The Westford Wardsman, April, 1907
Saturday, April 13, 1907
The ladies’ aid society of the M.E. church met with Mrs. L. A. Blood on last Thursday afternoon and considerable business of importance was transacted.
John C. Hall, who had the misfortune to break his leg for the second time recently, will have a dance run for his benefit in Healy’s hall, on Saturday evening, April 13.
Saturday, April 27, 1907
Grange. Thursday evening at the town hall the grange held a most successful meeting when it conferred final degrees on fourteen candidates, which constitutes the spring class. Two hundred and ten grangers were present, thirty-five being guests for the evening from other towns. Chelmsford, Littleton, Groton, Carlisle, Shirley, Dracut and West Brookfield grangers were represented. The work of the third degree was done by the ladies’ degree staff with pleasing accuracy. This staff consists of the following officers:
Mrs. A. W. Hartford, captain; Mrs. F. C. Wright, master; Mrs. D. L. Greig, overseer; Mrs. D. M. Sleeper, lecturer; Mrs. W. J. Sleeper, steward; Mrs. L. W. Wheeler, chaplain; Mary Morin, treas.; Mrs. F. A. Daniels, sec’y; May Boynton, g.k.; Charlotte Prescott, ceres; Effie M. Bennett, flora; Edith Bicknell, pomona; Mrs. H. Sutherland, Mrs. G. E. Gould, lady asst. stewards; Mrs. E. G. Boynton, pianist.
Those who took part in the picturesque harvest march were:
Mrs. E. M. Staples and F. A. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Colburn, Mrs. John McMaster and E. G. Boynton, Miss Grace Lambert and Wm. E. Wright, Miss June Woods and J. S. Greig.
Mrs. Frank C. Wright, as master of the staff, deserves much credit for her capable management of rehearsals, details of the drill, etc. The fourth degree was conferred by the regular grange officers. At the close of this work there was a brief business session, after which the master, S. D. Taylor, called upon state master Carlton D. Richardson, who gave an interesting address. Mrs. Alice D. Colburn, master of Dracut grange, responded gracefully for her grange, which is one of the largest in the state. J. G. Anthony brought the greetings of Carlisle grange. Adjournment was then made to the lower hall, where a fine supper was served. The menu consisted of cold meats, salads, rolls, coffee, fancy pies and fruit. Those who so capably managed this part of the evening’s success were Mrs. John Feeney, Mrs. Joseph E. Knight, Mrs. Frank Bannister, Mrs. J. A. Walkden and Mrs. Hans Dege, with a number of assistants. At the close of the supper there were some interesting toasts. Fortunate is the grange that has so able a toastmaster as Rev. B. H. Bailey. His introductions of the speakers were tactful, witty and eloquent. C. D. Richardson responded for “the state grange; “Rev. C. P. Marshall for “the new members;” E. L. Taylor had “the grange officers” as his assignment, and Mrs. A. H. Hartford the “ladies” degree team.” This last was so much enjoyed and so heartily applauded that it is herewith given:
I am asked to respond to a toast on D. T.’s. Now, D. T. may stand for a great many things, Delirium tremens or disreputable toastmaster or something else, but in this case it stands for degree team. Of course, in speaking of the degree team I feel that I must speak with some degree of modesty, as it would not sound well for me to say the work of Westford’s degree team was one degree better that the degree teams of other granges in working degrees, but we hope it is true to a certain degree. This sentence is perhaps a rather peculiar one, but it is particularly permissible at a time like this, because it contains seven degrees and is therefore a full-fledged P. of H.
Our degree team was organized to increase the interest in and impressiveness of the work, both to the candidates and to the members and to arouse more or less jealousy in the bosoms of the male members of the grange, because they cannot array themselves in white garments and parade around the hall and look pretty as we do. But it is in vain that they try to compete with us, for they are not made to shine as women do.
You know some women are born pretty, some become pretty by artificial means, and all think they are pretty, whether they are or not. However, we are all proud of Westford grange and it is the hope and aim of our degree team that they may be a credit to our grange. In closing, let me quote a few lines from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:
O say have you seen them in garments so white,
As they march round the hall in the glare of the light
To their husbands and sweethearts unbounded delight,
‘Tis the Westford Degree Team and they’re just about right.
