re-
tire within our breasts and do not by universal
exposure make them worthless by destroying
their chefest merit--secrecy. gaiulfTL3
This is what tie T,i5une's account of Com,
VANDEEBILT's wedding teaches us.-Agc
The OsnhssIoNs on THE MESSAGE -Lincoln'sf
message is more remarkable for what is not in