The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-04-04
Mrs. Daniel z. Thomson.

Mrs. Daniel p. Thompson.
Editor of Vermont JVatchman:-Nlrs. Dam
iel p. Thompson died at this place March
%, 1894, at the age of eighty, to day being
her birthday. SO large portion of her life
was identified with Montpelier that her
former neighbors and friends will like to
have made that mention of her which many
ties of affection, many associations in the
past, many kindly remembrances will fully
warrant. She was woman for whom the
word neighbor never lost its old and
Christian significance. For friendlinesS
she was always prepared, for enmity never.
My mother was born in Troy, VI, March
26, 1874; her husband October lst, 1875 Her
family name was Robinson and her first
name Eunice. She was married August
31st, 1881, by Rev. Mr.. Chandler at Hard
wick, Vt. 1 have been told she was very
beautiful girl, and, if portrait painted by
Mr.. Hunter soon after her marriage is any
evidence, such was the fact. l was not
present at their courtship, and in fact never
heard much about it, but their early mar
ried life was identified with the house on
the hill, with its Ionic columns, and sur
rounded by trees which my father built for
home and in which our family was reared.
My mother had that comfort which, think,
young wife always desires, of building a
nest. She had the opportunity of planning
a house, of beautfying it, of adding treas
ures to its furnishing from time to time, of
planting her favOrite shrubbery, and even of
setting out tree for each of her children,
or giving them more than one, if she
thought they particularly deserved it.
Thus during many years, as my father grew
into the fulness of his life work and in-
creased in influence and achieved fame her
lot was contented and happy. Death came
into the family circle but twice, ,-OnCe to
take away the youngest son scarcely a year
old, and once to call daughter OF sixteen,
whose loss was hard enough for both par
ents to bear.
AS time went on, however, during the fall
ing years of my fathers life less fortunate
circumstances arose My father discovered
that the law is a jealous mistress and that
literature has few pecuniary rewards. Do
nestle cares increased, money was not
plenty, sickness appeared and the dark side
of life cast its shadows. But Mrs. ThOmp-
son bore her burdens bravely, kind friends
were not wanting, and she passed through
the trials of my fathers last days with
health substantially unimpaired. Then the
clouds broke away and the sun shone forth
again. A new home was made for her
which opened a new era for her life, al
though it was difficult to break the associa-
tions of her Montpelier residence. Many
dear friends were to be left and the parting
was sad Mrs. j. w. Ellis and herself were
like sisters and no sisters could have been
more warmly attached. Others, friends of
the neighborhood and of thu church, united
to her by bonds of companionship and
mutual assistance, were scarcely less dear.
But my mother went cheerfully TO her
daughters home at Madison, where she
lived twenty-siX years under circumstances
much more comfortable than she had ever
before enjoyed. Her life was only buriened
by the illness and death of her daughter,
who died in 1888. After this my mother
continued to live as the mistress OF her
daughters home, preserving 1t for her
daughters husband and her own grandson,
growing up to manhood. She had every
thing to make life agreeable, wanting for
nothing in the way of material comfort, and
possessing social circle which was ample
and delightful. During the last two years
she has been materially failing, not from
any specific disease but from gradually in
creasing nfrmities of old age. Her sight
was impaired, and her activity abated in
many directions. During all this time she
received the best of care, owing to the I'M
diminished kindness of her son-in-law, Hon.
| George B. Burrows, and the constant and
loving attention of her grandson, George
! Thompson Burrows, whom she brought up
and loved as much as she could have loved
a son of her own. She was fortunate also in
having as companion Mrs. Mary G, Foster,
lady who with her daughter made her
home with my mother seven years before
her death, and who supplied that attention
which woman alone can give.
My mother passed away peacefully, in
| the knowledge that she had filed out the
| full measure of her days. AT her request,
| sue Is buried DtSlue 0eT udugnLtT III Iut
cemetery at Madison, where also lies her
second son, William. OF her traits and vir-
tues, so well known to all her friends, it
scarcely becomes me to speak. | should
| characterize her as a society woman, in the
New England sense, of an epoch that is
rapidly passing away. She believed in
neighborly kindness, in the companionship
of the sewing circle, the church, the benevo-
! lent society. She was always cheerful,
! lively, conversational. She never learned,
perhaps that silence and seclusion after all
may be the best comforters, but sympathiz-
ing with others she craved sympathy for
herself and could not imagine why what
was hers should not be common knowledge.
Her ideas were that woman should be both
domestic and social, and, according 10 her
| lights, she did not fail to do her duty nor to
contribute to make life happier for all
within the sphere of her influence. She
was a believer in the gospel of work. Idle
ness was to her a sin. Her hands always
found something useful to do. The last
day she sat up she took her knitting work
in hand and during the last months of her
life she made rugs for friends in town.
Thrifty and careful as a housewife, a true
helpmeet TO her husband, her thought and
her work were also cheerfully given 10 any
one in the community who needed her kind
ness or her encouraging or comforting
words, without thought of return or recon-
pense. DANIEL GREENLEAF THOMPSON.
Madison, Wis March 26, 1894.