Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1867-07-19

tho bosom of destruction. In this
slaughter many of the children of our
Mother were o'ertaken. In the
winds of this rushing, mighty tenn
pest many of her precious ones werc
borne TO battle and to death. 1t is
for these that she has been lamenting
! and weeping and mourning. 1t is for
these that her mansion has bcon
for years shroudcd in Grape.
| And this tho grief Of our Parent
was intensified in that ehc had been do
privcd OF her possessions; had been
stripped Of her estates q; had been de-
spoiled of her endo wments. She was
reduced to ponury and to want. Moth
ing was left her but her temple, all
dismantlcd and shorn of it's rich and
costly drapory, and even that sho now
holds by IL tenure, rs slender and as;
! feeble as the morning cobweb.
Because then of grief ard want, our
kind Mother for years refused to be
seen. Her children wero not here to
crowd her halls; sho had not that
with which 20 spread her fcasts; her
spirits were broken; her energies
were destroycd; hcr vivacity gone.
! She closed her gates, sho barred her
doors ard resigned herself to the
| gnaw.ngs Of the cankcr-worm of mel
anchoiy.
! But tic war is over; tho roar Of
: battle is hushed =; tho tramp of con-
tending hosts has died upon the ear !;
tho smoke and tho dust OF
the field haze cleared. Time,
the great assuaxer Of mans
grief, has to some extent soitcncd tho
extreme anguish Of our bcreavcd Pa
rent. Sac is beginning to manifcs.
some concern Cor surviving children,
, who heretofore were buried beneath
!:cc sorrow for the lost. She desires
aY@.n to see our faces she has sum-
noncd lis to her side; she stretches
forth her feeble arms to drew us to
her bosom.
I'VE come, We come, thine eXiled bands
Where ere We rest or roam,
Have heard thy voice in distant lands,
And hasten to our home"
Let US move softly and solcmnfy in
her presence; let us be delicate and
tender in our attentions; let US eschew
tho frivolous and tho gay; let us be
sober, grave, dignified let us address
ourselves to the duty Of consoling
. comforting and of cheering.
And as wo gather around tho ma
, tcrnal boarI, not loaded, tits true
- with v:ands as in days gone by, bu
s. still neat, chaste and inviting; let th'
= conversation take such turn as become
the occasion let it be6t tho attcnu.
ated form that graccs the head Of til
4 table; let it bo with caro- for he
. whose features still present traces G
- gloom, detection and dependency.
y. Oh, let us sootho her feelings b
- gently leading her back in thought t
~ ~ hor halcyon days Of youth and pros
. pcrity; lot us divert her mind b
~ kindly botraying her into the conten
plation of the good size has bestowe
IT upon her children, ana of the blessing
a. which through them, she has co,
- ferred upon society and the world
H. let us cheer her dropping spirits b
~ talking to her hopefully of tho futur
- But here, dropping the allegory, Il
y us to the real facts Of the case, and II
VI stern duties of the hour.
10 When tho appoin tment for this o
~ casion was mado, it was suggests
CT that it might be useful if tho addrc
II were framed, with tho view of strcngt
Il: cning the hands and encouraging Il
o" hearts of the friends of this instit
'o' tuition, and force was attach
8" to the suggestion from tho 70
that tho orator selected W
rd, Of it's first class, was familiar with
lat history, and deeply interested in :
Ter welfare.
LEU Subscribing to the propriety of t
suggestion made, your speak
- will upon the occasion ignore t
- tempting fields of literature; he "
re- avoid the dazzling heights Of sciens
the he will rebuke all desires to illustrs
'ep- in style and in person, tho gifts q
ON. tho graces Of rhetoric and Of -orato
He aoill be hanably intent alone on do
,ar- good.
.ad el