February 23.-—We took in two hundred dollars to-day at the fair. We wound up with an auction. We asked Mrs. George Willson if she could not write a poem expressing our thanks to Mr. Backus and she stepped aside for about five minutes and handed us the following lines which we sent to him. We think it is about the nicest thing in the whole fair.
“In ancient time the God of Wine
They crowned with vintage of the vine,
And sung his praise with song and glee
And all their best of minstrelsy.
The Backus whom we honor now
Would scorn to wreathe his generous brow
With heathen emblems—better he
Will love our gratitude to see
Expressed in all the happy faces
Assembled in these pleasant places.
May joy attend his footsteps here
And crown him in a brighter sphere.”