The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-05-28

castle that even in It's ruins suggests the pomp and
circumstance OF opulence and power. gay party
OF youths and madens have clambered up to look
at t and from It, Foremost, the first to arrive out
stripping her lover, Il beautiful girl, richly
dressed herself a flushed dream of loveliness,
child OF afhuence and luxury, who for one brigh
summer morning spices the ennui of safety with
fresh touch of nature and the pure breath of the
mountain air. 1t is a rare picture and yet wish
some artist might draw in Imagination can see,
that poor, ragged, bare footed boy who had never
known a luxury OF food or clothing, or Amusement
whose feet were torn with thstles, who clim bed
that Oxford hill and who, though he looked not on
baronal castles or landscapes uxuriant with vines
yet thrilled with a New England boys pride in his
fathers freehold and with a New England boys
prophetic Inconsistencies. IL L may SO say, of a
chance and future for Kim also in the world
well as for the most favored child of fortune for
him Latin grammar, though a borrowed one-for
him an entrance into the academy-though for but
single term-tor him place in the community
and claim on it's respect and honors-and for him
at least the to give his children the op-
portunities of education and learning which had
been denied himself Pardon me If / recall this
and the universal haIdships of thoss days-the
great fami les of ehildren-the narrow means even
the nelgh6oriy nding and borrowing from the
pork barrel-the iootings knit Of winter nights to
buy the poor luxury now and then of groceries IN
the village the rude unfinished house round which
the snow-blast howled the green wood drawn
from the nights snow drift and cut and split to
make the morning fire on the open hearth the
coarse. plain UNMARRIED fare the long hard, poorly
paying journeys to distant markets. the stress of
debt, the tugging STRAIN of years to turn tho wood
lawn into tillage, and yet, running through all this
and humor, and also the courage, The Pilgrim earn
estness, this religious faith the love of family and
country, the hope and sacrifice for children, the in
born instinct of the freehoder which redeemed and
glorihed all else and today command our respect
and pride as the qualities OF no other anee stry
could. II it was poverty it was not the poverty of
dependence or charity disparagement in any
FORM but poverty with indepen fence and pride,
living within such means as was its own, and tDd-
ing enough even at that with which to build the
church and the academy, to keep the Law, to have
the echOol-master. to buy book, to get the con-
fonts OF tue newspapers, to understand the ole
ments of constitutional and commcn law, TO vote
honestly and intelligentv to 20 to The legislature
to discuss in town meetings the affairs Of town and
State and country and TO HI out the full measure
of the enlightened citizen of the republic do not
forget that there other and very marked shad-
inss of the pictule but this was the sort of men
who were most distinctive to Oxford county and
who gave it character. What splendid stock it was!
What sturdy English names-those Mitchells Lin
coins, Homeses, LoriDgs Emerys, Parsons, yloIs,
CushlDgs, Halls, Bicknells, PerTys washburns,
Hamlins Aldens Mortons, Whitmans and hundreds
more Hardy family, however hard its hght
with adverse circumstances, that has not been a
contributor to the enterp Use, the scholarship, the
craftsmanship, the patriotism that have made our
country great.
In every avenue of its usefulness you find their
trace. You hear their eoquence in every court and
congress. And you saw the fash of their swords in
men of oxford with pride and gratitude. No mar
row scope was theirs. They nursed the schools.
They valued ana exemplihed and maintained the
education of the people. They cOutended for good
politics. They discussed fundamental issues
Could you awake the voices of the past, you would
hear them also trea5 Of reform-of tariff and rev.
enue, of the relations of the general government
to its local eomponeuts with all the vigor and en-
lightenrnent which We sometimes think to be the
exclusive attainment of our own time.
