Third Souvenir Main Page

Excerpts from Francis 

C. Waid's Third Souvenir

Submitted by David M. Waid 

Besides doing some business to-day in the city, I purchased six Bibles to present as gifts to my friends, and I enjoyed the pleasure of a visit with Mr. and Mrs. Quick, whose relatives I called on when I was in Chicago. Mrs. Kate Quick was once a pupil of mine in her girlhood; it is a pleasure not only to remember but to be remembered. Surely there is something in every hour of life; we can either help or be helped as the moments pass by, bringing opportunities either to be seized or lost forever! On my way home I called on Henry Smith, with whom I tarried over night, and spent a most pleasant social evening with his family and aged father-in-law, William Chase, who, I believe, still enjoys good health for one of his age; he had been an active and industrious farmer, and retains his usefulness longer than most men. I will here chronicle the death of Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin, whom I knew well in my youth and early manhood, and at whose house I used to attend prayer meeting: "Permelia Baldwin died July, 1, 1873, aged 83 years, 3 months, 18 days; Aaron Baldwin died April 19, 1881, aged 87 years, 2 months, 19 days."

February 3.--This evening I had the pleasure of presenting to my friend and relative Mrs. Ralph Roudebush of Blooming Valley, a copy of the best of all books--a Bible--for which she thanked me kindly. No one need say to me it does not pay to do good; I know the value of it. Every effort in the right spirit and with proper motives on my part has brought reward to me. We should always bear in mind that even in this life the righteous are promised "Thirty, sixty and some an hundred fold," and, in the next, life everlasting. How necessary, then, for us to sow the good seed if we would reap a golden harvest! The Lord will help us to do it, if we only try to help ourselves.

This cold, wintry day, requiring some letters and books to assist me in collecting matter for my THIRD SOUVENIR, I went over to my old home, only about eighty rods distant, where my youngest son, Fred F., lives, and I found everything about the house and farm in such good order, that I could not refrain from complimenting him and his wife. I was much pleased at the advancement they had made within less than two years, or since they were married; I mean in the way of housekeeping, farming and in the general conducting of things, both in doors and out of doors. Indeed, I may truthfully say, the same of my other sons, Frank and Guinnip, and their wives. It naturally affords me much pleasure to see for myself that my boys are trying the best they know how to get along in the world. May the Lord bless us, and help us all to do right.

But I must now speak of my old books and letters, from which to gather some of the best thoughts for my SOUVENIR, in the compilation of which I find that my old diaries and some of my school records and compositions do not come amiss. But as I pause for a moment and at a glance span the journey of life with many of the relics before me--letters, books, pictures, mementos, keepsakes, etc.--I find nothing more dear to me than those reminding me of Eliza, my dead wife. Time will never efface her memory. Anna's letters are undoubtedly dear to me, but Eliza's recall to me visions of youth and their happy halcyon days. Then how dear to any one are old school books and their associations! To-day, from among others, I pick up my old "English Reader," on the flyleaf of which appears, in the handwriting of either my father or the school-teacher, my name and the date when I commenced to dive into its mysteries: "Francis C. Waid, Dec. 2, 1846." I am glad I studied and made myself acquainted with the contents of that book. I remember, when my twin brother and I, along with others, were thought capable of being advanced a grade higher than "Cobb's Third Reader '' (which we had just been studying), to the first class in the "English Reader," that we required new books; and we got them. Father bought each of us two a copy of the "English Reader," and that was a grand day for us. He told us to make good use of our books and keep them, which we did, and I have mine still, while that of my twin brother is, I think, either in possession of my brother, G. N., or some other relative. I love the "English Reader" and always did, for long after leaving school I used to take if off the book-shelf frequently, as did also Eliza, and read it to our children as well as for our own pleasure. And I do not even now wish to let this opportunity pass without selecting one piece of poetry from the second part of the "Reader." It is by Cowper, the English poet, and the verses are supposed to be written by Alexander Selkirk during his solitary abode of four years and four months on the island of Juan Fernandez, in the Pacific Ocean:

"I am monarch of all I survey,

My right there is none to dispute;

From the center all round to the sea,

I am lord of the fowl and the brute.

O Solitude! where are the charms

That sages have seen in thy face?

Better dwell in the midst of alarms

Than reign in this horrible place.

"I am out of humanity's reach;

I must finish my journey alone,

Never hear the sweet music of speech--

I start at the sound of my own;

The beasts that roam over the plain

My form with indifference see;

They are so unacquainted with man,

Their tameness is shocking to me.

"Society, friendship and hove,

Divinely bestowed upon man!

O, had I the wings of a dove,

How soon would I taste you again!

My sorrows I then might assuage

In the ways of religion and truth--

Might learn from the wisdom of age,

And be cheered by the sallies of youth.

"Religion! what treasure untold

Resides in that heavenly word!

