Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-12-12
Honors to the Auto:rat Of the Breakfast
Table.

Honors to the Auto:rat Of the Breakfast
Table.
, The publishers OF the -itldHttc HOHthtt
Messrs. Houghton, Osgood n Co, gave
breakfast to Prof Oliver Wendell Holmes
at the Hotel Brunswick in Boston, on We'd
nesday. in commemoralion of his 10th birth
day. Though in terms Il ''breakiast,' "A
befitted an ovation to the Autocrat of Tia
Breakfast Table, it was in fact dinner, t
which the guests sat down at 2 O'Clock. |
is called the most brilliant dinner party tina
Boston has seen for many years. Longfellov
and Lowell were absent, but Emerson
Whittier, Mrs. Stowe, Mrs. Howe, Ros
Terry Cooke, Miss Preston, Mrs. Diaz
Charles Dudley Warner, Mark Twain, How
els, I'll. H., Col. Higginson, Nora Perry
Miss Sprague, Cranch, Trowbridge, JOIN
Burroughs, James Freeman Clarke, Charlie
Francis Adams, Jr., Edward Atkinson, Mis-
Jewett, Aldrich, Stedman, Lucy Larcom
Col. Waring, John Fisk, Mrs. Moulton, Rose
Hawthorne Lathrop Mrs. Julia c. II. Dorr
James Parton and many more were there il
|
letters of regret Mrs. Howe sat bctweei
Mr.. Howels and Mr.. Fields, as ifto indicate
that an old feud which has long excluded
her from the -itLratc had come TO peace
full end. Mr.. Emerson escorted Rose Terry
10 the table
The breakfast was preceded 10y "A reception
in the ladies' parlOr. 1t was nearly O'Clock
| when the company entered the large and
hancsome dining hall, which was beautifully
adorned with flowers, embowered in which
! were portraits Of Longfellcw, Holmes, Whit
tier, and other literary notabilities. After
the cloth was removed the company was
welcomed by Hon. II. O. Houghton, who
closed neat address with the sentiment
THE Autocrat of the Breakfast Table. O
king! live forever
DIR. Holmes responded to AIr. l!oughton
by reading his poem.
DIR. HOLINESS POEM.
THE IRON GATE"
Where is this patriarch YOU are kindly greeting:
Not unfamiliar 10 my ear his name,
| Nor yet unknown, 10 many joyous meeting,
In days long vanished.--ls he still the SANE :
Or changed by y,ars.-forgotten and forgetting
Dull-earcd, dim-sighted. slow of speech ana
SIN DER the sad degenerate present fretting
Where all goes wrong and nothing as II ought.
Old age the gray-bear,l, well indeed know him,
ShrunA, to,tering. bent, OF aches ani Ills the
prey.
In Sermon story, fable picture poem.
OF have met him from my earliest day.
In my Old .Esop, ioiling with his bundle
His load of stIcks,-politely asking death.
Who comes when called i"r.-would ne lug or
trundle
And sad "Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher
Has lie not Stamped the image on ms soul
In thai last chapter where the wOrIl-nut teacher
signs Oer the loOsened cord, the broken bowie
Yes. long indeed I've known him at a distance.
And now my lifted dDOr-lItch shows him here,
take his shrivelci hand without resistance
And nnd him sinngas his step draws near.
What though of gllei hIubles he hereave7 us
Dear TO the heart of youth, 10 manhnod'S prlme:
Think of the calm he brings, the wealth he leaves
us,
The boarded spoils, the I,gac,es Of time!
Atars once flaming, still with incense fragrant;
Passions uneasy nurslings rocked asleep;
Hopes anchor faster, wild desire less Vagrani.
life's f"" less noisy, tut the stream how deep'
Siill, a. the silver cord gets worn aud slender.
It's lghirnei task-worh tugs with le-,ening
strain:
Hands get more helpful voices grow more tender.
soothe with their softenri tones, The lumberouS
brain.
Sis by the rakeI-up ashes of the past,
Npoa & hIi lhin hands above the whitening en-
That warm lis creeping lie blood tIl the last.
Dear to lis heart Is every loving token.
That comes unbIIen ere iis pulls. pfus, cold
Ere The last lingering ties of lie are broken,
lis ldhers ended and lis story Told.
An, when arounl Gs rosy youth reJucrs
For us The sorrow-llden hrcczc- sigh
Aud through the chorus OF lis locund voices
lhrohs me sharp note OF misery : hopeless cfl.
As on the clu,y ,lii.a, ut fancy iyng,
From snIi. tat orb i.ltrk our wateiy sphere
Home of the struggling. suffering doubtng DIV
ing
The silrereI gloenlc seems 4 glis,enins tear.
But nature lends her mirroroi illusion
10 WIN nom sai'irnins scenes our aged limmcd /
And misty day dreams blend In sweet confusion
The Winirl Landscape and ,h' summer skie7.
50 when the iron portal shuts hehnIul
And life fnrsril ia its noise and Hhirl
Visions that shunne the gnring MONDAY nui US. !
And gllmmefing starlight shows the gates OF 4
pearl
come not here your morning hour 10 sall-n.
lllnpng Pilgrim leaning nn hts stail -
who have never deemed II sin 10 gladden.
This vale "i sorrows with a Wholesome laugh
Il word OF NINE another's gloom has Enlightened.
Through my dumb lips the helye:i-sent message /
came:
Il hand of mine anotheis task has lightenel
II felt the guidance thai II ,iares n,t claim.
But q, my gentle sisters o IN, hrotner.!
These thick sown snow-rakr- hint oI Toll re
lease,
These feebler pulses bid me leave tp others
The tasks once welcome, evening asks Tor Psare
ime Claims his tribute, silence nov Is gnl,lcn-
Let me not VcN the too long -uiirring lyrc
though 10 your love untrlng still bcnodrn,
The curfew tells me-cJver up the lire.
And warmer hrart than hook or word can tell
n simplest phrase these traiiorau4 eyes are tear
ful-
Thanks. hrotAcr-. sisters, children Fare
well
Editor HoWell5 OF the 4itl,tAtic followed
With remarks Of a humorous sort lie had
omewhat TO say of the women who have
lad 50 much to do for the AAdntic; allud-
NJ, as Mr.. IIoughton did, to Mrs Stowe,
whose great novel, iliad and parable in one,
emains sole and grand as its occasion" Il
esire,' said Mr. Howells, ito salute her
rst OF the women to whom We bow in the
rst and only toast | shall read This
oast was read hy Mr. Aldrch and answered
y Mrs. Howe, who spoke finely, and also
cad poem.
Mr.. Whittier furnished the following poem
or the occasion