The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-08-29
OLD HARVARD.
"A Class Day. or the OIden fime-An.
cienI and Modern "spFeads"-
ReeOlIeeTIOns or an OeIO-
geHarlAn.

+, The following letter written by
/. venerable lady, now in her eighty
: sixth year, and s native OF Medfield
! Mass, embOdies her recOlleetiOns oi
J Commencement day at Harvard In
the Olden time.
The writer is the mother Of the
Allen Brothers, of West Newton,
Mass. It is further stated that not 8
member Of that celebrated class oi
which Edward Everett, II. L. Froth-
inghan and Henry Fuller were the
shining lights, is believed to be now
living:
my DEAR GRANDDAUGHTERs In
listening to your conversation about
the next Commencement at Harvard,
and the spreads" to be given by the
graduating class, / have thought an
account Of one 1 attended, when q
young lady like yourselves, might be
interesting to you. Sixty-seven years
ago this summer / was teaching the
North District school in Medfield, and
boarding Ia your great.grandfather'
family, whose son, the lste Joseph
ID. Allen, d. D., Of Northboro, was to
graduate that year.
81 was receiving 81 20 week, with
the privilege OF working for my
board, which did, thus earning an
other dollar q week. Why received
so much was had taught the sum-
mer before IN the Centre District, and
as each wished me to teach with
them, they united the schools and 1
taught both, over seventy pupils. It
was q great event in q small country
tnufn m hnua o farnnaHl1
a. Harvard with high hOnors, and
great preparations were made for the
event by the family. Being engaged
70 your grandfather at that time, and
boarding in the family, was invited
to be present, and, as I worked for
my board, l aided in the preparations.
All DR.. Aliens clothes were made in
the house. | made his ruffied shirts
and did them up myself. He wore
black coat and small clothes, and |
black silk stockings tied with ribbons |
at the knee. His pumps were made |
by the shoemaker in the town. Your |
grandfather was dressed in the same |
manner, excepting his clothes were
not black, and he wore boots wrinkIed /
at the top (instesd of pumps), which 1
was considered very stylish then. / |
wore q white seed muslin dress and
long white silk gloves reaching above
the elbow, both of which made nv.
self. Ny bonnet Of buff and white
Grape, p9FOh8sed in Waltham for
-. Everything for the "spread," ex-
cepting the warm meats was cooked
at home and taken to Cambridge. A
large number of the friends Of the
family we're invited to go down.
Among them was the late Lowell
Mason and his father and mother,
Wickliffe Adams, the brother of the
Hannah Adams, the first
tenant Of Mount Auburn. She was q
very peculiar person, as nsny liter
aIy persons are. / remember her
very well. 1t Is said snat once while
riding upon q pilliOn behind her
father to church she fell off. Her
father did not miss her until he ar
rived at the church, when he imme-
diately returned and found her sit
ting quietly where she had fallen, in
the middle of the road, not having
that she was not riding
still. When the eventful day ar
rived, the company numbering about
started about 4 O'Clock ,
LhalLC IAACAA OWA
ss, making quite an imposing appear
ance. rode with your grandfather
in q chaise. We arrived in
at about s O'Clock,
and vent directly to Qivin-
Ity Hall, where Joseph Alien
and Thomas Prentiss, OF Medfield
and George MOrcyf OF Walpole, had
rooms, and were to spread" Two
eolored men walked down from Med :
field to cater for Us, and they took
charge Of all our things. It was soon {
lime to start for the church where
he exercises were held. The gradu-
Slug ,tLIg class contained ms many brilliant
we're Edward Everett, Nathaniel
rockingham, Henry II. IPuller, and
he olass-pOet, the late Rev. M. Gill
nan, Of South Carolina. knew sew
srsl of the class besides Everett and
Gilman, who had visited us In Med.
ield, and Fuller and MOrey, with
whom / attended school, so, Of course,
[ was very much interested in the
Ipesking. can remember distinctly
how Everett appeared when giving !
he English grafton, and the enthusi-
ISM the first three scholars created |
Everett, rockingham and Fuller.
Allen and Morey also had prominent $
parts. The scene was entirely new to
ne and made deep impression upon
ny mind. After the exercises were
over we returned to Divinity Hall
md enjoyed the "spyesdsii very !
much. No wine or spIrituous liquors
,f any kind were provided at either {
If the three tables, but we had 3 very
IOciAl time, going from room to room !
md being introduced to each other.
We started for home about s o'clock =
Ind arrived about u at night. The
lext day found me In school again I
Vith my 70 pupils. OF those 20 ]
,hink only is are now living. In the I
Tesrs that have passed since then it
las been q great source OF pleasure to I
near Of the honors those young men
yained, and that days experience was
)f great benefit to me. Most OF that
brilliant class has passed away, but Fl
he results OF their lsbOrs remain to
bless mankind. That you may have
Is pleasant an experience to look
,ack upon, il you go this year, as 1 I
lAve had, Is the wish Of your affec-
iOnate grandmother. "L. l.. A.
"MEDFIELD, MASS, June, 1879"