The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-01-28

Cornwall. Il. l.. Reed of Mineville, N
T., Mrs. Robert IIemenway of Middle
bury. Mrs. Allen Graves Of Manches
ter, Mr.. and Mrs. II. #. Cuts of Or
well. The last named gentleman ant
his wife furnished several excelen
songs during the evening, which easll,
held the company in close and silent at
tention. Some OF their pieces were evi
IDENTIFY prepared for the occasion and
when, near the close of tho festivities
they brought ont "Auld Lang Sync, y
there was no lack of chorus full aud
hearty. Mrs. Darwin Rice read an or.
iglnal poem which Is here given:
Wegazc upon these forms and faces bright,
we listen to these voices sweet and CHEEKY
our cup of happiness runs full o.nght,
~, And age has nothing that is sad or dreary;
we tender you welcome warm and true,
our lrienus Who'ye gathered here with hearts
To celebrate In kindly glad review,
inc sacred vows we once so fondly plighted.
CHORUS.
Through joy and grief, through sunshine and
For sixty years we've journeyed on together
And we hope that side by side,
we may cross the tossing tide
That leads to life and bliss and peac CO forever,
The years seem long and like atrul dream,
since we stood hand In hand In youths glad
morning,
The sen of life seemed like lovely stream,
with blooming flowers all its banks adjoining
we little knew what care or trouble meant
Nor guessed the toll of sowing and of cleaning
But now that mortal life is nearly spent
Slowly. but surely, VIC baye learned its mean.
ing.
CHORUS
We've quafed the cup ofbliss with deep delight.
Some sudden Joy our fear has often banished,
And children's chidrcn'5 babes have seen the
light.
We've bowed with bitter tears above our dead
And life seems robbed of beauty bright and
vernal,
But we shall meet them when these lives Ned.
Ana wo nave almost reached the gates eternal.
CHORUS
The morning ind the noontdc came and passed,
We're sitting in the sunset calmly waiting,
we almost hear the angel boatman's blast.
We almost wonder at his long belating.
with thankful hearts we view the pact to-n night,
Its blessings far outweigh tho care and 90 ROW,
And our to-day Is purely, grandy bright,
WIN the sweet promise vi our glad tomorrow.
:. CHORUS.
OF course there was O feast, rich In
quantity and variety. Wedding cake
in all its forms abounded. The large
pewter platter on which food was
brought in is the property of Mrs. Jo-
mas Hemenway, and is the same dish
that was thrown into the we'll in Dan
bury, Conn.,, by her great-grcat-grand-
mother, to conceal 1t from the British,
when that town was burned by them
in the Revolution. One of tho walters,
Asa Hemenway Smith, was dressed in
the ST Vie of the olden time, wearing the
same velvet breecbes formerly worn
by his great grandfather 1emenway.
After the feast matters became more
animating. Letters just received from
absent ones, full of "reminiscences and
good wishes, were produced. These
furnished lively reading. A. w. Mich
olson of Wallingford told of "the snare
drum which cousin Asa made for him
when twelve years old, which led him
on to the warbeat of 1912 and up to the
honors of drum major. Behold what a
big fire little matter kindleth." lie
hopes the ancient briGelnd groom will
take a wedding tour and call on the
remnant of Vermont cousins; admits
that the weather is cold, but comforts
are abundant, "and the democrats they
get down on the knee and our country
Is safe and the slave Is free," etc.
Rev. Asa Hemenway of Manchester.
formerly missionary to Siam, takes oc-
casion In his letter to point out the
grave mistake make by his aged cousin
in celebrating his nuptials at the dead
of winter, thus bringing on the wooden,
tin, crystal, linen, silver and golden
wedding all in the coolest season of the
year. "With more forethought at the
beginning, all this might have been re-
lieved. The month of June. the pleas
ATTEST in tho year, should have been
chosen, then all tho gray headed cou-
sins from far and from near might
easily have come together and assisted
at the celebration" 1t may be we'll to
state here that this cousin is preparing
history of the Hemenway family,
which is now in press. But II is i'm
possible to quote from ali these letters.
There were scores and scores of them.
From Mr.. and Mrs. Herman Hemen-
way of Whitewater, Wis, brother OF
Dea. Hemenway of Orwell; from Mr..
and Mrs. Edwin Rice, brother of Abel
Rice, residing also In Whitewater ;
from Mrs. Eunice Terrell, sister of Dea.
Ii. of Orwell, another resident of
Whitewater; from Ethan Rice and wife
of Jackson, Mich; d. Il. Nicholson,
Esq, of Rutland, was away attending
court in Johnstown. n. y, and sent
regrets through ID. n. Haynes, his
nephew; a most hearty letter from Mrs.
Anson A. Nicholson of Rutland; note
from Edward II. Brainerd OF New
York city; good wishes from Rev
VIM. r. Woodbridge of Port Henry,
also from DR.. and Mrs. l.. Ii. Hem
enway of Manchester; full congratula.
tons and christian saluiations by l.. l..
and Louise Eastman of Albany, n. Y.
Scores of these Interesting and luqueni
| congratulations were received from
Burlington, Middlebury and al snr-
rounding towns and liOm neighbo,
aud relatives in Bridpori, but there il
not space for further mention OF them.
These letters relating TO past even.
and far away friends, kinaed the lhir-l
for something moro. Father iiemen.
way inquired ii they could nj have
some speeches. Rev. Mr.. OF stead
was ready with recnlleciions of Bird
port, reaching back more than iiiri,
years. II is impossible /" report such 4
speech, palil, humorous, partly seri
Gus, partly personal, partly general
times AMI events, the living aud tlN
dead, ih, present and the past. all wo
ven toYe der with sentiment, fact amc
furcN. ilu pusior o. the cliu cli, Rev
w. VI. Winchester added few nc
mark. Olte remark of Mr.. Olmstead
relating Ia different marriage ceremo
mics, siirr,l The fires o memory IN tn
heart of the auci3n lpgroon. Ii,
arose 1T This sis ani commenced ;
br lief history of his . T., hip air nup
tials sixty vars ~ II bringing Ill
bride from Waterford to his cabin here
he had lived alone many months, etc
The bride was evidently growing anx
lOus as this interesting disclosure of In
past went on, and nos knowing where
unto 1t might lead, she began 70 use he
Influence In feminine way. The I'm
black cJat, present for the occasion
was In some neril Rnl what ara cnni