The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1884-03-27

flag, and with my arm in hts Stlch a storm
of applause as greeted the appearance, |
never heard before or since. Behind and on
each side of us were the rows of crippled sol
diers, in front the vast audience, cheering u
the echo. Hooker quailed before the warm
reception, and, growing nervous, said to ms
In an undertone:
"I can stand the storm of hattie, but this
Is too much for me-
leave it to me- said l; I arm an old
hand behind the footlights will divert the
strain from you. So quickly dropped upon
my knee, took fold of the silken flag and
pressed it to my lips. This byplay created a
fresh storm of enthusiasm but steadied
Hooker and he presented the flag very grace
fully, which accepted in fitting words.
MURDOCH's READING.
II then drew the poem Read had written
from my pocket and, with proper introduc-
ton, began reading it to the audience. The
vast assemblage became still church
during prayer time, and | read the first three
lines without pause. and then read the
fourth:
u nuer his spurning feet the road
Like an arrowy Alpine river flowed,
And the landscape bowed away behind.
Like an ocean dying before the wind;
And the steed, like Il bark, fed with fur
mace ire
Swept Oh with his wild eyes full of fire;
But 10! he is nearing his hearts desire,
He is snutfing the smoke of the roaring fray
With Sheridan only five miles away.
LAS this verse was finished the audiencs
broke into tumult OF applause. Then
read with all the spirit could command:
THE first that the general saw the
groups
OF straeglers. and then the rstrratinS troops;
What Was done-what to do-a glance told
him both,
And striking his spurs with terrible oath,
He dashed down the lines mid n storm of
hurrahs,
And the wave of retreat checked lis course
there. because
The sight of the master compelled it to
pause.
With foam and with dust the black charger
was gray,
By the flash OF his eyes and his nostrils play
He seemed to the whole great army to say,
i have brought you Sheridan all the way
From Winchester town to save the day
THE sound of my voice uttering the last
word had not died away when cheer after
cheer went ap from the great concnurse that
shook the building 10 It's very foundation
Ladies' waved their handkerchiefs and men
their hats, until worn out with the tervor of
the hour. They then demanded the authors
name and | pointed to Reai who was
sitting in box, and he acknowledged the
verses In such IA setting and upon such an
occasion as | have been able only family to
describe to you, the poem Of Sheridans ride
was given to the weld. 1t was written in
about three hours, and not "A word WAS ever
changed after | read it from the manuscript
except by the addition of the third verse
which records the fifteen mile stage of the
ride.
But there's a road from " inch.~tcl town
good, broad highway, leading down
And there. thro' the flash of the morning
light,
A st1ed rs black as the -t,..ls Of night
" rs seen u pas, n win Gag flight;
rs II he knew tn. terrible need
lie stretched away with the utmost speed:
hills r,sse and feil-hfit his heart was gay.
with sheridan fifteen miles away
This Mr., Read wrote while on his way
shortly after first real the puem to attend
birthday reception 10 William Cullen
Bryant
Mr.. Read read the poem, TINS completed
at Mr.. Bryant's birthday party. The great
old man listened Ia every line of it, and then
taking the younger post by the hand said
with great warmth:
=" That poem will live as long as Iochis
war;