Reminiscences of Children's Fair (Page 34-36)
The fair remains unchanged over the years
Records and Reminiscences of Children’s Fair
“Seeking to make idle hours useful hours, I have written it in my old age Please accept my old RECORDS AND REMINISCENCES.” - C. H. Obear - July 8, 1911
Pages 34 - 36
Time marches on, the young become adults
Once our beloved pastor and friend, who was a leader in founding the fair, sent five dollars, asking us to send a barrel of contributions to the sale-tables, for their home use in Auburndale, and we marked each article with the name of the donor, and sent the price for which we bought it, and filled and sent the barrel.
When he acknowledged it, he told us about the opening, saying that no home missionary ever examined the contents of a box or barrel with more interest than his family when they gathered round the barrel; the dainty pieces of needle work wrought by the fingers of some of his young people of his first pastorate-and he named them-the sweet pump kins of good old Deacon Reuben Taylor; the doll and other playthings for his children from ours with the names attached. The choice apples and pears from Mr. O., the nuts from the Hildreth girls, etc.
Our fair was conducted on a plan that recommended itself to the good sense and confidence of the people, and apparently there was no need of material change from year to year, or new schemes and strenuous exertion to keep it alive. It went on from year to year quietly and smoothly for the first twenty five years, as it has the twenty-five approaching in the coming October, with little change in its management.
The children who had a part in the first years are no longer young. Their children and grand-children gather around them, reminding them of their own childhood. They recall the gatherings in the old church in the beautiful October days when earth, air and sky told of joy, and peace, and plenty.
Fifty years ago, when Sunday worship in the sanctuary was the rule and not the exception, and there was both a forenoon and afternoon "meeting," in the interval between the two, the children on the farms and in the villages (and our town is a town of many villages, or was half a century ago) became acquainted with each other at church. The repressed vivacity and serious bearing demanded in order to "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," according to the rules laid down by their Pilgrim ancestry, made it a keen delight to come to the meeting-house on a week day, with larger liberty to indulge in a more thorough and free expression of them selves as children-glad, happy, merry children.
August 20, 2011
James Roger diary entry
3rd August 1913
Warm and muggy; wind westerly. Mr. Lord preached from the text "who will show us any good” to a rather thin congregation. Evening service at 7 P.m; not very many present. I wrote to Mrs. Moffat and Miss Handley.
Upcoming Event
163rd Children’s Fair - August 17, 2024
New Ipswich Congregational Church
150 Main Street, New Ipswich, NH
10 AM - 3 PM