1639. Born in Salem, Mass., September 23, 1852, when two years of age his parents, John A. and Mary (Davis) Gibson, moved to Rindge, N. H., which has since been his home. At the age of fourteen years he started out to make his own way in the world, being employed by farmers through the summer, and working for his board and schooling winters, until manhood, attending the district schools and one term at Alonzo W. Gibson. an academy. Called home by his father's failing health, he assumed charge of the family, tenderly caring for his father during the remainder of his life, as he was also the support and dependence of his mother and younger brother and sisters. After his father's death he purchased the home farm. Subsequently an adjoining farm was added, making one hundred and fifty acres in all, of which thirty is mowing, the balance pasture and woodland. His specialty is dairying, forty pounds of gilt edged butter being produced weekly, which he delivers to private customers in Winchendon, Mass., who also furnish a market for eggs, milk, cream, vegetables, and all farm products. Though not large, the farm is a productive one, and is run on the intensive plan, Mr. Gibson doing most of the work himself with the best attainable machinery, the additional labor required being hired by the day. No farmer in the region is better supplied with machinery, some of which, being quite a mechanic, he has manufactured himself. He has just added to his equipment a building containing blacksmith and carpenter shops, and mill with a six horse-power Baxter engine and saw for cutting wood, of which he has a large amount and which finds a ready market. The pleasant home, an engraving of which is here given, is largely the work of his own hands, he having thoroughly remodeled the same about the time of his marriage, January 19, 1887, with Mrs. Idella (Converse) Norcross, daughter of Zebulon and Ann (Mixer) Converse of Rindge. At the time of her marriage with Mr. Gibson, Mrs. Norcross, who came of a family long prominent in this region, had a little son, eight years of age, to whom Mr. Gibson has been a most indulgent father. This son, Arthur Z. Norcross, is now a student in the state college at Durham, class of '99. One daughter, Florence Idella, now five years of age, has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gibson. "Meadow View Farm," as the Gibson place is known, is situated on a hill overlooking the Converse reservoir, or meadow, and some of the finest views in the beautiful hill town of Rindge are obtained from different points on the place, making it a most delightful residence. the hands of his party or townsmen. He is an enthusiastic Patron of Husbandry, and his voice is often. Mr. Gibson is a thorough believer heard in the discussions at the meetin the principle of doing business on ings of Cheshire County Pomona the cash basis, "owing no man any- grange, of which he is a member. thing." He is also a strict temper- Both he and Mrs. Gibson were charance man, using neither spirituous ter members of Marshall P. Wilder liquor nor tobacco in any form. As grange, No. 134, and both have an earnest temperance worker, he has worked long and faithfully to prodone all in his power to aid in en- mote its prosperity. Mr. Gibson has forcing the prohibitory laws in the served as steward, overseer, lecturer, town of Rindge. He is a member and master, and Mrs. Gibson has of the Congregational church and been chaplain, lecturer, and master, Sunday-school, and an active mem- being the first lady master in Cheshire ber of the Christian Endeavor socie- county. Both received the seventh ty, of which he has been president. degree of the order at the meeting of Politically, he is a Republican, but the National grange in Concord, in has never sought public office at November, 1892. A LILY. LUKE 12:27. By Augusta C. Seavey. The lily opes its golden heart to-day, A splendid calyx on a stately stem, More worthy worship than some flashing gem. Another loved them,-Christ of Bethlehem Dear heart, in other days within our home Why does this blossom seem less fair than they? we keep step, they will realize how they have misjudged you." Dinner over, we returned to the drawing-room, and Madam S., Alfred, and I were preparing to visit the church, when some friends of Madam S.'s arrived from a town across the river, and detained her; so she told Alfred to go on with me, and to be sure and explain everything to me, just as she would. "That sounds simple," said Alfred in an aside to me, "but you know Aunt's capacity for explaining." "I'll do my best," he answered her aloud, as we left the house together. The new church is just above Major S.'s house, on the brow of the hill and overlooking the broad, impetuous river, a beautiful situation for a beautiful edifice. It is very large and handsomely decorated inside