Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-12-10
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Prom IIarPeT's Magazine.
A GOLDEN WEDDING.


of joy when summer fades;
And, matching soberly
With the grave landscape, clustered buildings
stood,
Low, hospitable, of time-darkened wood,
ShadoWed by many II tree
The door-yard. populous
iih vehicles Of quaint, Old-fashioned style,
Lefi standing ia long, uneven file,
Had space for oyerplus
Rustling in grasses dun.
The busy fowls ranged slow from side TO side;
And paticn, horses, blanketed aud tied,
Dozed in the chilly sun.
House windows, half inwrought
With tangled skeletons of summer vines,
We're decked with pine and hemlock bCughs, the
signs
OF festive time and thought.
Within, fre-lit and wide,
The ancient keeping-room was dressed with
green.
And n long table, fair with damask sheen,
Was stretched from side to side;
And, bounding its extent
Perhaps little crowded, like the fare
The eas;ing guests found time enough to spare
For constant mcrriment.
The children, feastng too.
Scarce exiled in the Kitchens friendly space,
AS joyous AS their elders, made the place
Echo with mirth anew.
Plain folk we're most Of these,
Good-naturcl, practical, hard working folk,
Fond Of holiday and CT joke;
Somewhat the less at ease
For holiday array;
Not apt at mingling colors pleasantly,
Yet itch in common-scnsc, kindly and free
In uhtaught speech and way;
Much like their own rough cline,
Or homemade articles that one loves best,
Because their coarse, firm strength can bear thc
And wear of use and time
And, scattered here and there,
We're others, more conventional of dress
And manner, with the case and courteousuess
That please with little care.
Aiatrons in calico
Were placed by ladies bright in shecny silk
Hands rough and brown and hands as white as
milk
Passed dishes to and fro;
But all, Of differing grade
And station, felt the equal influence
OF simple kindness, keen and sturdy sense,
And quiet worth, that made
The low room, decked with green
And bougas Of scarlet that November banned,
The scene of hos pitality as grand
As that Of king and queen.
This king and queen, twice wed,
An ancient. hlppy-helrted, honored pair,
Royal with cheer and crowned with silver hair
, Sat at the tables head.
Thc fifty busy years
That brought around their second wedding-da,
Had given them joy--had taken soEe away
In bartering faith for tears;
Had made him somewhat bent;
Had witherrd him, and made hi stout form spare
Had left him much the worse for toll and care,
But with n fir percent
OF his slow, hard-earned gain;
With honesty and soberness and truth;
More Of the fire and hunor Of his youth
Than most men may retain.
Sitting, he stopped bit,
But the keen glanccs rowing here and there
Meath brows that matched his sparse whit
fringe Of hair,
The flashes of swift wit
That frightened pale blue eyes,
And smiles that grouped the wrinkles closer still
Defied times power, but first earned time $ good
will.
| And made the years allies.
His best coat, velvetecned,
! Bright-buttoneh, swallow tailed, immaculate,
/ Long saved for Sundays and for times of state;
| His vest of satin, screened
By damask's flowered flock;
His polished boots, and wristbands s'iffly turned
| The ancient tiny ruby pin that burned
On his a'pacca stock
| We're tokens to agree
/ With the green notices ON the parlor wall,
Circled with immortelles, that sad to all,
g Honor good memory"
His wife sat close beside
In Quaker gray; the snowy folds of lace
Touched neck and wrist, and shaded calm fac
Full of unspokcn pride,
Because around the hoard
! We're gathered many children she had reared
In the good precepts of the God she feared;
Now inding age restored
To happy youth and prime
In other lives that it had sought to bless,
| She thanked God for the deal OF tenderness
Within the heart Of time.
Ere long the meal was done: ;,
| Dishes that first had known much bulk ana prld
Had shrunk to naught or toppled half aside'
Made ruins, one by one
At last general stir
And settling brought a passing pause In speech
And swift hands cleared the tables Uttered reaci
Then, after some demur,
A chairman, just elect,
Called all to order, and with aspect grave
Reminded scattered children to behave;
And when the noise was checked.
Made short opening speech,
4 Inviting some remarks to suit the day.
Uoninc" their friends would havea word to say
Interrogating each
BY glance complaisantly,
And so sat down. Then one In threadbarc drap-
"A rusty cousin with the gift of Cab
Arising, g. would make free,
Having his friends kind ear,
70 saw that this occasion, festive time,
This happy meeting. now just in Its prime'
This pleasant hour, was dear,
"More dear than he could tell
In the set words that left SO much 10 guess
And so proceeded with great fiuentness'
Deenling he spoke so well
All would delight to hear;,
r;l restlessness bore witness otherwise;