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��NEW HAMPSHIRE ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY.

In yonder harbor there is calm, A golden sunset o'er the hills Illumes the sky with changeful glow, Which shines on land and sea below, With wondrous beauty ; quiet fills The little sea-port, save the flow Of wavelets on the beach, and rills Whose murmurs are its evening psalm, And one looks out upon the sea, And wonders when a ship will come, — So long expected ; then with fright, Recalls the dream of yester-night ; The sinking ship, the haggard face, And ghostly eyes that haunt her still, And cries to Heaven, "Can it be true? Shall love and hope thus have their due?" But years must answer ; Heaven is dumb, And works its own almighty will, In ways that mortals cannot trace. Thus one is waiting by the sea, While fades the golden, sunset light, While from the East, the shades of night Steal o'er the waters silently.

��THE NEW HAMPSHIRE ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY.

��BY REV. SILAS KETCHUM, PRESIDENT.

��This Society was the out-growth of a previous organization, of a strictly pri- vate character, called The Philoma- Thic Club, formed at Hopkinton, Nov. 19, 1859. for social enjoyment and lite- rary improvement ; and whose member- ship was limited, to seven. In the lapse of years these members became dispersed Into five different states. Once at least, each year a meeting was held, at which so many as could be were present. Nearly all were men of liberal education and of literary pursuits. Common proclivities of mind and taste induced them to col- lect whatever fell in their way that was unusual and curious. Without any de- sign, but by common consent, these arti- cles were brought to the meetings and deposited in the club-room at Hopkin- ton. This process went on for fourteen years. In 1872, the head-quarters of the Club were established at Contoocook. The collection of curiosities began to at- tract attention. Visitors to examine it

��were frequent. Most of these thought of something they could add to it, and thus it was constantly increased. Without at- tempting a speciality of any kind, gradu- ally Indian implements and remains, and the obsolete appliances of a historic past in New England life and industry, began to assume the more important place. Many samples of the clumsy tools and rude contrivances of our ancestors, the uses of which were known to the present generation only by history and tradition, began to appear in the collection. The donation also of some curious books and papers had formed the nucleus of a li- brary.

By the end of 1872, it became apparent that the Club must either cease this kind of work, or enlarge its membership, in order to meet the expense of accommo- dations for its growing collections. But these had already become of interest and of some value. Besides, "use doth breed a habit in us." With the prosecution of

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