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[For the Journal.
FirIIMAL moraErrs
Up to the Yi nap church the busy throng
Had trent their too:ceps, and upon each face
There-seemed to rest, a shade of saddened
••• •grief,
That he whim all liad known from earliest
youth
Had like a suri•jilt-eloud of •veuiug passed
away.
Full well we knew the anguish of that hour
To mourning friends around whose hearth,
now lone
Had walked, yea thrice the Angel that deetroys
Methought (as of before) of Ides strange mys-
IMM
And ehange.3 multiplied, Thorn•paven is the
CM
Through which we go, though thickly strewn
and rugged
Room is there total, for flowers perennial, to
bud and bloom
Oft•time so tiny are they, found they wou'A
not be
But for their fragrance, and their beauty rare.
Aloe ! how we along this lubarythine road
Do crush the atuallest flowrets in our haste .
To grasp the gay and great, which all too late
we rtnd
whale uo perfume. IQ this path are withered
flowers
And flowers that bend beneath the storms of
life,
Irby dothey come with each relentless power?
We ask with doubting heart, as if we fain
would scan
What mortal may tot. An angel answers thus
•" Mourner I come to thee, with laden pinion,
Faith and hope I bring and words of cheer I
speak,
" Gods ways are not as tkine," His omniscient
Can penetrate, the titakness of the future,
lie, in kindnesa took thine own,"aid they were
not,"
Thine own loved dead, are singing now the
songs
Of glad escape, from lifes impending storms."
'Tis well that scenes like this, with sympathetic
cord
Doth draw us so together, one from his farm
Another from his merchandise,. and constant
round
Of daily duty, wkieh so oft with MILMITIOI39
VOICe
both bid us each 'inure, by anxious toil,
Ofeurthly treasures yet a goodly share.
'716 well that while 'lir ever thus, and Martha
like
We careful are and troubled,and like her forget
The one thing needful" the immortal gem
To cultivate, and seek to deck, with costly
pearls
Thioutwerd casket, 'Tis well these admoni-
tiaras come
With irolema voice, "Oh man lay thisto heart."
The funeral rites were o'er
Friends one by one he slowly passed them by
The narrow house, so soon, for all a habitation,
On the fair face within each cast a tearful look,
Ofkindly loreend parting, never more to meet
Till the
. arc-angels trump shall wake, the
myriad dead •
To life immortal. •
. When all had done
The stricken, mother bent her o'er, the tens
, merit that keld
.The dust of her deer boy, her first-born and
her pride.•
Upon his manly brow so cold in death, she
left
A mother. kiss, the same as when a tiny babe
She pressed him to her breast, Then went up
Haler, !-
For strsfight to bear this trial and.for grace,
To driuk,,ef "Idiralfs bitter water" this full
cpp. •
Tenderly, thegrief-worn father kissed his no
ble boy,
His hope for coming years, Flitting shadows •
CllllO •
Through times dint vista, when in manhood's
. prima : , . . .
To him a son sins born. Ave, dothlit seem
Mora dima an april day °followers and booms?
'Ti■,mest dilution sttould'at mourn, and yet
. rejoice' , .'. . - •
Thai ho earns "Home" to die, where kindred
Could eoothe his !fevered frantee and ' , cheer
His passage through the valley.: •
Lest duets in peace young. friiind:' Out early
rauttories
. .
.. I •• : .• _
.. .. . , .
tt! ! • 1 I ; • • .
. ; I . .... Yr
,1 . , • I .. ... 1. -. : ; I
• 1
.....,..:,.,. . .„ .. ~
._
. _
J.
i.
.
J
r •
- A,, . .„..
. .
Of other friends, the living and the dead • .
Aro inter-twined with thee, when spring shall
eome
(The resurection type) upon thy grave so new
We'll plant a flower, no emblem of dark grief
The cypress or acaccia, but whose language
,speaks
Of hope and joy, joy that thy wearied soul
Leaned with such humble trust upon a fiavi-
our's arm
And now dolt scale th• "battlements of
Heaven."
Coudersport, March 24, 1856
[From the Chamber's Magazine.]
THE CURATE'S WED
- DING-FEAST.
