The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-10-04

In striking contrast to the scenes of
former Gays was the brilliant gathering
last evening where we now sit. The
fash of gem, the play of color, the
grace of fashions, everything was diff
ferent from that ancient happy gather
ing a century ago, when at a country
ball Mrs. Farley Davis wore the first
silk gown ever seen in these parts. but
let me venture to say, if by inference
only and perhaps on the parole of some
whose memories reach far back into the
past, that, beautiful and good as the
scene of last night was and those who
composed it, it did not exceed in quail
ity and grace the harvest ball in the old
Davis barn. The contrast, great as it
is, is not SO great that we may not truly
say that the best lessons OF the past
have been learned and kept secure and
have no doubt that the girls Of yes
terday had many loving and affec-
tionate thought for those former girls
who helped to make the home good,
sweet and comfortable as well as the
dance merry and light.
There were at that time no class dis
tinctions, no hot water heating systems
and only potash fires. Idleness was a
vice and work virtue, while the boy
was taught to emulate his fathers
swing Of the scythe in the field. Moth
ers taught their girls to spin and knit.
cut and string apples, put up preserves,
make butter and cook NeighbOrs helped
each other to log, to raise barns, to
draw crops and to harvest. For merri-
ment there were the huskings, the red
aor Ia - .frl
lied in the college song dedicated to
Nellie, the country dance with its match
making sequel, and the happy snow
wrehths of sugar making. Marriage
came early and was simple and safe,
an affair Of the home and not wholly
that of society. The farmer took pride
in his Merinos and his Morgan horse,
while wood and stream were true enough
to his calls for sport to require no
mortgage OF Canadian waters. Politics
were warm but local and well distribute
ed. The representative held reception
at his home and then did duty at the
capital, entirely ready. he had to be to
yield to the next best man when ses-
sion time rolled round once more There
was love for the old man and the grand
dame, who closed their eyes at the fire
side in the farm kitchen and sitting
room. Filial piety was a virtue and so
remains, our people never having yielded
to any other doctrine Of domesticity
or social life than that sincerity and
kindness of heart are more than eoro-
nets. The school has dominated the
Vermont idea Of public life. No sub
leet has more often consumed the time
of its assemblies. Its forefathers from
the start created q system OF common.
county and state schools, designing to
give every child a chance, If it would.
to run the full gamut from the abece-
darian to the humanitarian. 1t was so
ambitious for learning that in its union
with the sixteen New Hampshire towns
It brought and Kept Dartmouth college
IN the state in 1855 Why, even at
Montpelier, eleven years before the act
establishing the capital and only seven
years after settlement, a choice library
Of two hundred volumes had been made.
Activity in publication il marked BY
such a distinguished catalogue as the
Gilman photography, while Forbes but
recently pointed out once more the prog
ress Of the press in this state, a press
which has stood from the day Of the
Green Mountain Post Boy true to the
welfare Of the people, loyal to the fed
eral government, staunch to freedom for
all men and the honest administration
Of affairs. No single thing marks its
work more fully than this, that the
safe guarding Of free labor BY constitu-
ton, camp and court has always had the
stronge defense Of the state press. Poll
ties have stood for the man as against
the dollars, as Allen 50 strongly put the
thought, when he spoke Of the Goods
of the Hills" and in this connection let
me say the proudest thing Of all, that,