The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-08-18


OF those who show by the mystic grip,
Their claim to a near relationship.
And Worthy Brother, we hope that Won
May find this a day of pleas ure too;
sometimes, when you are far away
May you remember this August dav.
And ny tile vehicle of thought,
Revisit this secluded spot;
And catch again by memory's power,
The life and beauty of this hour,
And remember Waldo Patrons claim
To be grangers in heart as well as name.
Claim to be alive and full of zeal,
With shoulders firmly braced ut the wheel
With hands united they boldly stand,
Proud to belong to the Patron ) band;
Glad to work for the cause that has brought
New Joys and honors to the farmers lot.
Our Hall you see is large and nigh,
Reaches far out, and up to the sky.
SO the Order, that we love SO well,
Reaches far out, over hill and dell:
Reaches across rivers and mountain range,
And through the mystic ties of the Grange,
Those who may never see each other
Have interest and love for one another.
These tall straight trees seem trying to rise
Into the purCr air of the skieS,-
Lifting their tops to the sunlight warm.
Proudly dcfying wind and storm.
SO we, by a course straight and true,
Are irving to raise ourselves. too,
Trying. by better motives and WAYS
To get i'll the light of better DAYS.
Trying to raise the husban,man
To his rightful station in the land.
Md tho the storms of opposition
Have tried to break position,
Though prophesieS dire and dread
Have been freely thrown at the granger's head;
Yet we know ali know, the Patrons band
Is a mighty power in the land.
\ power too that has come to STAY,
We trust, till all things pass away.
\ OF will see again these trees are Young,
Their life work is but Just begun,
Yet every year we realize,
They grow in value, beauty, and size.
Every year the dead limbs fall
And leave the rest thrifty and tall.
SO our Order is but thirteen years Old,
o. : 9TH hardly bp tnI
And every year from South and North,
From East and West they still come forth.
Men and women who patiently wait
To be admitted within the gate.
Every year branches dry, and decayed,
That furnish neither beauty nor shade
Are broken from our midst and fall down
Where they bclOng-upon the ground.
And vet we gain by losing these
For societies, as well As trees,
Need some careful hand to trim,
And remove each dry, worthless limb,
That the rest may more thrifty grow,
And to better advantage show
Again it will be quickly seen
That these trees are, rathcr-grecn
Pcrhaps--it may be that some of Won
Are Il little inclined that way too,
| will leave that for you to decide
As suits best your vanity and pride.
A. look around recognize
That YOU are farmers and farmers wives,
That nearly all of those in sight
Are men and women who delight
In the cool freshness of country life,
And all its freedom from noise and strife.
Those who find on their quiet farms
The thousand peaceful, pleasing charms,
That can never be bartered or sold
For heaps on heaps of silver and gold
sometimes, brother farmers, YOU feel sad.
Sort Of discouraged, and kind of mad,
When insects devour and drought comes on
And Kills your potatoes, beans and corn;
When pumpkins and squashcs come to naught
And COWS break into the clover spot;
When hens and chickens maliciouslv scratch
And utterly ruin your onion patch,
And your sheep intrude on Your neighbor:
W hat with the worry fret AMI labor,
You think no other lot compares
With farming-in point of work and cares.
And YOU envy those who live at ease,
Those who take doctors ana lawyers fees,
And think they have not the share
That YOU have of trouble and care.
But am afraid for all mankind,
There is work and care of some sort or Kind,
And the professions oftmes meet
With discouragements and dire defeat.
Sometime farmerS will learn to prize
Their many blessings, and realize
That health and happiness, true and calm,
Are oftenest found upon the farm.
