Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-12-19
The Tea Party In Halloweil-A Pleasant

The Tea Party In Hallowell-A Pleasant
caslOn.
Mr.. EDITOR: BY chance l have been
spending the last few days in the city of Hall
lowell. AS went to the Post effice on Tues
day evening, my attention was attracted to the
large number of people on the street, all
seeming to anticipate something agreeable.
Having nothing in particular to occupy my
time, | resolved to follow the advice of Rev
Henry Ward Beecher, who having been asked
by country clergyman chow he should find
Plymouth Church. said, ''after you have
crossed Fulton Ferry, follow the crowd" In
this case the crowd went to Wilson's Hall
The room was filed with people of all ages
II seemed to be tea party. There was a
great variety of eatables, very nicely cooked
no doubt, but very different from what one is
accustomed to see upon a tea table There
were pork and beans, real bona fde Yankee
pork and beans, soft, juicy, and OF pale rus
set color, not that aggrsvating compound
(Which sometimes dares to appropriate 10 1t
self, that name sacred TO every true New Eng
land heart. in which every bean retains its DIS
tinct individuality, and which sounds when
dished up like young hal-storm.
Brown bread! how the very name brought
to mind the Sunday morning repast Of our
childhood. For once oysters and ice cream
occupied the back ground. But Pope says,
'the proper study of mankind is man" So
| secured a good seat and devoted myself to
that science. You know. one likes to know
"who is who and how was a strange body to
find that OUT? Fortune favored me by placing
at my side one of those genial, sociable, old
ladies, who know every one, and to whom the
enlightening of my ignorance was pleasure.
Talk about home Missionaries, Here was
one. Everybody and his wife were there, all
looking their best. People in modern attire
are TO be seen at any time, so all our interest
centered i'll the people of eye olden time.
Presently the curtain rose on what seemed
like an old fashioned singing school. Shades
| OF our ancestors, ''I773-lS73." These were
the my sterious numbers we had seen inscribed
on certain green placards. These people one
hundred years old But the leader Mr..
Editor, you are used to writing, can't you put
energy, vim, drive, go-ahead ativeness into
one longword but even that would be failure.
He looked ancient, his coat, breeches, knee
buckles, scarlet waisteoat and wig certainly
belonged not to this generation, but he beat
time and sang as if he were twenty five and
| not four times that age. No rest for us till
we had found him out. He proved to be the
chorister in one of the churches, one always
| ready to help in any emergency. A very ele-
gantly dressed gentleman, whose coantenance
beamed with kindness, next excited our Curl
| osity the pope of the present day would have
paled before his splendor, he seemed to renew
| his youth in the festivities of the evening. He
| was one of the merchants of the place. Had
Martha Washington stepped out from a pic
| ture frame? There were two ladies who Ger
tanly answered to her description, and that
young lady in the brocade silk, with stomach
| er and sleeves Of lace from the powdered hair
| and bordering of pearls, we are almost tempt
ed to believe that the old picture on the parlor
wall has been endowed with life, and that our
great grandmother in her youth stands before
| us. There were other ladies who looked al
| most as if they were too ancient to sing in
| such an energetic manner. Then a whole
| bevy of young girls. Alas for the young man
| who looks in vain to see a face down long
| Leghorn lane. The military element was not
wanting. One of the heroes of Bunker Hill
was conspicuous for his tall hat and elegantly
| embroidered vest. He was a worker in iron
and noted for his varied information ON all So
| cia(, political and scientific subjects.
| Navigation also had its representative, not
in strict regulation dress, for the coat, the ruff
fled shirt and the wig, gave us the impression
that George Washington was on his round,
looking for Martha. The singing was fine
Sherburn, Easter Anthem, Ode on Science, sc
were given with zest. Aud Lang Syne wal
sung in conclusion, the audience joining
| My friend informed me that the eutertain
ment was given in honor of a certain grea
amount of tea being put to draw in Boston
hsrbor one hundred years ago. My idea 0
good tea was that boiling water should b.
used. L. C. Y.