.1 ,
-0--
The 'bells. of St. Mary's Church
rung merrily out,:and their music
echoed pleasantly through the clear
atmosphere of a bright frosty day in
December. -It was a marriage-peal
they rang; yet to those who sat round
an elegantly arranged table, they
brought thoughts of a mingled tex
tUre, for they were the signal to a
a family that :he whose presence had
made - a perpetual sunshine in the oth
erwise sombre house-hold, was no
longer all their own,. and that her
brightest: beams would henceforward
be shed over another home. They
Were the signal, likewise, to a parish
that he, the valued friend, who, though
living amongst them but for two short
years, had made himself beloved by
all, was leaving them and going to be
the overseer of another flock. Yet
although there was secret sadneis iu
the hearts of some—as there ever
must be under such: circumstances—
yet was there also much joy mingled',
with it; for the good old Mr. Grey
exceedingly rejoiced that his darling
Ellinor had found such a guardian
and friend as the excellent young. cu
rate, Mr. Shenstnne Greville ; and her
loving sister Frances rejoiced, amidst
her own sorrow, that such blessing
had alighted On. her beloved compan—
ion and sister; and as to public opinion
why, it was agreed by all, with the
exception of a few " disaffected spins
ters"—who would fain have made the
handsome young . curate . their own
prey,, and therefore pronounced the
match wholly - unpatronizable—that
there could not have been a betker-siiit
ed pair.
But of all the good folks of Fenton
Churchwick, there were none so mer
ry on the, occasion, and none so loud
in their praises of the sweet bride and
her fine young bridegroom, as one
singular and amusing group, of whose
doings it is the special object of this
paper to report. In a quiet street of
that good old country town, there
stand close side' by side, and hard by
the spot which in . years past formed
the eastern boundary of the town, two
old alms-houses. One of these, built
in the year 1835, by a good ancient
citizen of the town, for the accom
modation of ten old women and six
old men, was considered the most aris
tocratic. It consisted of a chapel,,a
schOol-room, and seventeen separate
dwellings. Sikteen of these were
appropriated to the old peeple,-_each
of whom received a weekly gratuity
in money, as well as the use for life of
one of these comfortable dwellings,.
and of .a plot of. garden-ground. The
seventeenth was provided for the home
of a man of better class,•who was call
ed the Reader," and for whom a
salary was appointed by the founder,
that he might read, in the chapel at
tached to the charity, the church ser
vice " daily throUghout the. year," for
the spiritual comfort of the aged peo
ple ideated in the house. The same
reader was also enjoined constantly
"to instruct ten poor Children iu.rea-
ding and writing."
The other alms-house was of less
dignified charaaer, as it was unen
dowed, anclits inhabitants bacinooth- •
er benefit than 'that of the use during
life of a single room, and a spot ,of
gardengrouncl annexed to it. Now,
is so happened that these houSes stood
almost oPP° sire to * Mr. Grey's,.;and
7 .
that the, old men
. and .women who
dwelrtifeieiti:had for many years been
the special pets of Nelly Grey, and
DEVOTED TO THE PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY, AND THE DISSEMINATION OF MORALITY, LITERATURE, AND NEWS.
COUDERSPORT, POTTER COUNTY, PA., APRIL 3, -ISM.'
her sister'rances.. • They had also
been.objecis of great and sincere in
terest to Mr. Gr'eville, whether solely
on account of the claims which old age
and poverty offered, or whether" the
fact of their being favored by the
MisseS - Grey had any weight in • pro
curing for them his kind offices, "de
ponent sayeth not;" certain it is, 'that
he was a regular viSiter at both alms
houses, and that there were few peo
ple in Fenton dburchwick to. whom
the good curate was more important,
or who grieved more over his depar
ture, than these did, their inhabi
tants. •
" When thou" inakest a feast, call
the poor, the maimed, the halt, and
the blind," saith the word of Holy
Writ; and thus was Mr. Shenstoce
Greville disposed to act. •
"I'll tell you what we'll do,Prancie"
said he, a few days before his Wed
ding : " we'll give the old ladiei and
gentlemen opposite some fun. What
do you say to giVing them all a grand
tea-drinking oil our wedding day ?
Do you think you could Manage it, if
I give you money fur the expense
Let's give them a grand turn -out,
Nelly," added he, "and make them all
merry together !"
The suggestion was voted altogeth
er-suitable; and although poor Fran.;
ces had her hands pretty full of busi
ness in preparing matters for her
sisters's marriage, and her- heart suf
ficiently-full uf care in the thought of
the loss she was about to sustain in
parting at once with her beloved com
panion and her revered sub-pastor,
preparations were instantly set on foot
for providing the material fur a sub
stantial tea-feast for the beadsmen and
women; and when the bells rung out
the merry peal of which We have
spoken; they echoed notes of joy and
pleasuie to many an old heart, as in - -
dicating that the hour for perhaps the
last festivity in which they would have
a part, approached.