Again you not only represent
The agricultural element
OF Waldo County, but see
\ fact that 5 we'll pleasing to me,
That nearly all of those in view
at least the best looking part Of YOU
Are those who have found 1t for the best
Found it for their own interest
With some Wlde awake grange to unite
| And thus help on the cause of right
| As you remember the weekly meetings
| With their pleasant social greetings,
| The many hints in regard to labor
| That you received from your neighb0r,
| This or that brothers experience
| That saved you perhaps dollars and cents;
As you remember with special favor
Those jolly seasons of hard labor
| When you made such short yet pleasant work
| of custars, and cakes, beans and pork,
| OF coffee pickles, doushnuts. and cheese
| When you remember facts like these,
| DO you not feel you can truly say
| Pm glad am a granger to-day?
| | realize the grange has brought
| Social pleasures to the farmers lot
| And privileges, that car not find
| In other societies for mankind.
| When you pass through the country ana see
That farms are better than they used to be,
| That pains are taken to build up straight
| The lettering wall and leaning gate;
| To set out trees and try and adorn
| Places that used to be bare and forlorn,-
| When you see this, ard know that the grange
| Has brought around this happy change,
| DO YOU not feel that il is cool
| To belong to this great brotherhood?
| Where all are trying to learn the way
| To make their farms and farming pay.
| When we look in our own heart and brain
| We should see grange work there, clear and pla
| If we have proited rs ought
| BY the lessons the grange has taught
| We should have greater charity
| And greater love for humanity.
| If we have faithfully striyen
| To improve opportunities given,
| We should be able to express
| Our thoughts with ease and readiness;
For the grange will improve and cultivate
| The talent we have, whether small or great
| And make us better husbandmen
| Better women and better men.
| But am keeping you away
| From pleaSanter duties of the day.
| Again welcome you one and all
| In our cool tree embowcrcd hall:
| TO this meeting that we hepe may be
| One of pleasure and harmony.
| And at the close of this Council clay
| May every one of us feel to SAY
Pm glad Pm granger, nothing shall change
| MY respect and love for the grange,
| Hereafter will try to do more
For good of the grange than Eve done before.
Response by Sister L. NJ. Bellows, Worthy Ce1
| of the County Council.
We accept the welcome you extend,
| And thank you truly for the same;
Our noble Order Wen defend
Although our efforts may seem tame
Yet be assured our hearts are right,
And though the world may laugh to scOrn;
| Our earnest work Wen keep in sight,
| And shall not falter but grow strong.
The friendly greeting this day given
With kindest feelings of your heart,
BE registered in yOn bright heaven,
When there we meet no more to part.
Your welcome Wen remember long,
| Treasure it up for after years.
| The loving sentiments of song
| May be a balm for falling tears.
This lovely grove, the air, the sky,
Gods own temple, with sunny beams,
| Ought to raise our aspirations high,
| And give us intellectual CLEANS;
| For scenes amid the woods and fields,
| To patrons now are freely given;
| Here thought her richest harvest yields,
| With now and then glimpse of heaven.
| And as time passes DER our heads,
| 10 the Grange be true as in the past;
| If darker shade DER life be spread,
| Our Orlerl keep its bloom the last.
| And may the prints we leave to-day,
| AS we are gliding down the stream;
| To morroW'S waves wont wash away
| Leaving nought but a passing dream.
The Freedom Band was in attendance and d
| coursed acceptable music. Then Worthy st;
Lecturer Richard Nutter, of Dexter, was introduC
and spoke over an hour on points of interest in
| grange movement. Brother Nutter should be k6
more in the field.
| The next session will be held at the Grange HI
and with Northern Light Grange, No 6, Winterpo
on Tuesday, Sept. 18th at 10 O'Clock A. NJ. The p
gramme is as follows: Song by the choir; Openi
| exercises; lecture by w. Lecturer; essay by Sis
| Ritchie song, Ada York; recess; dinner, basil
| picnic. Afternoon, song by choir; discussion
| question Resolved that Thoroughbred stock is b
| ter for the common farmer than grade stock; p
Aver. an, Fred Ritchie Neg; song by Sister by,
| discussion of question Resolved that the sisters
| not take that place in the Grange that our Ord
gives them the right: Sister Oracle Bowen, al
Sister VIM. Richie, neg; song by the choir closi
exercises. wv. L