The Portland daily press., 1898-02-07

-N- ~
Mrs. john Henry.
remarkable thing about this gathering
which has not been equalled many times
in the State of Maine and there are not
many instances Of the kind on record In
the country. There was chain of five
generations of Mrs. Henry's family pres
emit, Of whom the Oldest of course was
Mrs. Henry. and the youngest pretty
little girl OF five years.
Mrs. Henry headed the list. Then came
her daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Knowles,
then Mrs. Henry's grand daughter,
Mrs. William Daley, then Mrs. Henry's
great grandson, Mr.. Melvin Daley, and
Mr.. Daley's daughter. who is Mrs.
Henfy's great great grand daughter,
Miss Hazel Daley, aged five years.
Mrs. Henry has in all four great great
grand children, but only one Of them
were present at Saturday nights gath
ering as before mentioned. The other
three great great grand children are the
children Of Mr.. Fred Kerr, Of whom the
Oldest is about four years.
Mrs. Henry had only one of her children
with her Saturday night, Mrs. Elizabeth
Knowles, but she has two other children
living, Mr.. George Henry of Haverhill,
and Mr. William Henry of Plymouth,
Mass.
There were present the following
grand children Of Mrs Henry's: Mrs
George T. Marsters, Mrs. Norman A.
Black, Mr.. Lester ]. knowles, Mr.. Arohi-
bald A. Knowles, Mrs. Walter S. Rowe,
Miss Harriet Stevens, Messrs. Fred, Henry
and Bedford Stevens, Messrs. John, Earn
est, Robert and Willard Henry, Misses
Tilley and Nina Kerr, MIR. Fred Kerr
and Master Willie Kerr. Besides these
and their husbands, wives and friends
there were about % great grand children
in attendar Se and many of their friends
also. SO sAiat the gathering was very
large and jolly one.
\ Mrs Henry knew nothing about this
family gathering until the guests were
ushered into her presence in the parlo1
as a surprise. 1t is safe to say that there
have been very few instances in this
city where lady SO years old has been
given genuine surprise party. OF course
Mrs. Henry knew what the gathering
was for at once. She was not a bit sur.
prised. She welcomed every guest with
kiss or hand shake. and some whom
she did not know very we'll or had not
met before, she greeted with an old
fashioned courtesy such as our ancestors
were won't to teach their daughters in the
good old time. Nor would Mrs. Henry
think of such thing as remaining seat
ed while she received her guests. She
stood the greater part of the evening and
talked with all corners on all manner OF
subjects. She knows all Of her children,
even to the fifth generation, by name,
and ii any Of them were not present at
Saturday nights reunion they will be
surely reminded OF the fact the next time
they meet Mrs. Henry.
To amuse the many guests and to pass
away the evening there was music fur
nisked by Mrs. Archibald Knowles, Miss
Morrison and others, and Rotations by
MIR. Joseph Douglass. Refreshments were
served Of course and jollier or more
pleasant evening was never passed.
Mrs. Henry enjoyed every moment OF
it, too. She loves music and once upon
time was very good musician herself.
She remained the centre of the wonder
ing love of all, very jolly, very happy
old lady until ali of the guests had de-
parted and then she retired to rest not in
the least tired or without the least signs
of fatigue.
A most remarkable old lady is Mrs
John Henry. Though she is SO years
old, she is as well, as strong and as
active today as she was 90 years ago. She
reads by the aid of her spectacles OF
course, but cannot see to pcrnse the fine
print Of the daily papers which she very
much laments, for she is as much inter
ested in what is going on in the world as
are many people many years younger.
She walks about alone and unattended'
and it is no uncommon thing for her TO
board street car at Franklin or lamp
shire street to ride up on Danforth street
to visit some of her grand children. one
frequently walks from the home OF MIS-.
William Daley at 145 12 Newbury street,
where she makes her home greater part
of the tiupa 70 Mrc MarSter'S house on