More precious than silver and gold,

Or all that this earth can afford;

But the sound of the church-going bell

These valleys and rocks never heard,

Never sighed at the sound of a knell,

Or smiled when a Sabbath appeared.

"Ye winds that have made me your sport,

Convey to this desolate shore

Some cordial, endearing report

Of a land I shall visit no more!

My friends--do they now and then send

A wish or a thought after me?

O, tell me I yet have a friend,

Though a friend I am never to see.

"How fleet is a glance of the mind!

Compared with the speed of its flight,

The tempest itself lags behind,

And the swift-winged arrows of light.

When I think of my own native land,

In a moment I seem to be there;

But, alas! recollection at hand

Soon hurries me back to despair.

"But the sea-fowl has gone to her nest,

The beast is laid down in his lair;

Even here is a season of rest,

And I to my cabin repair.

There's mercy in every place,

And mercy--encouraging thought!--

Gives even affliction a grace,

And reconciles man to his lot."

February 5.--To-day until noon I was busy at home writing, and looking over old letters, over a hundred in number, written to my father and mother by kindred and friends, and so long carefully preserved for me to review now after many or most of the writers, besides the recipients, have departed for the other shore. What a pleasure and comfort they bring to me! Then the afternoon had yet another sweet pleasure in store for me in my having the privilege of presenting a Bible to John F. Breed on his eightieth birthday, to give to his great-grandchild, Shirley Chipman, a seven-year-old boy, who was present when I handed the book to Mr. Breed. This boy's grandfather, Edward Chipman, was a schoolmate of mine, and also at one time a pupil. A number of relatives of the old gentleman were gathered at his home to congratulate him on the occasion, and I had an opportunity of thanking Mrs. Phebe Jones, of Buffalo, N. Y. (Mrs. Breed's youngest daughter), for her kind letter of sympathy, conveying a tribute to the memory of Eliza. From Mr. Breed's I went to see my brother, who accompanied me in a walk to our friend, William Smith, living about two miles from town, where we remained, each of us enjoying an old-fashioned visit such as brings a threefold pleasure in Anticipation, Participation and Remembrance, you know, friend reader, there are such visits, and this was one of them. We had each over fifty years of life from which to gather our experience, and we had not met together for a long time; yet how quickly the evening passed away! On the following day I again called on my sick neighbor, Mr. Miller, whom I found no better; then went to Mr. Glenn Fleek's to see his aged father-in-law, Mr. Henry Kelley, in verity a patriarch, born September 14, 1800, and whom I had known from my boyhood.

Sunday, February 8.--This turned out a profitable day for me all round. Where labor is followed by rest and duty by pleasure, what a blessing they bring! In the morning I attended the State Street M. E. Church Sabbath-school, and at the close I was invited to address a few words to the children. One thought I expressed was the value of time and place when and where I love to see children. If time is more valuable than gold, why then not make the best use of it? And where can we make a better use of time than by employing an hour in the Sunday-school? I have seen children in many places, but I do not remember of ever looking on them with greater pleasure than in the Sabbath-school, where we all learn the most useful lessons, especially the young, for here they receive their equipment for life's journey. In the forenoon there was preaching by our pastor, Rev. J. Laverty, his text being John xv: 15: But I have called you friends. I love the Gospel, and, as I have often thought and said, let it do me good as it doeth the upright in heart, so as I can repreach and practice it in my life work. A good class-meeting followed the service, and in the afternoon a prayer meeting was held in the church, instead of the usual "cottage-meeting." In the evening I heard Dr. T. C. Beach preach in the First M. E. Church from Matthew vii: 20: Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them, a passage in Scripture I had many a time read, and heard expounded. I had heard Dr. Beach twice before--once in his own church and once at Cochranton, last month, as already related. He who loves home best has the greatest appreciation of good things when he goes abroad; at least that is how I have found it in the line of my experience. That passage of Scripture he spoke on to-night, Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them, reminds me that there is something about the Bible, the Gospel, that never loses its attraction to the Christian. It never grows stale or unprofitable by being read and studied over and over again. We love it more and more as the years roll by. It is better farther on.

"How sweet is the Bible! how pure is the light

That streams from its pages divine!

'Tis a star that shines soft thought the gloom of the night,--

Of jewels a wonderful mine.

"'Tis bread for the hungry, 'tis food for the poor,

A balm for the wounded and sad,--

'Tis the gift of a father--His likeness is there,

And the hearts of His children are glad."

