Price 21st Wedding Anniversary 1898

PRICE

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 2/7/2018 at 09:17:30

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Jan. 6, 1899, LP, C6

2lst Anniversary.
Saturday last was the 21st anniversary of Dr. and Mrs. Price’s marriage. In the evening a large number of friends, men and their wives, with baskets well filled with edibles pleasant to the sense of sight and smell, filed into, by the rear, as well as the front door, of the pleasant home of the bride and groom of twenty-one years standing, much to their surprise; they soon gained composure; the sitting-room, library, dining-room and kitchen were in good attire, for what was appropriate to each. Tables in the commodious sitting-room and library, were soon surrounded, four at each, with ladies and gentleman, and in less time than it takes to write it, a battle, of what seemed to the writer, of progressive euchre was ranging, not amidst the booming of cannon and clash of armor, but the more gentle roars of laughter and words of pleasure according to what the timekeeper’s figures said when at some division, the gentle knuckle tap at one or another of the tables notified the whole company that it was time to change, not always in entire, for occasionally some one would remain where they were, like a boy or girl at school, to complete what was lacking, and so the battle and the fun of it went merrily on, until the big clock out in the dining room hammered the number ten on its silver toned bell In the meantime, three ladies and the Episcopal minister, who were either innocent of a sufficient knowledge of jacks, queens, hearts and spaces and all the rest, or else for a time preferred a social visit, sat and talked and looked on without losing farthing of the pleasure of the occasion, The ladies withdrew thus finding himself along the preacher cast about for the cause of his soltitude{sic}, and in the anxiety of his sympathetic nature betook himself to first his room being a boarder of the house where he found a drink of water which gave fresh courage in his journey to the dining room, where well of all the pleasant sights and pleasant odors which are ever intended to be the sweet completion of ordinary joyous occasions met his wondering and delighted eyes. Just then a lady in pleasant smiles and most artistic manner addressed the gentle fatherly priest in words to this effect. Seeing that providence hath ordered that the Doctor and his wife has gone all these years mourning because no child has crowned their nuptial vows, we have thought it wise that on this occasion the Doctor would be willing to be made a father and his wife a mother, and thus believing that it is a good providence that ordereth all things to fit every occasion we have provided this sweet infant as a providential gift to our beloved friends, the Doctor and his wife, at the present auspicious period of their wedded life, and will you, dear sir, be so kind, seeing that they call you Doctor too, as to present this sweet girl baby to this happy couple, as a joy forever, with our best wishes for their continued happiness and prosperity. The old priest had buried people, married people, baptized people, but in all his protracted ministry he had never, until this blessed hour, presented parents with their own child; then the lady said all was ready, and the Rev. Gorrell advanced from the dining-room with the sweetest of little blond babies on his left breast, to the door of the sitting-room. A roar of laughter in songsters melody burst from the mothers lips when she saw her joy forever, the fathers exultation followed. All joined in the burst of merriment, which seemed to gain volume until the standing priest called their attention to the fact that they yet lacked appropriate ceremony; in an instant all was still, with the sweet creature yet on his arm, he went on in words to this effect, Dr. and Mrs. Price, in behalf of your many friends, providence hath ordered that your peasant home shall no longer go childless As Abraham as ninety-nine and Sarah his wife ninety years old when Isaac was promised, so your hope has held on, this being the first, it is but just and due, as your many friends have decided the gift should be a girl, in the hope however, that when you celebrate your fiftieth anniversary, it may be a boy. The proud father standing straight up in his Turkish headgear, too the child and in few and appropriate words accepted the daring as their own and passed the child to its mother, who received it laying it upon her bosom saying, my one long desire is now gratified. It was a blond doll in elegant attire, want of space forbids a description of the good things which followed. At half past even the visitors, wrapped well in furs and woolens, for the night was cold, began their exit homeward, the old priest mounted to his room, spent the remainder of the Old year and the beginning of the New in reading and prayer. On Sunday morning the new made parents were in their place of worship receiving the congratulations of their friends.