The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-09-29
Scholars Together Seventy-Eight
Years Ago.

|
Years Ago.
There was a most interesting gather
ing at the home of Mr.. and Mrs A E.
Hunkins on the upper plain Saturday
afternoon. 1t is safe to say that there
was never a similar gathering in Brad
ford. Seldom, if ever, do six or seven
people meet, as they did that after
noon, to talk over the days when they
were scholars together seventy-eight
years ago. What stretch of time!
During these years what wonderful
changes have these people witnessed
and what progress have they seen the
world make along all lines. If they
close their eyes to compare the past
with the present, as they have seen it,
how like dream it must seminar
velous and yet true. But it was not of
this that these people talked; it was of
Tom and Sally and Jane-the boys and
girls of those bygOne days. Where were
they? Who were left and who had
gone? Only few were left-hardly
more than the few holding a happy re-
union that afternoon.
This gathering was given in honor of
Mrs. Sarah Wheeler who, with her
daughter, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, was
spending few days at Hotel Low.
Mrs. Wheeler was born in Bradford in
the month of November 1914, in
house on the Goshen road The house
ms noJ'uoW Standiug. She Was 5he
daughter of William and Sarah j Pratt
Here Sarah Pratt lived until married in
1886 to Marcus H. Wheeler of TheU-
ford. The first few years of married
life were spent in Thetford and then a
few years in Bradford in the little house
opposite the residence of Col. John G.
Stearns. In 1S49 they went to WiscOn-
sin and then, at their home in Windsor, =
in the ninetieth year of his life, Mr..
Wilcox died last January. Then the
mother went to live with her daughter
whose summer home is at Short Beach,
Conn.,, and winter home in New York.
Mrs Wheeler's visit here last week
was the first one since she left in 1919.
She came only expecting to find the
children and grand. children of the
ones she used to know. Great was her
pleasure and surprise to find such a
bevy of old class mates and school
mates. When seven years old she was
first sent TO attend the school in the
old No. District. The school house
stood near where Ed. Blood now lives.
AT the gathering Saturday afternoon
Moses Rowe, Mary Ann Rowe now
Mrs. Clark, Mary Jane Chadwick now
Mrs. Severance, and Edwin r. Aldrich.
There are two or three more people in
town who were in the Goshen school
with Mrs. Wheeler.
1t was a happy gathering. These
people, old In years but still young in
spirit, spent the afternoon recalling in
cIdents that took place years ago.
They talked of old time dancing parties
and how they waltzed to the music
produced by placing tissue paper over
comb, played by Mrs. Tewksbury.
They paid little heed to the present.
1t was of the past they cared to talk
of those happy school days in the old
Goshen school house. The beauties of
Bradford in those days were Sarah Pratt
and Mary Ann Rowe, and observing
people, when they now look at these
two finely preserved old ladies, are
prompt in saying that there can be
no doubt about the above statement.
In many ways this group of old peo-
pie was a remarkable one. Their fac
ulties are still alert and keen. Mrs.
Wheeler said that they could all say
the alphabet or the Lord prayer back
wards. She proved her statement by
rapidly saying the alphabet backwards.
Of the six in the group all, with one
are over eighty. Everyone
has good eyesight and one of the ladies
was doing some fine fancy work which
Mrs. Wilcox carried away with her as
a souvenir of the occasion. Another
one is piecing bed quilt. All have
good hearing, and are able bodied, have
good homes. are happy and cOntented.
Not one of them can say that their life
has been failure. Their seed has been
sown in good soil and they are now reap
ing the reward, spending ripe old age in
comfort and surrounded by loved ones.
Mrs. Wheeler easily recognized her
old school-mates but Bradford seemed
almost like a new place to her. The
only familiar building was the old pa
per mill. That the town should seem
so strange is not to be wondered at af-
ter one listens to an old resident tell
of the changes that have taken place
and the improvements made i'm the
years gone by. But" she said, 'it is
a beautiful place"
Mrs. Wilcox was so pleased with
Bradford and its surroundings that she
hopes to be able to come here next
summer for longer stay. Bradford
people hope she may and are ready to
extend the famous authoress and her
venerable mother a most sincere and
cordial welcome.