Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-08-24
winding it's fatal coils around the Goddess of

OnS, it eliminated in the grandeSt tragedy tn,
which, in common with thousands of others
you had to pay fearful price in the deatf
of a beloved son. still you have lived to see il
this our beloved land that that clause in thu
Declaration of our Independence, all have al
equal right to liberty and the pursuit of happ
mess, is no longer mere "glittering gener
atty"
lives filled up with heroic devotedness; NJ
more to these dear ones that call you parents
and grandparents than to universal ph1lan
thropy, you can well review them with joyous
emotions and in cheerful anticipation of the
plaudit of the Great Teacher, "well done.''
Although we were alike natives of that gOOt
Old State of whom every true son feels justly
proud, it was not our fortune to form an &C
quaintance till we were each of us on the de
scending grade of life. Allow me to say it IL
amongst my most cherished experiences that
we have been brought together in this, our lowe
home, and to hope that you may long live tC
enjoy in each others society the richest bless
ings that earth can bestOw. If there is any
thing earthly that can be a foretaste of what
that OF two kindred hearts that have become
assimilated by life long mingling of the same
joys, the same experiences and the same frui
t1ons here and the brighter hope of a united
fruitiOn hereafter.
have spoke of the friends who have passed
beneath the low green tent, whose curtain
never outward swings" Were you in your own
dear native home, how few of those who met
with you on your youthful wedding day would
be there to participate in this your Golden.
We are alike at that period of life which our
poet Whittier describes as
"Life's late afternoon,
Where cool and long the shadows grow,
And walk to meet the night that soon
Shall shape and shadow overflow
May we, like him, be able to say of the loved
friends of our lives that have gone before:
I'VE cannot feel that they are far,
Since near at need the angels are;
the
Shall we not see them waiting stand,
And white against the evening star,
The welcome of their beckOning hand,''
At the close of the address the sing
ers among the guests sung Aud Lang
Syne" with feeling inspired by the occa-
sion, after which Gen. Dickinson again
claimed the floor for the purpose of
reading a letter received by him few
days since from man whose name is a
household word wherever the English
language is spoken, John Greenleaf
Whittier, in response to one which he
had addressed to the poet, in which he
had made allusion to the anticipated
Golden anniversary, then being celebra-
ted. Mr.. Whittier's letter is as fol-
lows:
OAK KNOLL, DANvERs, Mass,
Sth mo-, II, 1877.
G. DICKINsON-Dedr Sir:-I thank thee for
calling my attention to my old associate, Jesse
Hartman, and his Golden Wedding | would
send bit of rhyme, if l felt in the mood, but
regard, thy friend JOHN G. WHITTIER.
By permission of Mr. Hartman, the
seal of the letter addressed to him by
Mr.Whittier was broken and it's con-
tents read to the company, who listened
with an interest inseperable from the
name of it's author. 1t is as follows:
OAK KNOLL, DANvERs, Mass,
Sth mo-, II, 1871
DEAR FRIEND:-Will thee permit an old anti
Slavery associate of the early time to cOngrat-
ulate thee on the occasion of thy Golden We'd
ding, which l understand occurs on the 2lst
inst?
l look over the forty intervening years. and
recall not only thyself, but Col. Jesse Putnam
and DR.. Eben Hunt, OF Danvers, who used to
Co. Dea. Dodge, John Innis and William
Chase and Richard P Waters used to come
from Salem; Israel Trask and DR.. Kittredge
from Beverly VIM; Chase | met Yesterday;
Richard p Waters lives about two miles from
here, at Cherry Hill, in North Beverly. l see
him often. What wonderful change since we
used to meet together! We have lived, thank
God, to see the end of the evil institution.
am spending much of my time at this place
with relatives. 1t is the Lander place, about
mile from the Plains north | knew Rev NJ.
Rice, and will remind him of thy G. W., if see
him, though perhaps he did not know thee, as
he is younger man.
Old Mrs. Page died this year, at the age of 90,
4
Col. Putnam is still living.
friend JOHN G. WHITTIER
Next came another surprise, mixed
with pleasure, to the aged pair. Col.
Lake first stilling the buzz of animated
conversation succeeding the reading of
the letter, turned to MIR. Hartman, and
in appropriate language, in behalf of the
guests, and as a token of their regard
presented him with a gold-headed ebony
cane, valued at $25. Then, addressing
the silver-haired matron whose half cen
fury of welded bliss sat upon her like a
benediction, and whose sweet, motherly
face showed all the embarrassment of a
school girl, he alluded to the difficulty
in choosing a present at once approprl-
ate and valuable, and then placed in her
hands purse filled with gold coin If
the responses that came to the lips Of
Mr. and Mrs. Hartman were not ex-
pressed in glowing style, they had the
eloquence of feeling and appreciation.
The balance of the evening was spent
in making music and the enjoyment Of
social intercourse, and the company de-
parted for their several homes before
the hour of midnight, with hearty con
gratulations for the golden welded pair,
and mutual expressions of satisfaction
with the pleasures of the evening