The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-01-06
TO uR. Ann MRS. sWEETsER.
Married nve years to-day. Jan. LIST. 1855.

NhatiieU HNo years to-uay, Jan. ISL 1905.
This New Years day, I'VE years ago.
Witnessed the union of youtwo
In bonds of pi1gnted faith and love,
With blessings sought for from above.
These years are gone-have sped their
flight,
With seasons dark or pleasures BRIGHT
They leave no blights upon to-day.
No bitter thoughts, we trast, arise
To dim your past with weeping eyes,
A d make the page of n1em'ry's book
70 wear sad, forbidding look
Tn tnpa lent tone the word unkfnd,
That leaves TOO Oft a sting behind
The cold neglect an aching smar;,
That stays the iife-bloOd OF the heart
The self-made crosses which befaI
Too many married-If not all
THESE II TO you once known, are even,
We trust, to-day, by each forgiven.
These years are past but now you stand.
more ARMY joined in heart and hand
More true. more loving more sincere. b..
And stronger, all LIES ills 10 bear.
With congratulations we. come. then, to
To greet you not only pom the year just
But VITA heart aud with word to mingle
. tina ks with you
For The years of rich mercy through
Which you have run.
Nor alone of the past do we wish to remind
Wewouid utter hope for the years yet
That e en- far richer blessings may eyer at
tend y u
A long married life and sweet, happy
home.
A custom good has long prevailed,
Permit Us now 10 tell it.
Marking each season of married life
With faYors meet to grace it,
A paper a0edding first appears
"A weakly thing yo'd tnInk it;
Not so; of years 1t counts ttstWO;i
Not lost for those beyond Il.
The aooodeT lUeddfnq next comes in;
rive years. us said, contain it.
More strongly knit the nuD lial band
More Woody-hbre in it.
When ten are told, tin soeddfng comes,
More bright than tn al before it;
1t argues well for man and wife
Nho'ye lived, as long, to reach it.
And yetCmore bright, and solid too,
Their married life to win it,
When SiJOer lOef3ta0 com es "a sight
Years i've and twenty seal 1T.
Beyond the s1Uer comes the gold;
Most precious muse we deem it;
Of Afty years-there are but few
Old folks alone have.seen it.
'Yond this, they say, one season more
The dGdn1Ond-but whose Is it?
The wedding Of a hundred years
Methusaleh may've had 1t.
And here we add It is not amlss,
lis we'll for you to hear it
We wish you both the hundred years,
And all the diamonds with 1t.
But the point now before US, we hasten to
Is to grace your wood wedding, which
happens to-day.
1t calls for its gifts-you expect them, no
You'll ind them within doors. and you'u
find them without. FL
A stick for your wood-piIe. we wish it
A tub Tor your washing, and a'little wash
A bucket which, larger. would hold twice
And cradle and baby, you'll find there's
none SUCH
There's mouse-trap all ready, to ca Oh
for you mice,
And wood-paper cutter to cut leaves in a
A stool, not for sitting, but to put your foot
And a basket for apples, holding 'leven
and one.
There are pins for your clothes-line, we'u
warrant them strong,
And broom for your parlor, which Will
last just as long;
A knife and a tork' which will help out
And a neat little sitter, that just helps out
my ballad.
A box for your spices-a spool of nice
A bundle of matches to place by your
bed.
But why. mention moreq The various
utensils,
All new, are before you, with some five
wooden pencils.
The markets SO empty, our cash is so
low,
We regret that our wood-gifts make so
poor a show;
Take the will for The deed, and you would
have housefull;
If not all, some, at least, you'n and very
usefal.
We fear your patience out has run;
Our task we feel is poorly done:
And now we close, as we begun,
With one word more, and only one.
May all who are here be alive and in
health
To attend your next wedding with vel
May the "tin " in our pockets. the sure
Furnish tin enough for you, from far and
from near!
May you reach the good age of 81 We u III
And ind these friends present with treas
May your health. wealth, and happiness
ever abound,
Your hearts be as warm and your heads
Just as sound!
And when you go down to pass over Iife's
river,
May strong faith and good hope be your
position for ever!
To all kind friends now gathered here,
With you we hail the new born Year:
May happy returns of this season be given
TIL New Year begins for us ever in
Heaven!