Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-06-15
YEARLY MEETING OF FRIENDS.

NEWPORT, June 10, 1893.
nr. Edior-Am / more susceptible than
usual, or was there never such June before
1t may indeed be quite supposable that after
two years of physical goOdfornothingness
nv pleasure in a trife more strength and free
dom of movement has got into my eyes, and
lends some part Of the delight they drink from
sky, hill and field. But really was ever the
green so deep, so rich, so tender. so sweetly
hosptabe to the sunshine Were the groves
ever so full of white shining eyes as beneath
these brilliant moons? | do not know; but
such a ride as e had from Worcester to New
port! Don't be alarmed, l am not going to
attempt description Off / measure my own
resources too accurately for that, be sure
Congratulate yourself therefore on happy
escape, and descend with one from this we'd
ding festival of earth and sky, down, down,
down to the interior of hotel Wait, take
your breath, adjust yourself to these new cir
cumstances, and | meantime will pass on to
another paragraph.
There is class Of men who y. at t,j home
steamboat, or in the cars, or in hotel, and they
become at once the merest Doors on earth. An
instance of this unhappy transformation was
disagreeably forced upon my attention soon
after arrival. 1t served to render more striking
the contrast to which have alluded. ] at first
thought to state the circumstances but why
dwell upon ugly matters a moment longer than
is necessary
A meeting of all who have attended the
Friends School, at Providence, is one of the
features of this occasion. This meeting is
intended, | think, to be hereafter periodical,
recurring once in two or three years. Several
of those who Advocated such movement, and
lent their names to the call, were surprised,
when the call came to be published, to find it
addressed only to male alumni. Considerable
dissatisfaction was felt and not little express
ed, at this rather bigoted exclusion of women,
and at the preliminary meeting, yesterday
morning, it was vigorously censured by
Messrs. Thomas Earle of Worcester and James
n. Butfum flynn. Finally, the former mov-
ed to amend the call, extending it to all grad
yates Of the school, with their husbands, wives,
and children, and this motion, though opposed
in discussion, was carried without dissenting
vote.
Among the persons who take part
in this celebration is the poet Whit
tier. had not seen him for some
years, and it was not only with pleasure,
but with a little of the awe that one feels in
finding himself near very superior man, that
L suddenly perceived near me on Sunday
morning his thin, intense face, and the deepset,
piercing eyes looking SO full of dark fire from
under the powerful jut of his level brows. |
was once more struck with the Semitic form of
the head-high in the dome, and the achole
head mot merely the forehead) soping back
ward We have no other literary man, and
probably shall not soon have another, of a
genius SO distnctvely Hebrew, and the head
is the most refined Hebrew type. His health
has latterly been quite poor He tells me that
for years he has never been able to write more
than about fifteen minutes at time and then
just when warmed up to his work, must throw
down his pen, and vigorously tear away his
mind from the subject He who has never
tasted of the same cup will not easily appreci-
ate its bitterness. at is not the physic-i main
of disease" said Mr.. Whittier, (which is
hard to bear; to be cut off from the doing of
your proper work, that is the real trial" |
pity those whose personal experience has ena
Dled them to know how true this observation
is.
While | am writing, the reunion of Alumni
closes,-at least, the afternoon session of il.
there is to be another this evening-and a
friend who attended furnishes me with the fol.
loving notes :-Pliny Earle NJ. ID q former
teacher OF the school, was chosen President of
the convention, and in the course of his
remarks upon assuming the chair, paid a
beautiful tribute to one of his associate teachers
Moses Ii. Garland, which was received with
cordial cheers. 81 do not feel" said he. like
occupying the place that might have been fill
by him, the one person, of all others, most fit
ted for the chair" Stephen A. Chase, one of
the earliest teachers, next addressed the meet
ing, by request; and, in the course of a very
happy speech, remarked that the qualifications
for teacher forty years ago were ability to
read, write, and cipher alittle--though he him
self fortunately, had some smattering of Eng
fish grammar. DR.. Tobey being then called
upon in very complimentary manner by the
President, expressed his hearty cooperationin
the new movement, and craved the blessing of
Heaven upon the Convention. After some
further remarks by Samuel Boyce of Lynn,
fine letter was read from Moses Garland, and
was received with rounds Of applause. Also
letter from Samuel j. Gummerie was read. and
well received The closing speech of this ses
sion was made by Ex-Mayor Rodman of Prov
idence; after which the meeting adjourned to
u o'clock this evening"
Those who have participated in these festiy.
tiles come back looking happy and declaring
themselves thoroughly pleased. The poet Is
Of this glad-iaced number ono Quaker stiff.
ness there, he says they proved that they
could laugh as joyousy and heartily as any
others" This evening, it is intimated, Qua
ker Young America will come more promi.
nenty forward
have only time to add that the meeting on
Sunday was, from what learn, much as such