Wilmington journal., 1875-02-05
A Pleasant Family Reunion.

1
Dear Journal 1t is. not often l
trespass on your time or space, but /
will ask a little indulgence to-day in
order to give you slight description
| of a pleasant little affair at which /
assisted yesterday.
1t was dinner given On the occa-
sion of the birthday celebration Of
one of our most highly esteemed
neighbors, Mrs. Nellie Hand. Mrs
Hand isa descendant of revolutionary
notoriety, her father, Mr.. James
Smith, having served in that war with
credit to himself and honor to his fam
lily. At an early age she married Mr..
| VIM. J. Hand, with whom she Lived
happily to ripe old age. They accu-
mulated a good property and raised
| large ana interesting family. They
! furnished the Confederate army with
| four as good and brave sons as ever
| shouldered a musket. Two Of them
were i'll the Sd N. G. Regiment, infan-
| try, one of whom was SO badly wound
ed that he never entirely recovered
from It's effects-it still gives him trou-
bic. Very soon after the close of the
war the health of Mr.. Hand, who had
mistaken confidence in the cause and
its success, gave way under the disap-
pointment and misfortunes incident
upon the unnatural termination of the
war, and he died at the age of seventy-si
years, leaving wife and seven chill
dren -four boys and three girls) to
mourn his loss. AS was the custom of
their father, prior to his death, they
celeDate their mothers birthday
every year, and yesterday, the Goth
instant, was the sevsnty-ninth
year, and your correspondent was
one OF the fortunate few who were
there. / never will forget it. The
mother, surrounded by her children,
| around the same fireside where they
were raised, each one trying to recall
| some noted incident of their former
life, and that good mother, with tears
IN her eyes, knowing how uncertain
life is, begging her children to pre-
pare for hereafter, when their It
unions will be perpetual. Mrs. II. is
the oldest member of the Presbyterian
Church in this section.
In due time dinner was announced.
A glance at the table wonld have con-
! vinced any one that the taste of the
most fastidious person could be salts
led. Mr. Jno. Hand, at whose house
the day WAS celebrated-the old home.
stead-G forgot to mention that three
of her sons were married, and they
have these dinners alternately at their
houses) thinking there were some wh'
would like to warm up for dlnp n,
brought out wines and liquors, and
those who liked. indulged; your cor
respondent simply sampled 1t, and
pronounced it good. The dinner was
fine in every sense of the word. Ther
again [ had to taste, and before 4
could decide on it's merits, tasted
four glasses of syllabub, then pro
| bounced that good in the superlative
degree. After fruits, coffee and little
more wine, we adjourned to the parlor
where we had some as fine music as
ever listened to, Mrs. John Hand play
ing the accompaniment aud Mr.. Hin
ION James, of New York, aud Miss
Borden, Of Sampson county, will
others singing the different parts max
ing he music perfectly charming.
The time came for parting and the
d lady was so full of tears she could
hardly tell her friends good by. vii
close by asking for her many more re
unions of the same pleasant kind
May she reach that good old age o
one hundred years, and retain ali he
fucAlties. Yours respectfully, E.
Rocky Point, Jan. 9th 1875.