A Magazine Devoted to the Interests of Young Men and Ladies. IT is pleasant for the children of a family, after years and distance had separated them, to return to the home of childhood, to revisit their aged parents if they are still living-if dead, their graves-and to look again upon all the blest scenes which were familiar to them in earlier life. It is still more pleasant for them all to return at the same time, bringing their children with them, and thus to have all the branches of the aged vine gathered around the parent stem in joyful reunion. How delightful thus to return to the spot whence we went out, after thirty, forty, fifty years have passed, to talk of varied experiences, to recount the history of the family—to rejoice with all the living, and quietly to think of all that are dead. It was our delightful privilege lately to be present at such a reunion of the BAUSMAN family, the homestead of which is near Lancaster, Pa. We were present, not as a member of the family, but as Pastor; and so interesting was the occasion, and so deeply were we impressed with the feeling that great social and religious good must flow from such reunions, that we desire to give some account of it to our readers. We earnestly hope it may suggest to many families to do likewise. Before we speak of the festival, we must give some account of the family itself, as the facts were elicited, in connection with this reunion, from the venerable patriarch of the family, who is still living, and whose youth was on that day renewed, as the eagle's, while he moved in the midst of his assembled generations. Father Bausman was born in 1780, in Freilaubersheim, in the Palatinate, Germany. This village is situated on the west side of the Rhine, a country noted for the fertility of its soil, and the beauty of its scenery. His parents were Henry and Barbara Bausman. At the early age of The thirteen he lost his father. He had one brother and two sisters. enormities of the French Revolution, towards the close of the last century, and the execution of Louis XIV., occasioned a war between France and Prussia, whose bloody theater was the country around his native village. The province was made the scene of a succession of battles, and underwent all the pillage and plunder which followed in its train. Large numbers of French soldiers were quartered upon the village repeatedly, some families being literally crowded with soldiers, whom they were compelled to board, and bear their insults without a murmur. Whenever the French were defeated and compelled to make a speedy retreat, they would rush upon them from house to house, forcing them to give them money and liquor, and often committing the most cruel outrages. At one time the French fell upon the village in this manner, cruelly extorting gifts, whereupon Mr. Bausman and his brother took their infirm mother and speedily bore her over the wall in the back yard with the aid of a ladder, so as to get her beyond the reach of the cruelty of the French. Finally Prussia ceded part of the Palatinate to the French. Whereupon a regiment of French soldiers marched from village to village, demanding that the oath of allegiance be taken, raising poles surmounted with the French flag, and calling upon the inhabitants to shout vive le Francais. Mr. Bausman was led out with the herd, but no army could compel him to shout prosperity to the Godless foes of his fatherland. At length, however, he saw that he would be forced into the French army: having a dislike to a soldier's life in general, and a still greater dislike to fight for the enemies of his nation, he pro.... his passport and sailed for America in the spring of 1802, before the French authorities were aware of his intention. At that time Napoleon Bonaparte was in the ascendant. When he had been five years in this country, he received a letter stating that he had been drawn for the army, and if he did not return forthwith all his property would be confiscated. He refused to obey. The fall of Napoleon, how ver, left him in possession of his property. The army for which he was drawn was the one that made the ill-fated expedition to Russia. Of all his comrades that served, not one returned! Three years after his arrival in this country he was married, in 1805, to Elizabeth Peters, who died in 1851, in a good old age. Over half a century has passed since this patriarch came alone over the water a young man. He has lived to see around him eight children and twenty-five grandchildren, in all thirty-three-only the mother and one son are dead. The heads of this family have from their youth been regular and consistent members of the church, and God has not been forgetful of his covenant in which he includes parent and children. Of this we were forcibly reminded on this day of happy reunion, when the delightful fact presented itself, that among all the children, and the children's wives and husbands, there was not one that was not a member of the church! How many families can rejoice in the same fact. Alas! how are families divided. Must we not fear that there will be comparatively few undi vided families at the judgment of the great day! But, the reader asks, what was done at this reunion, and expects a more particular account. He shall be gratified. Before ten o'clock in the morning the carriages and buggies were already arriving. There were greetings and welcomings, and inquirings, and joy from the least to the greatest, and from the oldest to the youngest. The forenoon was spent in a general mingling of all, from room to room, inside and outside of the house; the children meanwhile ringing their unrestrained joy around. As the sun rose nearer to its noon, it became every moment more certain that the bodily comforts of the happy company were not to be overlooked. That was no day for fasting; and consequently at the good old orthodox hour of twelve, the company was seated around long and loaded tables. Grace was solemnly said, for it had been said there for more than fifty years, and it was no time now to turn heathen and forget the Great Giver of every good and perfect gift. After dinner a few hours were again spent in the most delightful social intercourse. At about three o'clock the whole company collected in the entry and the largest room adjoining, all the children being seated in rows with the venerable patriarch at the head. Religious