Now they turn and they cross and they come back so straight,
So graceful and clever and quite up-to-date;
The finest and fairest throughout the Bay State,
The Degree Team of Westford, two hundred and eight.
The Tadmuck Club closed its working program for the season Tuesday afternoon in Library hall. The club has certainly maintained a high standard of excellence in its season’s work, the central theme of which has been “The last half of the nineteenth century,” and the progress in philanthropy, art, education, science, electricity and many other subjects has been intelligently delineated in the meetings. Surely those who have gathered together every two weeks should be wiser and better men and women, for of the fifteen meetings held, six have been taken charge of by our helpful townsmen in the community.
This was true of Tuesday’s meeting, when Dr. W. J. Sleeper gave an exceedingly interesting and instructive address on the “Advance in medicine and surgery.”
Dr. Sleeper gave an outline of the practice of medicine from the earliest times up to within the last fifty years, which is the period specified for study. Even to the unscientific mind he gave an enlightening glimpse into the many phases of his subject, among which were anatomy, physiology, therapeutics, physics, surgery and bacteriology. He spoke with enthusiasm of the successful surgery among children—hip disease, meningitis, crooked shoulders, etc., also of the great aid the microscope, ether, X-rays, anti-toxin and the general spread of a knowledge of sanitary science was to humanity.
Mrs. Sleeper, who is ever her husband’s loyal helper, supplemented his address with an article on “Women physicians.”
At the business session Miss Loker was unanimously re-elected for president, Mrs. B. H. Bailey for vice-president. The resignation of Mrs. Wm. A. Perkins as secretary and treasurer was reluctantly accepted after two years of capable service. Mrs. D. W. Wheeler was chosen to fill this vacancy.
The next and last meeting of the season will be May seventh, and will be a social and musical, to be held in the Congregational vestry, where a piano will be available. Mrs. Charles P. Marshall will have charge of the musical program. Miss Alice Cone, who has sung so acceptably for Westford audiences, will be the soloist. Refreshments will be served, and each member has the privilege of inviting one guest.
Wedding. One of the prettiest of home weddings was solemnized Tuesday afternoon at four o’clock at the pleasant home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Wright, when their oldest daughter, Clara Belle, became the wife of Rev. Wm. E. Anderson, who has been the pastor of the Methodist church at Graniteville for the last two years. The rooms had been beautifully decorated for the occasion. The bay window in the parlor was banked with hemlock intertwined with Easter lilies and at the base some beautiful calla lilies. In front of this background of tasteful simplicity at the appointed hour the officiating clergyman, Rev. Dr. Rice, the presiding elder of the Boston district, took his place. Miss Grace Lumbert at the piano softly played the wedding march. Then came the bridegroom with his best man, Wm. E. Wright, the only brother of the bride, then the ushers, Osborne Cilley and Otis White and lastly the bride on the arm of her father. The double ring ceremony was used, the bride being given in marriage by her father. The bride wore a beautiful white silk muslin gown over white silk, her long wedding veil was fastened with a wreath of sweet peas and she carried a bouquet of tulips. Miss Edith Wright wore white muslin over nile green silk and carried a bunch of pinks. Miss Grace Lumbert’s gown was white over pink.
At the conclusion of the ceremony a reception was held and later adjournment was made to the lawn where a picture of the bridal party was taken.
Refreshments of ice cream cake and fruit and lemonade were served in the dining room. Every loaf of the delicious cake used was made by the bride, which is only one manifestation of her housewifely skill. There was a wealth of beautiful presents, showing the esteem in which the bride and groom were held by their wide circle of friends. Silver, cut glass, linen, pictures, furniture and over a hundred dollars in money were among the gifts. The bride and groom took their departure on the 6:40 train for Boston and the following day started for Middlebourne, West Virginia, where Mr. Anderson has a church awaiting him, expecting to preach to his new people on Sunday. This locality is his native heath, so to him it will not be like going among strangers.
Mrs. Anderson has been a successful teacher for a number of years in Reading, and on the last day of her work in the school there was a reception of parents, and the children brought many little gifts by which they hope to be remembered.
The bride was born in Westford and lived here all her life, except when away teaching and is loved and esteemed by a host of friends for her sunny, frank, capable personality, and she takes with her into her new life their sincerest good wishes for happiness and prosperity.