The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-02-05
The Judges Father.

At the annual dinner of the Boston bar,
Tuesday evening, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes
was one of the guests, and how he was treated
the following extract from the Advertisers re-
port of the proceedings will show
We are done with officials and public func-
tionaries, said Mr.. Russell, and we come now
to tough subject many-sided, and l know
not on which side to attack him with any hope
of capturing him. / might hail him as poet,
for he was born poet they are all born so. If
he didn't lisp in numbers iG was because he
spoke plainly at very early age. might hail
him as physician and long and well-spent life
in that profession would Justify it; but don't
believe it will ever be known whether he has
cured more cases of dyspepsia and blues by his
poems or his powders and his pills. Uaugh-
ter.) might hail him as professor, and as pro-
lessor emeritus he has added new wreath to
his brow. / might hail him as Autocrat of the
Breakfast Table. for there he had long reign,
and he prolongs it at all our later repasts. He
will defend himself with courage, for he never
showed the white feather but once, and that is
that he does not dare to be as funny as he can.
| loud laughter and applause.) A tough SUBJ
ject, surely, and / must try him on the tender
side, the paternal. give you the father who
went in search OF captain, and. finding him.
presents to us now his son the judge. loud
applause)
DR. Holmes, on rising, held up sheet of pa
per, and said You see before you (referring to
the paper all that you have to fear or hope.
For 35 years l have taught anatomy. have
often heard of the roots of the tongue, but
never found them. The danger of a tongue
let loose you have had opportunity to know be-
FORE but the danger of scrap of paper like this
is SO trivial that l hardly need to apologize for
it. daughter and loud applause) :.
"His Honor's' Father yet remains
His proud paternal pos ure firm in;
But, while his right he still maintains.
To WELD the household rod and reins,
He bows before the filial ermine.
What curious tales has life in store,
With all its must bes ard its may-bes!
The sage of eighty year and more
Once crept nursing on the floor
Kings, conquerors, judges, all were babies.
The fearless soldier, who has faced
The serted bayonets' CLEAN appalling,
For nothing save pin misplaced
The peaceful nursery has disgracsd
With hours of unheroic baw1ng.
The mighty monarch whose renown
Fills up the stately page historic,
Has howled to waken half the town,
And finished off by gulpii g own
His castor oil or paregoric.
The justice who, in gown and cap,
Condemns wretch to stranguation,
Has scratched his. nurse and spilled his pap,
And spraw ed across his mothers lap
For wholesale laws, administration.
All life has many a reef to shun,
Before in port we drop our anchor
But when its course is nobly run.
Look aft! for there the work done,
Life owes its Roadway to the spanker!
Yon seat of Justice well might awe
The fairest manhoods haf-blown summer
There Par ons scourged the iaggard law,
There reigned and ruled majestic Shaw
What ghosts TO hail the last new conner!
One cause of fear family NAME
The dread lest duty's derelction
Shall give so rarely cause for blame
Our gul eless voters will exclaim,
mo need of human jursdictonp'
What keeps the doctors trade alive?
Bad air, bad water; more's the PITY
But lawyers walk where doctors drive,
And etarve in streets where surgeons thrive,
Our Boston is so pure city.
What call for judge OF court, indeed,
When righteousness prevails so through it
Our virtuous car-conductors needl
Only card whereon they read,
"Do right; it's naughty not to do it!'
The whirligig of time goes round
And changes all things but affection;
| One blessed comfort may be found
in heavens broad statute. which has bound
Each household to its heads protection.
If e'er aggrieved. attacked accused,
fire NAV claim sons devotion
To shield his innocence abused,
AS old Anchises freely used
His otfspring's legs for locomotion.
You SMILE You did not come to weep,
Nor my weakness to be showing;
And these gay stanzas, slight and cheap,
Have served their simple Ise,-to keep
fathers eyes from Overlooking,