Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-14
PIcNIcs.
TIVE Cay Festivals Ysstsrday-HsrnaRdO
aad James Parks tie Scenes Of
Pleasure.
- oHURoR suNpAr soHooL.


eRAOE CHURCH sUEDAY SCHOOL.
The children Of this school had their
| May festival yesterday at fernando Park,
The boys and girls assembled at Grace
Church early in the morning, and got
themselves In readiness to proceed in q
body to the park by ten o'clock. The
fernando street cars were called into re-
QUESTION to land the little ones at the
park gate free of dust or WEAKNESS In a
few minutes. After being rested and
sweetly refreshed under the shade Of the
green trees,
PROCESSION
was formed inside the gate, and the merry
makers marched to q rustic throne b q
had been prepared for the queen, Mics
Annie Humphreys. The march was a
dignihed as well as pretty affair. Her
royal, floral, beautiful msjesty, attended
by two maids and two gallants. the Misses
Willie Patterson and Matte FOlweu and
Masters William Taylor and Walter
Aiken. They did the honors of the occa.
sion with admirable urbanity and grace.
The procession was maueuvered in a
martial style by Master Walter Gregory,
q Young gentleman that was intended for
a Maiof-Gsneral, sure. Her majesty as
cended her seat 10 q am to be remem-
bered, from whence she dispensed smiles
worthy of the Queen Of May. She was
crowned with a wreath Of flowers and a
soeptre put in her hand, as 3 badge OF her
authority. The customary poetical sd-
dresses were made all round, and the
orator OF the day, Herman Ray, delivered
his speech. We made q few notes which
we give:
THE GRAFTON.
Il is with great pleasure that I am per-
mitted to address you, my friends, upon
this occasion, where the frightened
msidens and brave youths Of our Sunday
school are here assembled, upon this
bright Msy-day, in accordance with the
t-ime-honored custom of browning our
Queen. Ny s%oiOurn of a year or two in
the land beyond the Potomac renders this
festival to me one Of unusual pleasure,
now that l am allowed again to mingle
with the sons and daughters Of brave
Dixie. Ali this absence rom the land Of
cur birth, gives Us, upon our return, a
ksener appreciation Of the bright skies
and beautiful groves Of our fair South
land. IL puzzles one, upon looking
around him, seeing so much grace and
beauty, to select the Queen of his heart;
but her Msiasty, U crowned sovereign,
uUquestiOnably calls for the loyalty Of her
subjects, and we yield 10 in sill submis
sion. Ia the fsr-Off long ago, when the
sturdy youths and Joyous maidens of
LubEEI6 EuElduu WEEH "DAL 10 gamer VIII I
their Queen for a dance around the May
pole, wreatbed with its bright garlands, I
think Inst not in the length and breadth
Of Albion could have been found
so gOOdly a co pany as We
see here assembled to-day, TO enjoy the
beautiful spring time.
When in the air, the sound Of bird notes,
On the breeze the breath Of flowers,
O'sr the sky the silver cloud floats;
Thus steal on the summer hours.
The beauty Of nature, as we see 1t
around us to-day, should it not be as the
voice of a grand old mother, speaking to
her children, bidding US to strive 70 20
onward and upward in the race which is
set before us, entering with energy, and
following with zeal all things worthy of
sons and daughters of q Christian race;
guided AZ we are by faithful teachers. and
last, but by no means least, our beloved
Rector, whom Virginia, our dear old
mother, has sem to care fOrithe children of
her daughter, bright Tennessee, as she
peacefully rests on The banks of the grand
old Father of Waters. Far of in the
vague and misty future, who can tell what
changes may be wrought or what trials
may beset the path of some here among
us3 Then, if dark clouds arise, will not
this picture rise up before US to cheer and
gladden. the otherwise dark and gloomy
pathway. This Msy-day festival, with
It's bright skies overhead, the green sWard
DsneaJh, the strains Of sweet music, TO
restless, happy feet kept time,
0lithe voices heard in merry laugh, ali
will seem to rise up clear before Us like
some beautiful painting hung in the
Of the bright and happy past.
Childhood hours are, they tell Us, the
lappiest of our lives, and to-day, upon
looking around, this would seem TO be in
iisputsble; for here we see no clOuded
brow nor carewOrn face to tell of disap-
hopes and WEAKNESS of life. All
8 fresh and bright 10 our young minds,
md we mUststrivetO remember lis the in
lOcence OF youth which makes it the
portion of our lives. Then, my
shall we not strive, with the as
of our Father, TO keep the years
If cur after life unspOttei and clear from
amt. If so, / feel we should retain the
happiness, and, TO a great degree, the
freshness Of u childhood days.
To our teachers do We not owe a Jribute2
They who meet with us, and by their !
and love instruct US ia all which
ends to make noble men and women of Z
he Sunday school scholars Of Grace [
Msy they be sbundsntly re- }
for their labOrs, and we know in Z
.ur hearts will be snshriued the faces of
hose who strive to direct our thoughts
nd awaken our interest in that which
'ertsins to make us nObler and better. T
May we have many repetitiOus of this J
oyUus anniversary, and may our liege
4dy have no rebelliOus subjects, bat that
year of her niajssty's reign be one of
.reat peace and unprecedented prosperity.
Long live gentle Queen Annie in undis- /
,uted possession OF her rights, as the /
Ovsreign queen Of Grace Church Sunday /
choOl. I
This concluded the formal part of the 4
proceedings. The important sec I
ion anne next, that Of provisioning the
)rces. II was done in a miscellaneous, I
Jlly sort of way that had an exhila IA =
Ing effect. The fernando Park
a pretty little old fashioned,
uriCus sort Of al inclOsurs, whsre the Z
rsss grows knee high, where there Is no
ust to speak of, and where a being Of a
uiet, harmless disposition might, under
srtBin circumstances, enjoy himself. II 3
las made a happy scene yesterday by the Z
ressnCe OF a great number of little psO- Z
10. After lunch, the amuseme ats of the q
sy we're entered on with that gort Of
igor which Chsrscterizes hearty children,
n 3 dsy Of pleasure bent. There was q
tile band on the ground that made B
Iusic, so that the Young ones might ,
auce when they felt like iJ. There was b
a soda water font, where they could r
axe their thirst. The evening was
.esssutly spent. B