with what Alfred tells me is frescoing. After looking at the church as long as I cared to, Alfred showed me the furnishings; first of all, the chairs which Queen Caroline sent for Queen's chapel-the predecessor of this church, and which was named for her. They are very handsome; the square backs are divided into several sections, each of which is elaborately carved in a pattern of oak leaves. The Bible, communion service and christening bowl of silver, each piece bearing the royal arms, were also her gifts. "Sit down, Polly," said Alfred, as he explained all this to me; and he seated himself in one of the chairs, while I, half astonished at my own boldness, took the other. "Well!" said he, "I don't think Her Majesty is a very good judge of a comfortable chair, if this one is a sample of what she can do in that line; I really think Presently I could do better myself." of Then we went up into the gallery to see the organ, and as I never saw one before I was full of curiosity about it and wished,-oh, so much! that I might hear it played, for it seemed impossible to get music out of such a clumsy-looking instrument, so Alfred tried to open it but it was locked. It is a great mahogany box almost as high as the church wall from above the gallery floor to the ceiling, but narrow in proportion; the great gilt pipes are of graduated heights, the highest in the centre, and reach to the top of the organ. On the floor of, and extending under, the instrument are great slats which the player presses with his feet, Alfred says, as he sits perched on the high bench in front of the organ. He tells me the keys are like those of a spinet, only there are two rows,banks, he called them,-besides stops on each side. "What a wonderful thing! I exclaimed. "I suppose in years to come we shall hear of inventions that will surprise us, but I really think there can be nothing more astonishing than this!"' "I'm sorry that you can't hear it played," said Alfred. "You might if you can only go to church with us some Sunday,-don't you think your mother would let you? Aunt would Aunt would be delighted to take you-and you know nothing would give me greater pleasure," he added in a tone that brought a blush of happiness to my face. "I should like to come but I know it is useless to expect to, for Mother wouldn't be willing," I said sadly; and for a moment I felt as if Mother is just a little bit more strict in her ideas of propriety than she need to be. After leaving the church, we stopped on the very top of the hill to get the river view. The scenery was beautiful, but the river was so broad and swift and looked so resistless in its strength, that it seemed to me like a greedy monster pursuing its prey. "It makes me dizzy," I said, turning my head away. "Then you probably would n't like to take the ride that a young man of this town once did, as I've heard Uncle say," said Alfred. "It was in winter and he was driving fast round this hill when, just about where we stand, the horse lost his footing and away he rolled down into the river, dragging the sleigh and its occupant after him. The whole establishment was fished up right away, none the worse for its unexpected dip into the river. But the young man did n't come up here to church after that, he went to the North church, because he liked the location of it better." "I don't blame him. It is a dangerous place and I don't feel safe here even now," I said shudderingly. "Don't you think we had better go along?" "Whenever you are ready," replied A., laughing at my panic. So we went on to see the house where Washington, Lafayette, John Hancock, and others whose names are dear to Americans, have been entertained while visiting this favored town, and Alfred told me many interesting anecdotes of the house and neighborhood. On our way back to Major S.'s, we passed an old building which Alfred said used to be a museum when he was a boy. The proprietor was a jolly little man whom all the boys in town delighted to visit and hear talk. "He used to take great pleasure,” said Alfred, “in telling us about his courtship, and we were never tired of hearing of it. He said he had long admired a young lady of his acquaintance, and one Sunday when they happened to sit together in her father's pew in Queen's Chapel, he marked in the Bible which he handed to her, in the first verse of the second epistle of St. John,-'Unto the elect lady,' and then the entire fifth verse: 'And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.' 'The elect lady' understood the appeal and immediately turned down the leaf at the first chapter of Ruth and marked the sixteenth verse: 'Whither thou goest I will go,' etc., and passed the Bible back to her happy suitor.” "That was certainly an original way of making known his wishes," I replied, "and a most satisfactory one in this case, it seems." |