Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-10
A social Gathering in ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A social Ga ther1ns in Vvoodpr1dgc-Part-
ing Testimonial.
very large company of the friends of
! Mr.. and Mrs. Henry F. Merwin gathered at
the house on the evening of the Sth inst. to
| make them a parting visit and give them a
| token of the esteem which they felt for them.
They go to their new home in Detroit, Mich. :,
carrying the warm regards of their old
friends and their sincere wishes for their flu
| ture prosperity.
In behalf of the friends Rev. S. P. Marvin
presented them with an elegant silver tea SET
and spoke as follows "We have come up
here this evening to spend little time with
you in a sort of farewell visit. 1t is one of
those occasions which are both pleasant and
sad; pleasant as we think of the sweet asso-
Citations of the past and of the friendly inter
course which we have all enjoyed with you
and your family; sad, because you are so
soon to be separated from us. Here you
have spent the days of childhood and youth.
and here you entered upon the duties and
industries of life. From here, at your coun-
try's call, you went to join the noble army of
patriots who went forth from homes and all
that was dear for their country's defence.
No army that ever gathered under the light
of the sun had in it more brilliant galaxy of
names gathered from all the industries nd
all the professions. OF that noble company
you were one. and the insignia of your pa
triotism and your devotion to the cause of
liberty and union you will carry upon your
hands, not in jewelled fingers, but in the loss
of fingers MANNED or left upon the battle
field.
But while thousands fell amid the carnage
and the strife your life was preserved, and
you returned to your old home and set up
your own roof tree. Here the vicissitudes of
Gods providence come to all, you have expe-
rienced.
Henry is a royal name England has had
eight Henrys sit upon her throne, France
four, and Germany seven. Few names, with
the exception of Charles, represent more of
royal blood than does yours, and the good
fortune of the name has not deserted you
Upon few have the affairs of trust in the
town, parish and church been bestowed more
than upon you and these trusts and affairs
you have discharged with fidelity and honor.
On the school board of education you have
acted for long time, and your counsels have
been wise and your efforts efficient. AS first
y
highest interests of the town with more
economy. In the parish you were for years
its treasurer, and have ever been one of its
warm and liberal supporters. In the church
you have been unanimously rendered the
Office of deacon, while your modesty, to the
regret of us ALL led you to decline. AS super
intendent of the Sabbath school you won the
hearty cooperation of the parish and endeared
yourself to our youth.
And now unite these honors which your
companion shares with you. With clean
record you are about to remove from us. It
seems our privilege to come in and spend
this social occasion with you, and express our
regrets at your departure, and bestow upon
you some little token of our remembrance of
you
In behalf of these friends and others, I
am requested to present to you and your
companion this beautiful tea set.
The beauty of design and elegance of these
articles will remind you of this hour, and of
the happy hours of childhood. This bowl
will be filled with sugar, symbolizing the
sweetness of sympathies. This milk cup
will remind you of the milk of human kind |
ness, which in our Woodbridge homes be-
comes the cream of human kindness. This
tea urn will ever be fragrant with the mem
DRY of the social scenes and Christian inter |
course of your Woodbridge church and your
Woodbridge home. If fortune smiles upon
you in your new home, and as the years
come on you look for some place to spend |
the evening quiet of your life we trust the
Woodbridge hills and the Woodbridge well |
come will bring you back again. But if ad- |
versity comes in your pathway, as we are all |