exercises were then commenced with a hymn in German, beginning thus: "Bis hieher hat mich Gott gebacht Durch Seine grose Gute; Bis hieher hat er Tag und Nacht Bis hieher hat er mich geleit, After the hymn was sung the Pastor read the promise and covenant made by God to Abraham. Gen. 17: 1-10. Also the account of Jacob's lonely journey, his sleep in the wilderness, his glorious vision of the mystic ladder, God's promises to him, and his own vow of new consecration. Gen. 28: 10-22. Closing with David's joyful thanksgiving, in the one hundred and third Psalm. This was followed by a familiar address in which were remembered the changes of the past as exhibited in the history of the family, God's goodness, faithfulness and love, and the happy influence which christianity excites upon families, life and love, and joy. Then, all kneeling down in prayer, we praised God for his goodness in the past, and implored His protection and guidance for the future, closing with the Apostle's creed and the Lord's Prayer. After prayer all joined again in singing the beautiful German hymn, beginning "Bin ich eins deiner Kinderschaar, O Gott, in deinem Reich, So sind mir Leiden und Gefahr After the singing, it was interesting to see the countenances of the little folks, as the venerable patriarch passed from one to the other, dropping a gold dollar into the hand of each one of his grand-children, as a memorial gift. Not merely on this account, but from the impressions made upon their young hearts by the interesting occasion itself, will they remember this joyful day to the last hour of life. After the gifts were distributed, the children were handsomely addressed by the Rev. J. W. Hoffmeier, who was also present on the occasion; and the benediction closed the religious services of this hour-exercises charac terized by deepest devotion, and mingled with many tears of sacred joy and love. What a blessed power-so we mused in our own mind, on the way home at the close of this happy day-what a blessed power is christianity in family life. How it perpetuates its glorious fruits-how it makes parents and children better and happier-how it turns the hearts of parents towards their children, and the hearts of children towards their parents! How dreadful is the thought of a family in which there is no higher power than mere natural affection, pure as it may seem in the eyes of mortals! How awful the thought of a family without a God. How blessed are the words of gracious promise to the families of the Lord. "The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them." We cannot forbear making a few reflections from the history of this family reunion. I. How impressively does it show us the solemn importance of personal piety. The venerable father of this family over fifty years ago, came as a young man and as a stranger from a distant land. Suppose now he had commenced life here, as many young men do, without religion, casting off its holy restraints, caring only for this world, plunging into a life of flesh, and sense and sin. Is it not almost certain that the wrecks and the ruin, which are the sure results of such a course, would now be found in the families that have sprung from him. The branches would have been as the vines-and in the blood, and in the bodies, and in the souls of children and children's children would now be madly coursing the poison of the parent's sin! A thought, the very truth of which makes one's heart tremble. Are there not hundreds of families in whose history all this dreadful picture is realized. Fifty years ago the parent held the destinies of a numerous offspring in his hands and his heart; as he goes they go, as he breaks loose from God they fall with him, as he chooses the way to hell they move in a flock around him. Young reader, just entering on life, look before you fifty years, ask yourself shall scores of souls gather around you as the heirs of life or the heirs of death. These results, glorious or awful, now hang upon you as grapes hang upon a stem. "If pure and holy be the root, Such are the branches too." II. What serious and everlasting consequences flow from the spirit of family life. Whether piety or worldliness and sin reign in the family is everything to the children. The spirit of the family molds the children, silently but surely for good or for evil. It is a true proverb, "the apple does not fall far from the tree." Had Abraham remained amid the idolatry of Chaldea, where would have been Isaac and Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs! They would have been idolators, and the pagan spirit would have reigned in all their families. The family spirit is to children what soil is to plants-the growth will be as the soil. If grace be in it, the plants will thrive. If sin be in it, its fruits will be unto sorrow and death. Let home be ever so homely-let the paternal cot be ever so lowly-let the love of God, the grace of Christ, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be in it, and it is a bosom of powers that shall reign in the earth-a source of harmonies that shall sound down into everlasting ages. III. How blessed and hallowed is the reign of the church in hearts and families. On the day of this family reunion we could not fail in tracing all the joy back to the church as its gracious mother. In every joyful countenance we saw the heavenly smiles of the church; in every tender word of love we heard her blessed tones. She had blessed the father, and had given him such a heart. She had trained the mother, now glorified in heaven, and made her what she was. She had sprinkled every child with "the water and the blood." She had nursed this bundle of fellowships, in her own great, holy bosom of life and love for years. This vine, now so fruitful and flourshing-part of which, like the mystic Joseph, has already grown over the wall into the heavenly side has grown in her soil. Surely within the walls of Zion, the Lord preserves the dwellings of Jacob. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Blessed be the Lord out of Zion! "Thus to the parents and their seed And numerous households met at last, THEY ALL SAY SO. BY X. Y. Z. . I SAW a little infant babe, all innocence and glee, I saw a child of riper years, more sportive still than this, I saw a man of riper age-full thirty years and ten- I saw an aged pilgrim now, with silvery locks and gray, |