Name/Title
Remembrances on 80th birthday of undetermined womanEntry/Object ID
2000.FIC.02.031Scope and Content
At top right of the first page is written "[ca. 1890], Margaret A. Cahoon 80th Birthday"
This does not seem to be a remembrances of Margaret Cahoon. The woman whose 80th birthday is mentioned is also spoken of in the third person and as having many married children and grandchildren. Margaret only had one grandchild who died before her and only one son married.
Synopsis with full text following:
p. 1: Compares "then and now" and the "allurements" and "temptations to folly & fast living" of "Young America." There is mention of New England.
p. 2: Mentions not by name, but description of a family of a mother, father and three brothers.
p. 3: Describes winters, including sliding down hill at night.
p. 4: Describes hearing sleigh bells as "the father" drove up in a sled before school was out.
p. 5: Mentions "the father" again standing up alone in the community where rum drinking was common and said he could "gather his hay and grain without liquor and did it too. Begins to talk about temperance in the family.
p. 6: Says "years have past since I first introduced this family of five and now there are seven besides one opening bud which had been nipped ere its young life was fairly known." Talks about strangers moving west and on previous page then says "another little stranger presents himself and is taken in and cared for by this family." Mentions music and choirs. Says other families are springing from the household, six or more.
p. 7: Says over time the young and old have died. One family lost a mother, a "little prattling brother" and a "baby." "The father" after his hair has whitened died.
p. 8: Writes that a "brother and head of a young household" died after a period of time during which he was faltering.
p. 9: Talks about "the mother" celebrating her 80th birthday and 21 of the children, wives and grandchildren rejoicing to see the day.
p. 10: four short poems to celebrate the "mother" for whom this remembrance seems to have been written.
[p. 1]
As my mind was wandering bad into the years of long ago and canvasing the changes which time in its hurried flight, had wrought in men + things - comparing time customs + usages then and now. My wanderings stemmed to East in a New England country town -
It was several days remove from the Metropolis of New England and miles from any burough, + so secluded from the allurements + deprived of numberless temptations to folly + feast living + all that pertains to "Young America" in the suburbs towns of our cities. Nature had left the fear of the country enough, + rugged; stones rocks + hills abounded on every hand - Everything naturally presented to the settler in this region
[p. 2]
Tended to call forth an untiring energy + perseverance + would from necessity cultivate the most rigid economy -
Here it was that I first became acquainted with + deeply interested in a family of whose I will speak more particularly -
It consisted of Fine members of the Father, Mother, + three brothers. The father was a man of medium stature, of active habits which were combined with an industry that was sure to conquer.
The mother was of full height, strong + of undaunted courage as she commends to grapple with the reality of life under the difficulties incident to the making a home in a new country-
[p. 3]
Often I have met with this father + the brothers as in spring time they picked the stones from the field who was that summer to be a meadow and of all the tasks put upon juvenile hands, I believe this one of the most trying coming as it did in the long faint days of April + May + to such fast growing + faint boys as the subjects-
Again I have met them as in winter they chopped winters wood + hauled it sled length to the door + piled it up like small mountains
Or yet again, as these with neighboring boys met on the clear cold moonlight evening to slide down hill -
Most vividly do the recollections of the winters school come up in this review.
[p. 4]
The country schoolmaster of that day- the spelling school- those who chose sides when all spelled down - the grammar class + the sure way to find the verb + noun.
But nothing is more distinctly outlined on my mind than the clear merry music of those large Sleigh bells as the father drove up just before the school was out for those boys + often have I rode home with them + stopped in to find the mother frying the lightly raised, twisted "nut cakes" which no one knew better how to appreciate than these same hungry boys-
Here too was laid the foundation for temperance + other sterling virtues which has ever characterised the family
The mother pledged two of the boys
[p. 5]
Against the use of ardent spirits + gave Each a wallet of fabulous value to them then-
About this time the father stood up alone in that community + town, where Rum drinking was the universal custom, + said he could gather his hay and grain without liquor, + did it too. From these beginnings. who can compute the results-
Years have passed since I first introduced this family of five + now there are seven besides one opening bud which had been nipped ere its young life was fairly known-
Westward the course of Empire takes its way + so with these friends and we soon see them meeting the trials + privations again in a new country as they are making them a home -
[p. 6]
Here another little stranger presents himself + is taken in + cared for by this family; + all pass on busily, happily together - Struggling here + there to overcome the many difficulties that present themselves
Among the varied acquirements of these times was a knowledge of music which made some of these young men famous in after times, as we hear of them as occupying prominent places in church choirs in later years-
The wheels of time move swiftly on and soon are other little families springing out from this household, one, two, three, four, five, + anon surprising to say sixth is caught in the meshes of the silk cord-
But while their cup of happiness + joy has been full + running over
[p. 7]
It has not been unmingled-
The unwelcome messenger death has invaded these circles + showing no respect to age, has taken the youngest + oldest as well as the middle aged. One of the young families has been called to give up a loved + loving mother known to us long and well - and a little prattling brother, and later still, that sweetest household had a buley -
From another of these gathering home the light of loving little eyes has gone out in that sleep that knows no waking-
The father whose head had whitened write the snows of over four score winters, has been followed to his last resting place by sad + sorrowing friends: stout and many hearts wept like children for they knew they had lost a friend
[p. 8]
A little later, + a brother + head of a young household, falters and month by month + week by week + day by day we watch the ebbing sands of his life until through bitter tears we see him fall asleep in manhood's early prime seemingly the manliest of us all -
But turning from the sad side of this picture, have we not multiplied reasons for humble + devout thanksgiving to Him who has kept us and led us all the way? Live whom are all over our hopes of true + lasting peace in this life + of meeting loved ones in joy in the life to come? Of all our circle, not one appears of whom we have the last cause to be ashamed those principles which lie at the foundation of society
[p. 9]
Of all that is great + good among men, have passed their time of trial with us + gone hence-
The mother who could for us + had patience with the follies + foibles of our childhood + youth is spared to us + in health as here we gather to commemorate the anniversary of her 80th birthday- twenty one of the children + grandchildren rejoice to see this day
[p. 10]
How swiftly pass the busy years as rolls this life away- pleasure + grief, laughter + tears, still bear alternate sway -
The four score years that end today. are full of garnered sheaves: Good deeds along their bright pathway Lie thick as autumn leaves.
These eighty years of joy + pain, How sweet their memory seems. They're but the links in life's great chain through which his mercy beams.
In youth + Womanhood's best prime. With firm undaunted mien. She bore the burden of the Time and lived without a stain.Collection
Early Family Papers: CahoonRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Cahoon, Margaret DicksonPerson or Organization
Cahoon, LydiaPerson or Organization
Cahoon, Joseph
