The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-03-03
Centennial Party.


Z The following interesting account of
pleasant party which took place at
Amherst, New Hampshire, on the 1st
of February, we copy from the Farm
ers' Cabinet, published at that place.
The venerable lady mentioned III the
proceedings is the grandmother of our
esteemed feilow-citizen, d. ". Goss,
of Edinburgh, in this county:
Tuesday last being the centennial of the birth
of Mrs. Anah GosS, of this place, her house was
open for the reception OF her friends, and during
the day many of our citizens called to pay their
respects to the worthy centennarian. They were
very cordially received and pleasantly enter
tanned by the good lady of the house, and her po-
| lite and attentive daughters.
Late in the afternoon several gentlemen, who
with their ladies had been invited to take tea
with the firnily1. and who had been preceded by
their better halves, called in 8 body, and pre-
I sented the venerable centennarian With q hand
/ some easy chair, for her comfort rs she -giides
| down her second century. 1t was Handsomely
4 rendered By Dea. B. b. David. who reInarked
/ MRS Goss:-I am desired in behalf of the
gentlemen present to present you this easy chair
4 as token of their esteem, and with the hope
4 that itmay add TO your comfort aJd enjoy ment
4 we do not come so much to congratulate YOU
/ upon your extreme age, as upon the distinguish
4 inr kindness which has croWneffsyour life Mapy
/ reach extreme old age that know not q good
4 old age. Your life has been one marked by the
4 favor of the Lord Wonderful changes have oc-
/ Cured since you were a child. 4 on were born
under the King, and nearly old enough,had wo-
man then had suffrage, to have voted for General
/ Washington for President! (Here the venerable
| lady entered her protest against the innovation
| of womans suffragel. Time Will not allow OF =
review of these changes and we can only con-
! gratulate you upon that kindness and love that
has crowned all your days, so that you may hope
to come to Your grave e. Ike good old patriarch
/ He closed with the wish that she might enjoy
much comfort in the use Of the chair forsn,any
Rising very gracefully from her rocking chair
she thanked the gentlemen who had SO kindly
| remembered her. and said she would occupy the
| chair. and one of them could take hers. 1t was
gracz .uily occupied. and the donors as graceful
! ~ welcomed and entertained by its occupant as
4 they could have been by one in the spring time
of life An hour or more was spent in social con-
verse, and after q handsome entertainment the
1 company gathered around the venerable mother
| and sang the following memorial hymn, written
| for the OCCASION: sQ
| We gather in this quiet home,
Where age and duty meet,
To pay our honors unto both,
So worthy and SO meet
And sing q song memorial
With one whose eyes have seen
| A hundred years go laughing by,
| And still is fresh and green. 5}.E
| A hundred years. a hundred years!
| How long the prospect seems
| How brief the view Ger it ROW
I Her angel vision gleamsl
| sSThrough all its changes. bright and drear.
Of daughter, mother, wife.
| And wi1oWh0od, '.iilst like a song
| Have fed the years OF life.
| Grateful, o Lord for that kind love.
That thus has held her up.
| And filed with blessings all so full,
OF this long life the,cup-
We gather round our century dame
| And huDl1ly bend the knee
1 And from our inmost hearts, o Lord,
/ Give our best thanks to Thee.
We thank Thee, o Lord, for her trIe life
For her example true
| Help her eokYalk the Christian walk
| Her homeward joarnev through
| And when, in Thine OWN time, She shall
| Have reached that journeys end
Grant her abundant entrance to
The Home of her Best Friend.
| The exercises were closed ith an appropriate
| prayer by Rev VIM Clark
| Mrs. Goss was a daughter of Mr. Stephen
Bathric, of Lunenburg. Mass, where she was
| born Feb. list, ITO. She came to amherst when
about fifteen years of age and Mt the early age of
/ sixteen married Ephraim Goss, a soldier re-
| turned from the war; with whom she lived till
his deceasc in 1870, and by whom she had ten
children, seven daughters and three sons three
of the daughters being still alive, and two OF
whom are now kindly caring for her in her
good old age,,' Mrs. Goss' life has been pat
termed after the Bible standard and she still
iives' to testify gratefully and cheerfully to the
distinguishing grace of God in Christ Jesus her
| Lord Her health is good, and She is able 10 be
4 about the house, and TO care for herself and
daily makes the Word of God the man of her
counsel as it-was the guide of her youth
Mrs. Goss was visited by about sixty of her
friends during the day and evening, among
1 hmm
bands. P. c. Cheney, Esq, of MANCHESTER and
Josiah Lasselle, of Hanover Illinois, with great
grandchildren, and John Wilson, Esq, 3 cousin,
and an old resident of Boston