Clayton herald. (Clayton, Del.) 1867-1870, 1868-01-11
ssIsetso story.
The Old Table.
By R. KING BENNETr.

Precious to me is the old walnut table
which stands ia the parlor of uncle Ran
dolph Granger. tits loved by my uncle.
This you would know ifyou only had a
glimpse of the prominence he gives it,
the garments with which he dresses it,
and the vigilant care that he untiringly
exercises over and about 1t. And it is
fully as dear to multitude of others,
too numerous for individual designation,
as it is to him and me. 1t is not its beau
ty of outline, symmetry Of construction,
or polish of finish, that endears it to us
all-for 1t is only plain. substauti u and
unostentatious walnut tablv, built for
use, not ornanAs14 es.a = szssRsssaaa. :. :,
The lid of I'D NJ 4
4hoara. 4 9 : afss'E ~ Z, 90
ia length sever ssss,s tTevssI s,
to out. and its widsxfs assal8s y ssgsaa III II
exactly. Tie frame on which the top
rests is strong and massive, and its legs,
squsfe, large and clumsy, continue of
equal size from the frame TO the brass
lions claws on which they sit. At the
bottom Of the lions claws, in sockets,
are giobular castors on which the table
moves. 1t has a single drawer, deep
and capacious, and dragons head of
brass for the knob, to move it in and out
Neither paint, varnish nor staining has
ever marred the primeval color that ma
ture gave its material. Such is the ta-
BILE, and is it not plain onef
But this table is venerable in years
and has e history. Long before our pa
triot fathers, sitting in humble council
in Philadelphia on a certain Fourth of
July, sent out shock among the politi-
cal relations of men, that still jars the
firmest thrones of hereditary succession,
1oosens the grasp of tyrants from the
sceptres of their waning powers, and
arouses the hedown-trodden and oppressed
people OF earth to just consciousness
of their true dignity and manhood, the
artifcer had fashioned it into shape.
Years, indeed, before the thunders of
Concord startled the patriotism of Con-
tinent to arms, or the smoke of Bunker
Hill, while shadowing this patriotism in
gloom, intensified it's determination to
oughly domesticated to the purposes OF
its creation in the family of my great
grandfather, George Granger.
When uncle Randolph, over fifteen
years ago, became the happy legatee OF
the old table, by curious provision OF
my great grandfatber's will IL was placed
IA gsQ 4 "a QpQeEalsal Al centre Of his
q n nj tasFNSftad
III fllas and m. sns& af thiNs mos
@ sds' I'M as y 4
~ Il spread a. eriniSQp .sSta elala iPii
. broad orange fringe. richly gathered in
largo plaits and folds as it falls about its
aides and ends. The cloth and fringe
hang down so low that the tips of the
lions claws barely CLEAN out to view
from beneath them. Lying on the cloth
Ia large family Bible over the Bible is
atac sinaiLe of the original Declaration OF
Independence, with the interlineations
and erasures, and copy of Trumbulrs
picture scene of the signing OF that illus
trious political document. MY uncle
resoluteiy keeps the old table in full
costume, except on certain days Of ma
tional celebrity, or religious reverence,
But it is not its venerable age, its rich
and costly attire, or that it was the silent
contemporary Of the grandest and sublim-
est scenes engrossed on historic page,
that endears TO us all the old walnut ia.
BILE that stands in the parlor of uncle
Randolph Granger.
BY an accident, almost purposeiy oc-
cssioned by myself was the fortunate
guest of uncle Randolph on the Fourth
OF July, 1865. He was brimful of the
rush of patriotic ardor. Tbe parlor was
open; the cloth removed from the old
table and hung on the backs of chairs
the Bible, the Declaration of Independ-
ence, ~nd the picture above it, carefully
laid in mass on the bureau. The frag-
nients of our family were gathered at
my uncle's: AT meridian, as has been
custom Of our ancestors for seventy
years, We all assembled in the parlor, in