It had been settled by competent
authorities,: that the meeting was to
take place, not in the aristocratic quar
ters offered- by the erdowed alms
house called "Cultis's Charity," Of
which honorable - mention has been
made, but in the older and less digni
fied one, by name " Gills's-house;"
and the reasons for this were, first,
that at "Gills's-house" was a larger
room than any to be found at Curtis's;
and, second, that- several of the old
ladies at Gill's were sick or lame, and
could not venture past their own
_threshold, whilst it so happened that
all those of.Certis's were hale and ca
pable. InVrtations were therefore an
nounced to all the good people of
both institutions, to meet in Mary
Higgins's room.at four O'clock on the
wedding-day, where tea was to be rea
dy at half-past; after which meal, the
ancient dames afd sires were to amuse•
themselVeS as they listed until seven,
when a bowl of negus and a supply of
sweet-cake were to wind up the fes-
tivities of the evening
Preparations on no niggard scale
were forthwith Set on -foot. One .of
the first steps taken, was to send in a
good supply of coal and wood to Daine .
Higgins's abode; and the second, to
hire a stout piling damsel to take all
the burden of smartening,up the room
wherein the festiviees Were to take
place, and to perform all the house
hold offices that were required on the
occasion. Then was a time of bustle
and excitement, if ever there was one!
How the little old women did . bustle
in and out, after Jenny Slope -(the
servautpro temp ore) had scrubbed the
floor, and every chair and table,. and
other . articles of furniture in the room,
till they were, if possible, even cleaner
than usual, .. How the old ladies, all
who could walk, did bustle -in to be'
sure! one bringing her best white mils . ...
lin. curtain to hang np at the window;
another clattering in with her hoarded
set of showy a
.. china, that she had
. bought.when she was .. in service fOrtY
years ago, before.'" her Johfi," now
in ; had ciaimed - her as ' his
wife; whilst another, from the aristo-
crate Curtis's toddled* in with the
handsometea-tray and tea-china Which
the gquire and his lady had given
. .
her when she was married tO "Frank
the gamekeeper;" and the'rsix tea
spoons the dear little children had
given"nursie" on the same grand oc
casion—dherished treasurers, calling
up a thouslnd tender and sweet re
memberances, . and destined by and
by to form the theme of the good old
dame's discourse to her assembled cro,.
nies. But two begs of- china, however
well preserved, would be nothing . fin
such a party; for at least twenty-five
old people were expected. to Appear,
and tea was to be sent to all those
who Were unable to attend in person;
so that besides . Name Goodall's grand
equipage, and Mary Gale's less mag
_nificent, but equally prized set, each
old lady produced - her own store.-of
cups and saucers, tea-puts and spoons,
and a Motnly assemblage, in truth, was
there. All day was the bustle going
on. Frances, had directed a carpenter
to tale in some planks and tressels,
and erected a suitable table, and sent
some - white linen to cover it; and this
was done early in the day; so as to
give plenty of time to the ancients to
delight themselVes in laying out the'
preparations for the feast.. And a
pretty scene it was; for thoSe amongst
the party wild hadfrionds in the count
ry, had been supplied by .them with
rare blanches of, bright leaves and ber
ries, with blanches of the late fuchsia
and China-roses, which linger in our
Western country -long after they have
perished in, other parts; and Mary
Higgin's room was beautiful to behold
With its clean boarded-floor, its bright
fire, and pure white muslin curtain,
and every shelf where a beanpot would:
rest, glowing with these brightest of
all adornments ; and the white covered
table; gay with its party colored china
ware, interspersed with cups and
and glasses of flowers.
And - how the time meeting is
arrived; and as' soon as all are assem
bled, the hampers, which haVe been
brought over from Mr. Grey's, are to
be opened in full conclave, and the
provisions for the. feast displayed ; this'
having been the plan_ arranged by their
" dear•curate and Miss Nelly,". now
far away on their road to their distant
home. • •
There were some interesting speci
mens of old age amongst these alms
housefolks. Amongst those who as
sembled that evening, there was not
one under seventy, if wo except the
young woman who acted as assistant,
and a little fair girl, the grandchild of •
one of the old women, who was per
'mitted to live with her because she
was blind and, lame, and needed the
little one's- help. Then there were
several of the party who exceeded
fourscore, at least four were between
ninety and-a hundred years old. But
we must give our readers a sketch of
some of these worthies as they appear
ed on - this 'memorable occasion. The
Zoom in which they assembled had one
of those open fireplaces which are cus
tomarily found in old dwellingi, audit
was surmonnted . by a good old mantel
piece of solid hoint-w.ood-the ancient
name fur holly—on -which were carv
ed the crest and arms of the founder.
