The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-24
HEALTH
And Happi-
ness at %.
MRS. BARNARD'S DAY
Memory Covers Five of Her
Country's Wars.

Mrs Sarah Bigelow Barnard, Wor-
cesters oldest inhabitant, celebrated
yesterday the 9Sth anniversary of her
birthday. Hosts of old fmends called
to offer gifts and greetings, but the day
was passed quietly and nothing was
done to fatigue the hostess, who receiv-
ed callers sitting in her old arm chair.
Although Mrs Barnard suffers from no
distinct bodily ailment, she is very fee
Bile, and her relatives feared the eff
feet of a large number of visitors at
one time. 1t was therefore decided to
have merely informal visits, and no
entertainment on a large scale, such as
have frequently been given in past
years, was attempted.
Mrs. Barnard looked the picture of
health yesterday as she sat receiving
her guests She had friendly word
for each of her friends, and exchanged
greetings with all who came to see her.
Unlike most old people, she does not
live in the past alone, but takes the
keenest interest of affairs of the day.
She reads the papers daily, and mani
Worcester and the nation at large.
Since her last birthday, Mrs. Barn
ard has seen the beginning and end of
another war. She now has a distinct
remembrance of five wars in which
the United States has taken part As
girl she remembers having heard of
the glorious naval victories of the war
of 1872 and the name of Commodore
Perry was as much a byeword among
the people of the time as is that Of
Dewey today. Later came several In
dian wars, which threw the people Of
this region into terror, although they
were away off on the frontier. When
! the Mexican war came, MPs. Barnard
was in her prime. The events of those
times stand out very distinctly in her
mind. At the conclusion of the civil
war, she had almost reached what is
regarded as the limit of life, and little
| thought to live to see her country again
engaged in war.
When the war with Spain broke out
! she took q lively interest in the con-
tkst, reading the papers day by day,
and following the different campaigns.
| She often thinks of how times are
changed from what they were when
she was young. Then western New
| York was the frontier, and all beyond
was unsettled Now America itself is
too small for Americans, and they feel
| Obliged to cross the seas to add new
acres. to the nations territory. The
frontier Is now in Asia
The revolution seems a thing of yes
| terday to Mrs. Barnard. In her early
years the country was full Of revolt
| tionary veterans. Her father and
/ mother used to talk over the times
/ when the country was fighting for its
| independence. Washington had just
laid down the cares OF government
when she was born.
| Napoleon was still terror to the
world in Mrs. Barnard's young Gays.
| AS a girl, she remembers hearing the
people talk Of him as of the evil one,
astonished at his exploits and wait
| ing with fright to see what he would
| do next. The terror of the English
who greatly feared an invasion led by
the little Corporal" had spread to
this side of the Atlantic, ana rumor
| had it that he was to cvine TO Amerl-
ca and establish another empire when
he had finished with Europe. The old
lady remembers praying as a girl that
his ship would sink before he was al
| lowed to reach these shores
| Mrs. Barnard's whole long life has
been spent in Worcester. Born with
the century in a little house on Lin
coin street, not half a mile from her
present homo. she has seen Worcester
grow from a little Sl4ilS fAtot5
to a big city When she wae girl
she says she knew personally every in
habitant of the town. The last time
she was on Main street she failed to
see a familiar face
When she was married she went to
dive with her husband In the house
on Burncoat and Mllbrook streets,
where she still lives. Her husband
died in 1873 after half a century Of
married life.
Mrs. Barnard is now living with her
son. George A. Barnard. During the
past year her eldest son, Andrew Bar
nard, died at the advanced age of %
in Council Bluffs, Ia.
Mrs. Barnard is an active member OF
the First Unitarian Church and still
frequently attends service. The fam
lily physician called upon Mrs. Barnard
yesterday and congratulated her on
her good health. Both she and her
friends are confident that she will live
to see the conclusion of the century
with which she was born.
T,szel1's E,tnnira nerfImes are exquisite