Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-10-02
The Adams Family.

tnat nave come down TO us from the
convention of 1916 that declared In
dependence, "sISK OR SWIM, LIVE
OR DIE, SURVIVE OR PERISH, I GIVE
MY HAND AND NY HEART TO THIS
DECLARATION" the Adams family
has occupied an honored and distin-
guished position in the history of our
country. Each succeeding generation
of the family has produced notable
men. Father and son were Prcsi-
dents, and the present head of the
family, Charles Francis Adams, has fill
ed many positions Of high distinction.
Long life and domestic happiness
seem also TO have blessed the family in
remarkable degree. John Adams,
the first, lived long enough with his
excellent and accomplished wife-who
in her day wrote such charming let
tcrs-to celebrate n golden wedding.
Their son, John Quincy, after years of
welded bliss, observed a like event.
and now his son, Charles Francis, ven
cradle in years and noble in honors for
the works Of a long life Of usefulness to
his country, likewise marks his on
ward pilgrimage through time with
golden milestone" An exchange.
moralizing over this event, 50 rare
through successive generations, saws
that a " golden wedding seems to have
been n sort of heirloom in the family.
like the Presidency Of the United
States. The parallel runs out in this
third generation, TO be sure, but no
doubt if Mr. Charles Francis Adams
knew that he could not have both, he
would rather have his second we'd
ding than the political nomination.
With its sliding social scale, and its
migratory habits of many citizens of
this great and glorious Republic, il is
matter of remark when the golden
weddings of three successive genera.
tions occur in the same house. II il
pleasant also to reflect, in the frequent
crash Of matter and wreck Of domes-
tic worlds, on such an uninterrupted
reign of haPpineSs and peace and
prosperity. If any one-alaTmed at
the statistics, has said in his haste bat
all men are unhappily married, and
that in the present state of society,
the officiating clergyman is only play
ing into the hands of the divorce
lawyers, let him read the family rec.
ord of the Adamscs and recant his
rash decision.
Here, for one hundred and fifty
years, the course of true welded love
has run smooth. John Adams and
his wife-Abigail Smith that was
celebrated their golden wedding when
he was seyenty-nine years old, and
John Quincy Adams was just entering
on his eightieth year when he wss
married over again.
And having refreshed his memory
with these chronological facts, the
constant reader falls to moralizing on
golden weddings in general. There
is always something slightly fantastic
about one. 1t is masquerade, but
there is pathos that cannot be
drowned in fcstivity. There are too
many memories. about. Somebody
has to endure the awkwardness of in.
Producing to the ancient bridesmaids
and antique groomsmen the new min
ister, who stands in the place of the
dead and gone. BEST men" are apt
to be missing-men so good that no
effort is made TO fll their places.
Perhaps the first bridesmaid has gone
with handsomer man. And there Is
no one TO take the old-fashioned, short
wristed kid glove from the ancient
hand Of the bride. Satin will grow
yellow in fifty years, and orange-blos-
SONS will fade and be crushed little
with the long boarding, and their
breath of bloom will be mixed with
the fragrant fibre Of the cedar chest,
which is also member of the family,
There Is such n crowd of new faces,
and so many footsteps on the stairs,