St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-11-18
FAST ST. JOHNsBURY
Successful Observance of Old Folk,
Day-OtheP Occurrences.


On Saturday, Nov. IA, was held in
his village the first Old Folks Day
observance. The arrangements for
the day were made by the Rev. A.
'. Fisher, assisted by the Christian
Gndeavor Society. The plan of the
ehu:ch was to set apart this day
out of the year to honor old age
and all those approaching its bo1d-
7rs. Sixty years was fixed as the
boundary line, and all who could
meet this test, whether church mem
bers, or connected with the parish
either in the present or past, were
invited to gather in the Third Con-
gregational Church to renew old
rienships and revive past memories.
large number of those invited re-
sponded to the invitation. At IL
O'Clock the guests assembled in the
auditorium for an informal recep-
ion. After social hour they re-
paired to the vestry where dinner
Vas served. He.e the decorations
we're of evergreen and Christmas
.ern, the former encircling the pill
ars which support the ceiling and
he latter in vases and laid in grace
III design along the border of the
,ables. On being seated, all joined
n singing the Doxology, at the close
Of which grace was said by the Rev.
F. B. Richards. J ach guest found
1T his place card on which was
printed:
''Old Folks Day.
East st. Johnsbu:ys Vermont,
Nov. ID, 1914
Eye hath not seen tongue hath not
told,
And ear hath moth heard it sung,
How buoyant and bold, though it
seems 10 grow Did,
Is the heart, forever young"
The dinner was an excellent sam
pie of the New England farm-wives
cooking. Old Age departed preci-
pitantly from the room as youth re-
turned, and jokes flew from lip to
lip. When the four-inch allowance
Of space between man and table had
been perceptibly diminished, or. as
Homer says, when they had put
f ON them the desire of meat and
drink a story was demanded from
each professional man present. Then
he Rev. A. V. Fisher, Rev. E. P
Lee, Rev. F. B. Richards, and DIR.
H. ]. Lee, in turn, We'd with each
other in laugh-producing stories.
After the stories, the guests rose
% repeat in concert the first stanza
Of Browning's Rabbi Ben Ez. J."
Ind then they returned to the audi
.orium for the service, to. which both
Did and young were invited. After
she opening hymn by a choir of
young people, the pastor read the
scripture and offered prayer appro-
pirate to the occasion. Then came
he address by the Rev. F. B. Rich
ads. After concentrating the
hurch upon its delight to honor old
age as we'll as youth, by a day of
-'ecognition, and upon its selection
Of a leader interested in all legiti-
nate branches of church service,
Mr.. Richards said in part, that there
now no such thing as old ago;
hat it is only a la ger youth, richer
n experiences and in the gifts of
he spirit; that the perils and strug-
giles of youth have in age passed
away, giving place to self-confidence
md a sense of safe conquest; that
he chez full, hopeful heart of the
child, held fast through a lifetime
S a sure antidote for the clutches
Of whitening age; and that the
;hurch with its God-gfven ideals, is
always the earthly source of this
fountain of youth. At the close of
his buoyant, inspiring address, Mrs.
Richards sang with much feeling,
TWO old Scotch love songs. Then
were read letters from Miss Char
otte Morrill,, and Prof and MS
M. L. McCurdy, who responded to
the invitation, though too far dis
tant to be present. Several of those
in attendance, when called upon,
answered with a word o. greeting
or appreciation of the day. The re-
miniscent talk of Mr.. Edwin Potter
was much enjoyed. The Sc vice
closed with the singing of Dennis:
sBIest be the tie that binds our
hearts in Christian love-" and the
day was ended. So happy was the