The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-12-25
ONE Of EVAKT'S SENTENCES
His EIucidation of ss Mary Had n
Little Lamb,

I
Few poems have been more general
ly admired or paraphrased in the vari
ous tongues OF earth, than that com
mencing with the lines -
MARY had a little lamb.
! Its fleece was white as snow,
| And everywhere that Mary went h.
The lamb was sure to go.''
Well, the story is now current at the
national capital that the distinguished
Secretary of State, when recently il
jocular crowd of his friends, was
desired TO condcnse into prose these
immortal verses. Urgently solicited
Mr.. Evarts yielded, and wrote as fol-
lows:
"Mary, female, judged to be of the
race of men, whose family name is
unknown, whether of native or for.
eign birth, of lofty or lowly lineage
and whose appearance, manners and
mental cultivation are involved in the
most profound mystery, which, prob
ably never will be fully ascertained,
unless through the most profound re.
searches OF the historian, admirably
trained in his profession, who shall
devote the ablest efforts of his life to
the Investigation of the subject, unin-
fluenced by either passion or preju.
dice, and having only in view the sa-
cred truth, at the same time being ut
terly regardless of the plaudits or CEN
sures of the world. We are informed
by one who, it has been stated, at one
time, while living in that part of the
United States known as Massachu-
setts, whose fishermen have frequent
ly been involved in difficulties with
the authorities of her majesty Queen
Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and
Empress of the Indies, whose domains
extend over large share of the hab-
liable globe, thereby endangering the
peace which go happily should exist
between nations of the same blood and
language, had an infant sheep, of which
there are many millions of various
stocks and qualities in the country,
constantly adding wealth and pros
perity to our republic, aud enabling US
to be entirely Independent of all other
nations for our supply of wool, now
ample for the use of factories already
employed, and for those which ere
long will be constructed in all parts
of our land, working both by water
and steam power, and in whatever di-
rection the said Mary travelled this an
imal whose fleece was snow white,
even as the lofty mountain regions in
ethereal vapors which float over the
autumnal sky, 'darkly, deeply, beau
tifully blue or as the lacteal fluid,
covered with Masses of delicate froth,
found in the buckets of the fair dairy
maid, whether meandering through
the meadows in midsummer, gather
ing the luscious strawberry, strolling
in the woodland paths in search of
wild flowers, visiting the church with
her uncles, cousins and aunts, to listen
tothe inspired words which came from
the lips of the minister of the sanctu-
ary, or when retiring to her blissful
couch to seek rest and enjoy sweet re-
pose after the cares of the day, in fact,
every where that Mary went this use-
full sheep, Influenced, doubtless, by
at affacfiOn which ia sO oft cOnsnic.
uously manifested by the lower ami
mails in their association with human
beings, was ever observed to accom-
pany her."
It is stated that when the pause in
the sentence came, the Secretary, who
read it without an inspiration, resum-
ed his stolid diplomatic countenance,
and all mirthfulness had departed
from'the faces of the once happy COM
Chicago Times.