February 9.--It is said that only one individual in a thousand lives to see eighty, and only one in ten thousand reaches the patriarchal age of a hundred years. In the married life how few live to see their fiftieth wedding anniversary! probably not one in a thousand. I can name, however, an exception in my own family, in the person of my uncle, Robert Morehead, who lived fifty years with his second wife! Now the reader will perhaps be wondering what all this has got to do with February 9, 1891, and I must reveal the truth to him or her--it is the fiftieth anniversary--"Golden Wedding"--of my most esteemed and well-beloved old friends, Mr. and Mrs. John Roudebush [Mr. Roudebush was born April 18, 1818, in Bedford County, Penn., and has been a resident of Woodcock Township, Crawford County, Penn., since 1824; Mrs. Lucy J. Roudebush is a daughter of Joseph and Sarah Armstrong, early settlers of Troy Township, also in this county], of Blooming Valley, whom I have known from my earliest recollections, having lived within a mile of their abode all my life. That I received an invitation to join, with many other guests, in the appropriate celebration of this semi-centennial, goes without saying, and on my arrival at the home of the happy couple I received a most friendly and cordial greeting. My only regret was that my dear wife, Anna, was not with me to contribute to the pleasure of the gathering, and share in the many hospitalities extended. On account of her health she is still with her parents in Kansas, but I hope the day is not far distant when she will be restored, by the blessing of God, to sound health. Notwithstanding the day was wet, there was a large gathering of relatives and friends, young and old, who all heartily enjoyed themselves; and so eager was I to be present that I walked from Meadville, and on reaching my home stopped to get a couple of books I intended to present to Mr. and Mrs. Roudebush, as small tokens of remembrance, the true value of which would be found between the boards. These books were the Bible and a copy of my SECOND SOUVENIR and in them I wrote the following:

THE GOLDEN WEDDING GIFT.

Presented to Lucy and John Roudebush, by Frances C. Waid, Blooming Valley, Pa., February 9, 1891.

P. S.--If my request meets with your approbation, I wish you to leave this Bible, and also the Souvenir, with your children in remembrance of your Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary which I had the pleasure of attending.

F. C. WAID.

SOUVENIR.

Presented to Mr. and Mrs. John Roudebush February 9, 1891, on their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary, the "Golden Wedding," by Francis C. Waid, Blooming Valley, Crawford Co., Pa.

Remembrance and Friendship are valuable all along the journey of life, and real friends appreciate it. May we bequeath it to our children. Please give this book to yours as a token of our life-long friendship.

A Friend loveth at all times.

F. C. WAID.

After the banquet, to which all were freely welcomed, came congratulatory addresses and appropriate speeches, the first of which was a poem written for the occasion and read by Mrs. Nancy Floyd. The verses presented a brief sketch of the Roudebush Family, and was very interesting. This was followed by an address by Mr. Humes, who in the course of his remarks paid Mr. Roudebush and his estimable wife a well-deserved compliment, in saying that not only hundreds but even thousands in this county and elsewhere respected and honored them for their integrity and real worth. I also spoke a few words, and one question I asked was: "Are there any here who attended the wedding of our host and hostess fifty years ago?" To which Mrs. Roudebush replied' "No--they are all dead." Of Mr. and Mrs. Roudebush's eight children--five sons and three daughters--seven are living, and four of the seven were present at the "Golden Wedding," viz.: Benton, Almond, Effie and Ettie; Clinton, Lorenzo and Frank are in Europe; the eldest daughter, Sylvania, is deceased. In concluding my necessarily brief account of this happy event, I will quote a few words from the "History of Crawford County," page 1159: "Mr. Roudebush has one of the finest farms in Blooming Valley; has served as a justice of the peace." This worthy and honored couple are among the best citizens of the county, and may they long live to enjoy the fruits of their labor!

February 12.--1 received a very affectionate letter from my wife, to-day, the purport of which set me deeply thinking. Her health, which continues in an unsatisfactory condition, necessitates her still remaining at her Kansas home among her own people whom I know she loves well. I, too, love my native county, my home, my family, my friends, and have never lived or had a permanent home anywhere else; yet I do not say these are sufficient reasons why I should ask my wife to come here to live, were it not for a sense of duty and what I believe to be right. The problem, as I have presented it, I intend to solve by placing it trustfully in the hands of the Lord, do His will to the best of my ability, and leave the results with Him, a Rock on which to rest, either at home or abroad.

Since our marriage I have been spending part of my time in Kansas with my wife, and part at my home near Blooming Valley, in duty and business as best I know how. Now, I believe, in fact I know, the Lord helps us, when we rely on Him with faith, and the more obedient we are to Him, and the more we trust in Him, the better it is for us. He would not invite us to come to Him in the time of trouble if He could not deliver us; neither would He say "cast thy burdens on me and I will sustain thee," if He did not mean it. He is a present help in time of trouble, mighty to save, strong lo deliver. I trust the reader will properly comprehend my motive in alluding in my SOUVENIR to what might be justly called "purely private affairs ;" but my reason I feel assured is quite apparent to the intelligent. My motive is simply to DO GOOD; and for the benefit of all who may be in sorrow, need, sickness or any other adversity, I have named the one reliable Physician, and the only remedy in the hour of trouble.

"He leadeth me! O, blessed thought!

O, words with Heavenly comfort fraught!

Whate'er I do, where'er I be,

Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

"Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom,

Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom,

By waters still, o'er troubled sea,--

Still 'tis His hand that leadeth me."

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