On-one side of this fireplaCe, and di
rectly
facing the door, stood Dame
-1 - liggins's usual seat=-a, high-backed
Carved oak-chair—and in it was tiedt:
ed Mrs. Mary Higgins, relict of Mr-
Charles 'Higgins, whilom hind, or as
some would term'it, to Sir Giles
Ponifref, of Ponifret Gifford. Mrs.
Higgini had been in her early days
tire-woman to my Lady Pomfret, Sir
mother;Gile's and in virtue of her
office, had been the recipi t ent of sun-;
dry curiously-wrought aprons, ruffles,
such as were worn in days ofyore; -
.
also; Of some 'Vern . , • lint originally
splendidlace. 'These belongings, care t
idly hoarded 'through her
.days of
youth; the goOd r Old lady had, in'the
winter'of her life"; carefully reproduc
,ed'and mariufaCtUred after thtifashion i s
. ~.
; which slielfail been execute
for " my, lady," into headgear, &c.,
for herself, which she wore on . high
days and holiday s only. On the pres
eritoceasion, therefore, she sat arrayed
in a flowered chintz open gown over
a quilted crimson silk petticoat, .the
color of Which was subdued: by. the
pale, embroidered, clean muslittp.prOn
which hang befere it. . The sleaves of
the gown reached just. below he el
bow, - and was finished by ruffles of
fine lade; whilst •over her shoulders
and chest was pinned a Iviiite muslin
neckerchinf. . "1-11 F ,F,-gnow-.tvbite hair
was 'gathered up ia• the fashion of
ancient days; and strained back from
the face over a cushion, so as leave
her fine high forehead exposed ; and a
cap of rich old lace formed a suitable
apex to this quaint dress. •But Mrs.
Higgins's manner was . as remarkable
as her attire ; she was tall, and must,
some seventy years before, have been
very beautiful ; but as she was now
near ninety-six years old, decay bad
of course destroyed almost, all traces,
of beauty save that her fine cleat• blue
eyes and noble brow told of what had
been.. But altnough in personal charms
she was nut what she Was of old, in
manner she was. Although burn in a
cottage, a servant in youth, a farmer's
wilco in maturity, and an alms-house
woman in her . age, she Was, and niust
in each Stage of life have been a lady.
There was a native grace and dignity
of manner, and a kopliety of accent
and sp . eeith, that set her at the head of
her little society ; and the air with
W•nich she received her gaListi on this
evening, vas au amusing mixture ol•
the stately and dignified receplion
Which 'lie had seeti observed at Pom
fret Court, and the frank and cheer
ful hospitality which had pervaded
her own hoUsehohl at the Fara.).
And how half-past three has struck,
nay, the chimes will soon sound three
quarters, and Jenny, the stout• young
woman helper, has vanished to " put
on - her gown," -and ,M.ary s.ts
. •
as we have described by her hearb,
when " tap-tap" with a set orkuucklos,
is heard .at the dour; " Cume in,"
says the hoStess, and. the dour opens
to admit visitors No. J. and 2. F. is
old Polly,. and .sweet Lillian
Charity, her gentle grand-child.' Polly
is a strange contrast to her ladylike
receiver.. She wears a plain brown,
stuff-gown, 'white apron and kerchief;
Holland mob-cap, with a straight un
frilled. border, and a black ribbon pin
ned round her head. Polly is always
neat, but never alterS her dress tor
any one. Sweet Charity, a tall lair
child of six years old; with rich brown
waving hair, cut almost close to her
head like a buy's, leadS " granny" by .
the'hand ; but the moment they ap
pear, up s`-arts the- fineold nonagena- ,
lieu with the alacrity of a girl, lays'
hold of pour Polly by the hand, and',
holdiug her under the, elbow of each
arm, aids her feeble
,stePs, and soon
has-hor seated iu the warmest corner,.
with little fairy on a stool (which the
young thing had heed pruvideut enough
to bring lOr tier own use) at liar feet.
But before Polly is seated, two-more
•guests are in the lootnone, a tine old
gt aybcatd from the ;idler "Muse, a hale .
ruddy:cheeked old 'gentleman a's
,you
would wish to see ; the other, afat
dumpy old woman, aimrtect heap of
finery, flowers iu her •cap, flower's on
her gown, a necklace on her throat,
Mid a glittering paste-brooch stuck on
the front. of her ,k,ead,-dressy :
"Well,,neiguburs," said she; 'f how's:
yotici brought a conyhdc cheer'
for Hr. Top. I knUws he aunt hissed .
it he don't sit easy;'and - Suiting the ac-,
tiun to the avoid, s h e. set down her
own cushiOned•arm-chair behind the.
new-comer, and witli
• meriy laugh,
noisy enough, but genial' and geud 7
hunu - red, she seized the ; old man, and
before he ,was aware, - had , squabb'ed
him 'down on the .cusnion; and taken
up . her own quarters on a stoul at -the
side the ilium. There is nu fear: of
those:who are not -overdone with etc
gagements.hoiug late for such appoint=
meaty as this. ',/..swg-befora Ilia clock
had struck.the *Mir: of , 'ineetin'iri .
the. guests were assembled. TUere
was the old shoemaker,Johu Lacy, and
the former . carter, Humphry Coles,
• sop tei7 19ti . Ittq xnil
and he who had been for thirty yawl
parish-clerk, Philip Greveeogleatei,
with John Top, the old auto wheat ire
have described, were all thagentlemen.
