The Portland daily press., 1882-12-25

| battle of life by his teaching, counsels and ex-
| ample. -
am aware of the instructive delicacy that
-faaaaGs.z .sa-scnal sllusion, but our re-
| spected friend must permit me to say, as one
| of the number, in behalf of the rest as well as
| of myself, that we always found in him the
| faithful teacher, the kind friend, the Chris
| tan gentleman, who pointed out the path of
| duty and showed us how to walk therein, and
| that on leaving our Alma Mater we carried
| with US and have ever cherished for him sentl-
| ments of affection andregard Teacher of teach
ers, long may he be spared, by his words and
his life to instruct and to guide, realizing that
| the work he has begun is going forward, that
| his influence will continue to extend in an in
| creasing circle after all who have listened to
| his voice shall have passed away.
/ will no longer delay you, as 1t is to others
you Will have the pleasure of listening. 1t is
enough to have deserved the encomium OF our
own illuStrious poet.
.Honor and re verence and good repute
That follow faithful service as its fruit
Be unto him whom living we salute.
AT the conclusion of Mr. Brsdbury's remarks
James P. Baxter, Esq, read poem of much
excellence, written by him for the occasion.
Mr., Bakers poem is as follows:
GREE Ting TO THE MENTOR.
all Sage revered! all hail! We, poor of speech,
Greet thee 0 Mentor of our laureate!
Though hardly may our voices overreach
A days brief space, our love for thee is great;
For, ia the way which led to Fame's fair gate,
Thou vert the first to set his feet untried;
The first his youthful steps to guard and guide.
1t was but yesterday we crowned him here
With leaves he cherished more than leaves of bay;
Since they had grown within the woods so dear
To his lost YOUTH when all the future lay
In bade and bud, fair field in May,
Not limiting of the sheafs so dry and sere,
Experience soon must reap with many a tear.
We greet thee from our hearts: yet, well we know
Not as the Master skilled in speech would greet
His well loved Mentor, were he here, but now,
To look upon thy face, and voice each beat
OF our full hearts; for our lips no heat
Hath any coal from Songs high altar shed,
Nor through our veins the inspiring ichor Sped
But gentle Teacher, though we may not bring
To thee the tribute of inspired song;
Ne fain would cheer thee with such words as
spring
To verbal life and dissonantly throng
On our rude lips: SO, as We halt along.
An antique story we to thee will tell
Of one who in great Athens once might dwell.
OpOu SOId0u dltcruOOu,
When birds trilled in the hedges, and the bees
Hummed to the drowsy flowers one changeless tune
A man of aspect grave, like who sees,
Or strives to see things men call mysteries;
Walked toward the Agora with troubled face,
AS he would solve riddle hard to trace.
Into the Agora, this moody wight
Wandered like one sistraught, what time the crowd
Thronged toward the Pnyx, to catch, If so they
might,
Some drops of wisdom from the surcharged cloud
Of eloquence, which soon would burst aloud
From the imprisoned lips of Pericles.
Pride of a day, he swayed with Jovean ease,
He heard the plaudits of the throng, and saw
Their idol stalk along with helmed head,
AS was his wont in time of peace or war;
Yet went not with them; bu in silence fed
Upon his thoughts, until his feet were led
Where the grand Stoa of Basieius frowned
With statues of immortal heroes crowned.
He passed the Eleutherius, where the art
Of that bright age had limned for all to see
Such things as sir within the human heart
Heroic chords. yet cried he bitterly,
These, who so grandly wrought, were but like me.
Yet now, they are as gods in all mems eyes,
Like that man in the Pnyx who thunders lies.
The temple of Apollo past he BY
The Tholus;-Aphroditess temple fair
And drew the altar of the gods anigh,
Where heroes glorious beyond compare
In marble seemed to breathe the common air.
On these he fixed awhile his eager gaze,
Muttering his thoughts like one in sore amaze,
"These men once walked like me the sluggish
Earth,
Felt. thought loved, hated, laughed and wept like
me,
Yet reign now as the gods above the dearth
| Of dread oblivion whilst I, seeming free,
| Go with the human flock which stupidity
Trots to the shambles of forgetfulness,
Without Turing bait or smooth caress.
SIT shall not be! /, too, will climb the height
| Where Fame's high house forever brightly beams,
| And stand amidst the great ones. though blight
| The hopes of lesser men. No more of dreams!
| No more of struggling with what only seems!
| For L will carve way to Fame's high seat,
| Through veal and woe; through triumph and de-
| feat"
| So, casting off his troubled look, he strobe
| Like one who hath awaked from some strange spell
| Toward the Acropois, while past him flowed
| The refux tide of men with mighty swell
| Into the market place,-and, when night fell,
| Crouching statues creeping shade within,
| He planned the course tomorrow should begin.
| About the Virgins chamber, Artemis
| From her white crescent shed chilling light
| And one by one the listening ear would miss
| wonted sound, until the waning night
| Lapsed into such deep silence that fight
Of heavenly wings had not seemed strange to hear,
| Nor sight Of ghosty face awakened fear,
When, suddenly before the musing wight
All intervening things dissolved in air;
And beamed in splendor to his dazzled sight
The statue of Athena passing fair,
A stylus blazing like star she bare,
And on tablet was about to write
The names which Fame had bruited left and right.
Then came wondrous vision of the kings
Who once had swayed the world, in rich array
Purple and scarlet; gems and golden rings;
They glittered past him in pageant gay
Glorious to look upon with eyes of clay.
'Surely these mighty ones must at the head
| OF great Athena's list be placed he said
| But, looking on them with sad, searching eyes,
| She shook her head and murmureds Ali not these
Whom the gods set DER men, that they through
| wise
And godlikeacts, might lift them through degrees
Of growth to nobler living; for to please
Their baser selves, they scorned the common veal
And crushed men with expressions cruel heel"
So passed Earth's rulers; and each august name
She wrote far down upon the eternal page;
| When 10! another splendid vision came
| In warlike guise, great heroes, who the gage
Oft at Deaths feet had cast in noble rage
AL who through strife Fame had exalted high,
Swept, even like the gods, triumphant by.
"Ah! cried the dreamer "Here my lot cast
| With these triumphant ones, whose deeds Of nigh
Dazzled the world:' but, as they proudly past
He saw the wise Athena sadly write
Their pamesl low down the page in lines of light,
And writing, said, "Great opportunities
To serve their fellows the gods gave to these"
"'Twas theirs the rights of weaker men to guard,
And by preserving peace, promote their veal,
But the gods purposes they proudly marred
, And. fostering STRIFE bound nations to the wheel
OF wasting war; with chains more strong than steel
i That they might feast upon that JOY unknown
To men whom noisy Fame forgets to own"