Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-08-27

lime writes no wrinkles on thy brow;
Such a. CREATIONS dawn behcld, thou rollest now.
Nature suffers decay The systole and dias,ole of
her great heart never ceases. She wears the same
blooming unalterable feature she wore when the in
FAINT first smiled upon her loneliness In spring
time she puts her emerald garb and in the autumn
folds arosnd her the same brown and russell robes
crowns the blue armament with the same glttoring
jewels she the glad morning of creation.
when stars sang together and the sons of God
shouted for joy The Plciades and orion--the Sun
| and Moon and all the bright orbs that nightly sail
through the realms of space. though growing old.
have not dimmed the ustre Of their pristine youth
diminished the fires of their ancient birth As In
| the days of Job and Abraham when the shepherds
watched their hocks on the hills and plains of Judea,
so still they shnea mystery and magniicence to the
beholder and abiding evidence Of the everIastiog
attributes OF their Creator. Notso man or his works
As the shadow that follows the cloud he passeth over
the earth and is goneas the that enters in at
the east window. sports for few moments through
the lighted chambers and passes out into the darkness
Of the still night. from whence he came and whittier
he goeth. we know not. So the generations Of man
come into this world pass out from it, and are gone
but the earth abideth forever"
Such are the thoughts suggested TO the mind when
annually we meett to review the past and contemplate
the changes which have taken place in our fast d.
mnishiRg band. Forty years have nearly elapsed
since. for the first time beheld the green prairies
the deep woodlands the flowing stream the beautiful
hills and valleys. of this noble old country which has
ever since afforded me shelter and home. During
all these years 1t has not changed its bounds
or in ought extenuatcd its richness. oveiness its
grandier or its greatness Its springs its rvuets its
streams. Its grand old rocks and bluffs. garIanded
with waving pine and sturdy oaks. sheterng the
breed of wolves as were hunted fifty years ago for
bounty. Its timber" and openings its mines, its
upands and bottoms, its very form and features and
when the hand of man has pruRcd and beautfied
all remain in the days when your reverend president
and his youthful contemporary made their first ven
lures through its wilderness Of charms in search Of "a
place to locate But, of the thirty thousand inhabi-
who go swell the census Of Grant county,
whose fine mansions and plethoric farms occupy the
sites Of the log cabins and the old Sheds whose
fields and meadows have supplsnted the place where
the hunter and the wild deer tfod TO the hills that en-
croach the sea-" low few alasl of that rapidly de-
creasng number. the old settlers of Grant county.
your companion and mine in other days, meet with us
on this happy occasion And Of that few, some Of
others coming and exchange words Of congratuation
that they still on the sunny shores of time-by
what talsmsn. by what marks in line of form or
feature. by what token ofrccognon shall discern
in the wrnkled visages of the gray-haired men and
msons around the young gallant boys, the sturdy
fathsss, the charming girls and mothers who were
won't in the early settlement of the country gather
at meeting. and dance every festive OCCASION and
make the woods ring with their laughter and merry
making All my friends, the earth may not change
with the heavens. but you and / not that which
We have been, we are fast passing beyond. the
ken of our own kindred. The poor palmer returned
from the wars in Palestine wildly portrayed by a
masters hand-the def and cunning hand of Walter
Scott is true picture of our changed appearance:
Poor wretch. the mother that him bear,
lfshe had been in presence there
In his wan face and sunburnt hair
She had not known her child
Danger. long travel,
Can change the form that best know,
But deadly fear can time outgo
And blanch at once the hair"
So have the tolls and danger, the summers suns
and winters storms of three score years and ten,
"chled the warm current Of the SOUL dmmed the
once beaming eye and blanched the beauty of the
manly check Like the birds of autumn We are chat
tcring in the garnered fields and splitting among its
leaess OF life. Our work is done, our mission
ended, the loved we have cherished in infancy.
aud gazed upon with parental pride and affection in
ripper years, have plumed their wings and fed the
green sod of the valley lightly upon the bosom
of our Brightest flowers; the time of departure
athand. Slowly and surely we have climbed the hill
| Of life reached its summit. and rapidly
and surely passing down its slope that leads
to the valley and shadow of death. The streams Of
childhood. glowing end sparkling in the morning
light. whose cool waters were pleasing tiny
hands. no more allure truant feet or please our
fading vison-the bright flowers have lost their fra
granSc and their brilliant hues-the golden fields
where were wont to gather fame and fortune seem
verdureless and yoid-we look backward through
the long train of years and all is sad. desolate and
lone. Sweet memory alone repants the canvas of the
past. and restores the loving smile, the gentle
tear, the sparkling eye. the priceless image of the
loved and lost; and
| As the stately ship moves on
To the haven under the hill"
! With Tennyson we sigh
But. OH for touch Of vanished hand
| And the sound of voice that is still
We look forward and though the twilight of life is
falling around and above. although the shadows Of
the long dark night creeping and
our footsteps. yet the crimson clouds and glowing
west which proclaim the speed of winged day they
also promise glorious morrow and we know thai
though We pass from earth and friends and home ye
heavens immortal spring shall yet arrive.
And mans majestic beauty bloom again.
Bright through the eternal years of
| Loves triumphant reign"
j. L. Mills then made a motion that
vote of thanks be extended to Mr.
Seaton for his essay, and that he furn-
ish copy for the printers, which was
carried, Mr. Mills made a short ad.
| dress.
I. H. Bonham and james Blaine
spoke of early times.
ID. ID. UT moved the selection of a
committee to present names of officers
for the ensuing year, motion carried and
the president appointed committee
which reported the following officers:
John III. Roundtree, president; J. w
Seaton, 1st vice president; David Ball
antine, End vice president; VIM Nc
Gonigal, secretary; j. A. Coombs, cor.
responding secretary; L. M. Barber,
Treasurer. Executive committee John
+. Lewis, James Likens, Leonard Coates,
Mrs. John G. Clark, Mrs John b. Calls,
Mrs. Margaret Shrader, Mrs. Alexander
Ivey, Mrs. John B. Altizer. John Ryan
and VIM. d. Ryan were made members
of the association.
Thomas Davis, Jno. +. Lane and
VIM. r. Dickson spoke of early exper-
fences.
Edward Pollock, made the motion
that the names of the members who had
died the past year, and brief history
of each be collected. Carried
Voted that the executive committee
shall procure q speaker for next year
giving at least six months notice.
Meeting adjourned.
Bush Meeting.
The English class of the Evangelical
association, of Fennimore will hold
-.