Then there Were our hostess, wad Mina
Polly, and the roundabout merry
ow of Staines the harnm-ntaker4 in
her finery ; there was Ann Dyer, the
thin pale old maid from the next teas-
mom, and Jane Pouter, the sexton's
widow,
..who will no doubt _ tell Mr
compeers soma'of the mauj staries:of
ghosts and goblins she has iuherited
troui her grave-digging husband, add
amine them all with the accettattiot
the ghosts he saw himself! Thom
are besides these many • others-400
many to describe indiVidually; but of
them all there are none more Getable
poor old Goody. Grey, whine entry
took place when nearly the party
were seated. Cheri ,was a surf 4(
iO - %Y . couch-erected in the chimeey
nook ; it was - forined of boxes, piled
together, and w.th cushions,
and. cloaks, as if for some special inra'•
lid ; "and anon a bustle was heard 1.4
the- open corridor, Which, rtuaniug
round the outside of the house, formes
a passage from room to zoom. Tate
signal was understood, .and the dour
opened by those within for the ea.
trancnolthe new-corners. These were
two of the youngest and strongest u
the old women, whO bore ou their
crossed hands, king's-coach fashitni„
a third, much older than themselves..
She was a diminutive little creature et
must remarkable , appearance. liar
aged features were almost buried. £ 4
wrinkles, and her snow-white:4 htia
hong round them in weird-luca.;
•
making her altogether not an unman.;
Me representative of -a witch.. Tun
siuguiar-lookrug female-.wait . wrum.y
received by alt.. They greeted her a t
" Miss Almy.:",..e.vary one nude
ter her - ; one shuck up her chshiouri
arre.vi ;- another wok off the cloak
which the Bundy had beet' muff. -
and spreari it on her seat; while tns
of the thee, relieving the tottering to
vr9 ale u of their burden, . placed. La 7
carefully nn the reserved couch.thou s ,
hut without many a groan from L..=
poor i old rhiunatte woman, who -L.
uut befure lett her uwn fireside
many a year.
. But ttie clock has struck four, a
hanipers from Mr. Grey's wait
be opened.
"Hero, Molly, let's pull i n up bows.: •
to Miss Amy's place, that her mar
zee,' : ' said bustling. Itirs..Staines; a
this being dose. the string iv,
and the.Cu‘;er There. iadee...
was.it Store of • good- things ll• The. 4
were noble laves of line white brew .;
and. goodly pounds of the richest - fr,...
butter; there were huge' seed.:cal:
ter. such as were too delicate' to,.
take .cif the more attractive large
cakes, as full of raisins and curraut.3
they could atick, • wiiicu noir m
their appearance. Tilerti' was' a C.., GO
of tea and coth e, opeugh'tegi*lte I,c':-:
eeagaler twice tho number of
anti ugar, hea.utiful loaf s ugar,
to sweeten four times me quantity: , --:
Then there was a heap - ut
fur the goodies totoast and
looked, when they were piled• up,
the church-steeple tin heigut.4
A were the contents of the titStl. name!,
but what could be iu the• eeCoad
ate- wonder, for surely " . evoryttut.4:
needful fur a 'grand- feast had Wet:-
produced from' tne 'first, - excePt
and of that two large• taus beiL"
left by the' reilkwUnfaa half as itouc
before.
Well, bless •my heart, - isad may,
God bless their dear hearts; tliat
Qed it all !" exclaimed 'Barrie
who, in virtue of her hostesship,
proceeded to lift , the cover of kiathp l c
number two. '< Why. here's sigiandesai:'
indeed ! Oh, • bless the pititijr lit iM
fingers -that made
chuckling as she ' open'ed'a'ettir~board
. „
box that lay on the top,"anddliplis,4 ‘.
•
a host of white - Stair! 'layout' ', 'ecur ‘ t x
ticketed with' the'boixie tik
old people present or absent.
4 , And what's this V' said old P;I
fumbling about with her folic
T'
=IIIIE
i t• '
IM
NO. 4€P