Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-06-10

A large and select audience had the
pleasure of listening to an address by
Mr.. VIM. G. Bryant upon the life and
career of his friend, the late Hon Gulian
c. Verplank, at Steinway Hall, on Tues
day evening of last week. The occasion
was special meeting of the N. Y. His
torical Society and an array of promi
nent personages graced the platform.
Gen. John A. Dix presided and introduc-
ed the speaker, who then read careful
ly prepared paper in memory of the de-
ceased. The following incident in the
life of the distinguished man is of touch
ing interest:
=" In the family Of Josiah Ogden Hof-
man, lived Mary Eliza Fenno, the sister
of his wife and daughter of John Ward
Fenno, originally of Boston, and after
wards proprietor of a newspaper publish
ed in Philadel phia, entitled the Gazette
Of the United States Between this young
lady and Verplank there grew up an at
tachment, and in 1911 they were mar
ried. | have seen an exquisite miniature
of her by Malbone, taken in her early
girlhood when about fifteen years old
beautiful as anangel, with light chestnut
hair and soft blue eye, in the look of
which is a touch of sadness, as if caused
by some dim presentiment of her early
death. | remember hearing Miss Sedg-
wick say that she should always think
the better of Verplank, for having been
the husband of Eliza Fenno. Several
of her letters written to him before their
marriage are preserved, which, amidst
the sprightliness natural to her age, show
a more than usual thoughtfulness. She
rallies him on being adopted by the mob
and making harangues at ward meetings.
She playfu'ly chides him for wandering
from the Apostolic Church to hear pop
ular preachers and clerks that sing well
which she regards as crimes against the
memory of his ancestors-an allusion to
that part of the family pedigree which
traced his descent in some way from the
royal line of the Stuarts. She rallies
him on hispassion fer old books, remark
ing that some interesting works had just
appeared which must be kept from him
till he reaches the age of three score,
when they will be fit for his perusal.-
She writes to him from Boston, that he
is accounted there an amazingly plain.
spoken mamie had called the Boston
people heretics. She writes to him in
Stratford, imagining him in Bishop Berk.
ley's armchair, surrounded by family
pictures and huge folios. These letter;
we're carefully preserved by her husband
till his death, along with various memo
rials of her whom he had lost locks of
her sunny brown hair, the diamond rine
which he placed on her finger when they
were engaged to each other, wraptin tressea
of the same bright hair, and minatures
of her which the family never heard o.
till be died; all variously disposed among
the papers in the drawers of his desk
so that whenever he opened it, he NIGH
be reminded of her, and her memory
might become part of his daily life
With these were preserved some letter:
of his own, written 10 her about the SAME
time, and of sportive character. In
one of these helaments the passingaway
of the good old customs, and simple
ways of living in the country, supplant
ed by the usages of town life. Every
body was then nreading Celebs in search
of wife, and Verplank, who had just
been looking over some of the writing:
of Wilberforce, sees in it resemblance;
to his style, which led him to set down
Wherefore as the author.
"He lived with his young wife five
years, and she bore him two sons, one o.
whom died at the age of thirty, unmar
ried, and the other has become the faith
er of numerous family. Her health
failing, he took her to Europe, in the
hope that it might be restored by q
change OF air and scene, but after Ian