Litchfield enquirer., 1869-09-16
REUNION OF THE SMITH. FAMILY


 ,9qso-s 2u WAsHNoroN Sept. 9th, 1869. q The Second Meeting of the descendants of John Smith. who settled. in this townin in 1773 and is the head of the numerous family of that name in this vicinity, was held Wednesday, the 1st instant. .on the old homestead, now occupied by great grand- son, Albert M Smith. The table spread in an orchard on the premises, gave ample evidence of the resources of the family in various matters pertaining cte5 agriculture, lhorticulture,g Horticulture and several others of the useful and ornamental arts. Oae hundred of the family lsa. down to the fss- tive board. Ell S. Smith, of Birmingham, Conn. occupied the post of. honor at the head of tue table. and was supported on the right and left by two of John Smith $ boys, Aataony and Philo; now grown Aao1' Ato the mature years of s6 aud 80, respectively. The divine blessing was asked by Dea. SsDS. Baldwin, and the above men ntioned .'evidence of resources" rapidly disappear ed. .9"z4 '-3-a" + ~ nv tf-h 4esin ,
 After dinner, q couple of hours were pleasantly spent, in social conversation, in which "reminiscences of scenes and .inci- dents of family interest in, She past. 0of course. largely predominated. Several of the brothers present also made more for nal statements in response to toasts call, ing them out, in which the geneology of the family was traced back to their emigra. tion from England to the Now Haven Col ony at Milford. in , the persons of John Smith and his wife Grace, in 164O The descendants of 'honest'' John, as he was called, the father of the particular branch of the family now assembled, number two hundred and fty-three, living. and retain with remarkable uniformity, the prominent characteristics of the father.1 In respect to honesty. industry an ] sobriety., there has not been 2 single lapse. Most of them are with Christian Churches; but one, and he living in the South. gave evi- dence of any rebel sympathy in. the late war; many of them were in the Union Ar my. and with less than half Q dozen excep- tiops. all sympathizsd with the political party most active in carrying on the war. The longevity of the Senior members is al- 30 worthy of note. John Smith the head, died in 1919 at the age of 96. Ten of his children lived to years of maturity three are still living-and the united ages of tn e ten are exactly 800 years. In respect to increase. the descendants of the oldest son, samuel. are entitled to the bannv-.,, nbn- bering 94 living and 26 dead. At the meet. ing, four years ago. the somewhat alarm: ing degeneracy of the present age.9 was dis covered, in the fact that with so distinguish ed an ancestry of Johns there was not a sin : gle one in this numerous branch, who bore that b onored name, and 6 1fatherly admo- hilton was given requiring the next boy to be call John. "s ,Oa the assembling of this meeting case for family discipline became at once apparent. The father of that boy made weak attempt to palliate the offence, but no excuse was permittsia to avail. and stern rebukel was adminis. tered. zis2a .da saii1 'gsauh ' io ''-A --,;5 : Among the characteristics to which the family adhere with uniformity. should have been mentioned the fact that ell the mem bess sing, aud the statement that among them are two so we'll known to the m masieaI people of the county as Augustus and Ma Y Smith. will induce almost any one to be- lisvs that whatever else vas. the mu- sic of the occasion was not a failure. The following beautiful song of welcome, con tributed by Mrs. John Smith Gum, of New Preston. whose suatlens decease was announced in the Esou1RKs of last week. was read with melancholy and peculiar interest: darsI s1I--es. .es -- 'SS5 Kindred and friends. from the mountain and ~ Valley, ,.,r4 ,.; a-,, ,o.,f., .,4-f,
 hill.ids dli and glen. ys have 51snded ,oss ry.al way;ssi3 yJ issoGo1q .8 yaai. ,e112 loA welcome as broad aa the blue heaven above
 yous T0xsuma ,ds Aaasl.a .. sA. .uu.hin. si,eyou te-a.5s. taa 5
 .y4glaI dorm 9niob aoaa4I 10 2o iews meet to revive olden naemories and friend 3*os ships o1t l12Iii'ol asa gel .,ot !,
 By the streams, on the soif that our forefathers
 trod; .t..a...-,tts.l = ..fot.,r1 .gM o
 Their virtues iwe, honor, their names wes saan
 cnefnn, .Eeaw :" % While calmly they rest, meath the emerald
 cod. ,ggisas19ai e1e -.-. ,.-'-.'' | g. noiIiads7 eaT-- .3nu5sH assX a7h
 They have gone: but have lsss n1s the 7ssi saipyI' 7 u saiI Dcloudless setting, sGT pdn9 ~snf1 'iHl Golden rsdhncspth beams on our pathway i9~a of care AT tieiasgC ad9 GseRs odasa I've sFs grateful so dsy, for joys and the . blessings s'a a1l" b9Aesf's '9'n .s15d = They won y our leos. thef faith and thsH,r F 1 fedf aPssssss-s Gsz8sI cit fGa aiz3 10 oi llas
 @3kl 1e eaaiu ned sdae
 Little children; to-day, at this feast ye are ewel- ~, come,
 na ' Like thoss who went up to Juosa Of old, .t T,
 As f.an fiAnaiea united and glad ve are gathered; asssAAnd And ys gre ouF isvala, our treasures untold ? .si9semmo3-ysii4T lcqisstesiK < booD l9 Rsmember whose children ye are; in the future ao When fathers ye love pass away from yorr ] s2bTnsight. o1 fYdE9 gsars .tesT adt Asho sBg the light of the ctoss, as they is sfasp the
 banner. .ysllaF adj ai a1sitW 's5-1 n asWA Essstayd m 6s,v rasue ., fov ea.a. .o sa