Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-08-01
NORTHFlELD, MASS.
old Home Week at Mortified.

Despite the lowering skies OF Tuesday
a goodly company of former and present
residents of the town assembled in the
Congregational church to celebrate the
home coming of Old Home Week. A
long program had been arranged which
was badly smashed by unavoidable rea-
sons
The president of the day, DR.. N. p.
| Wood, called the company to order about
| II o'clock and, rising all sang Corona
| ton" followed by the singing of do they
miss me at homer" by Arthur Philips.
Prayer was offered by Rev. G.. f. Piper,
| the choir sang Home Again." after
which DR.. Wood in very eloquent adj
dress welcomed the guests of the town
and extended to them the hospitality of
| its citizens
The Mortified band played several
| old familiar airs when DR.. Wood in
/ troduced an adopted son Of Mortified as
/ the orator of the day, Rev. Geo. F. Pente-
/ cost who delivered a strong stirring adj
/ dress upon Home" He first discussed
/ the question what is Home?" The
! dominant instincts of our national life
are religion, patriotism and love of
! home In every crisis of human history
! these three elements have been domi-
! nant Religion is the foundation Of
home and home is the unit of all social
/ life and social life makes our national
! life. Take care of the home and the
country, and the nation will take care
/ of itself Destroy the home and we des-
troy the nation. Another element in
/ home Is possession and It should be the
/ ambition of every man to own his home
! In his own home man can bid defiance
to the world for there he is king We
need not fear anarchists If we can es-
tahlish homes.
Mrs. Arthur Philips read a selection
sent by an invalid daughter of North
field who lives In Orange. Mrs. A. A.
Preston and one speaker were DELAYED
from reaching Mortified until afternoon
and SO Mrs. DR. f. A. Brown, who lived
/ here many years ago. was introduced
and read an original poem which delight
ed the audience. After more music the
company adjourned to the dining hal
OF the church where the ladies of the
town served an excellent dinner
! Meanwhile the train having arrived
the program was resumed and Mrs. A
A Preston, the poetess of the day, was
introduced and delivered a very fine
poem telling in pleasant rhyme some OF
the history of the town Hon. II. c.
Parsons was next introduced and in a
very happy frame of mind told many
"reminiscences of the times when he was
a child.
a register in the back of the church
was well filed by names of those present
The company next visited the library
where loan exhibit was arranged IL
the art gallery a large number o.
portraits of former residents of the towr
covered the walls while on tables wer,
arranged many relics. The day wal
finished by a public reading being giver
by Mrs. George Smith. her husband be
ing son of Homer Smith. who live!
just over the line and is like a son o
the town. Mrs. Smith is a very fin,
elocutionist and in a varied program o
fun and fine literature she charmed he
audience and it was greatly regrette,
that the rain and mud OF necessity KEEP
so many from enjoying the entertain
ment.
The broken engine on the Central Yer
mont railroad which delayed the 10l
= train until after p. m. kept a larg
number from the exercises. but 1t wa
very gratifying to the people of tn
town that so many awaited themselVe
of this opportunity to revisit their oil
home. over 600 were fed Among tn
, visitors to town were Mrs. A. Presto
, of Wilmington, Conn; Mrs. DIR. r. A
, Brown. Chelsea: Mr.. and Mrs F. NJ
, Dickinson, Fitchburg; II. b. Sherwir
: New York city; Marshall Mead. Attic
boro; Mr.. and Mrs. Augustus Holtor
Westheld; Mr.. and Mrs. Frank FielC
: Clinton; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Holtor
, Springfield; Mrs. Frank Alexander. Wor
/ cester; Mrs. James Priest. West Brat
tleboro; Mr.. and Mrs Alex. Brown
Vernon.