L thank yoD. sir, for permitting me to join with
you IN your tribute to Oxford. The occasion
touches me very tenderly, tor ir my heart
and betrays my utterance into sacred memories of
my own boyhood and home. They came freshly
back 10 me, as yours to you. ard stand again at
the threshold of opening world with the suurse
face. Again sit tl9 blessed family fire.
side, unconscious then of the love, uBthinking of
the fervent devotion of my welfare and advance
now looking back is ali so clear. knew not then
that angels wings brushed my cheek. Now strain
my eyes to heaven TO catch their fight.
After brief remarks by DIR. A. j. Fuller of
Bath, in which the speaker referred to the
pleasure be had taken in his connection with
the bears, Mrs. @. s. Woodbury. read the fol-
lowing poem, written for the occasion:
The Meeting of the Bears.
There are growls deep and low, and growls low and
deep.
AS forth from their winter of rest and of sleep
The bears from the forest so stealthily creep
And come out into the light.
There are bears young and old and bears short and
tall.
Bears shy and retiring, big, tat, lem and small,
And bears brave and daring, they come at the CALL
And hasten out to the light.
Ihere are pears VINO are sad, bears B0n7ey and gay
There are bears who by time are sprinkled with
And the long winter nears to some as they stray
And come out into the light.
They come from pine barrens, from murmuring
rls,
From high, rocky submits; our good city fills
With strength flom the mountains and old oxford
hills
AS they come into the light.
From Waterford, Lowell, from Paris and Stowe,
From Brownfeld, and Hiram. from far Mexico;
And where trees of Greenwood and Giead blow,
They came out into the light
From Behels green hills and her fair hidden dales,
From Denmark, from Fryeburg, whose Droad inter-
wales
Are bathed by the stream from the ''the lake that
ne'er fails"
They come out into the light
From Sumner, from Sweden, Dixfeld and Peru
From Norway, and Hebron, from Albany too
And other fair spots which the hears love TO view
They come out into the light.
Great love of liberty shows in each face.
AND rarely bear has been beat in the race,
For they are good Walkers and strong in the Chase
And they come out 10 the light.
In neighboring State are patriots strong,
VINO waited with patience. who waited for Long,
The bear who should come to bring right OUT of |
wrong,
And lead them into the light.
Bears too, have their (K) nights, and when freed
from the moil
And the care OF the day. they rest from their toll,
Like the Vtrgin so wise. they carry their oil,
So they come into the light.
There are bears with the scalpel bears with the |
Bears holding high office in nation and town,
And bears who as ministers served to the crown
They all come out to the light
And Simons (symonds) and Andrews, whose name
sakes OF yore
Were fishermen on Lake Gennesaret's shore.
Their eomings (cummings) and goings we've oft |
Now they come into the light.1
And now, as we gaze, come two bears side by side.
One well known to the Times, and one when de- |
Will show us a WONDER Ia bear Argus.eyed;
And they, too, come TO the light.
They hungry, these BEARS and longing for food,
So they come TO the dinner plenty and good,
They are tired OF berries (barys that gov in the
Wood,
So they come into the light.
To this eden Of bears, they joyfully come
AS so many adams when driven from home,
The welcome received makes their growlingsl all |
dumb,
As they come into the light.
They are sturdy and true the strength of the hills
Has toughened their muscles, has strengthened /
their Wills;
The free air Of mountains in every pulse thrills
AS they come into the light.
They have honor and pride that cannot be bought |
We are proud for the strength their manhood has |
brought,
May their summers be long, their winters be short
And they come into tie light.
Now here's to a hearty good speed to each one;
And after the battles of life are all won
May each at the sound Of the gracious swell |
done'
Go gladly into the light
Mayor Deering was called upon, and referred |
briefly to the number of the sons and daugh-
ters OF Oxford, who have filled positions Of /
prominence in this and other States,
Col. e. @. Pennington followed Mayor Deer
ing, and spoke as follows:
Col. Harrington brought to the meeting the i
greeting of Fryeburg. who felt proud of her ances
try, for she was settled by OF superior Abilities
many of them graduates of Harvard. Among
them were Gen. Joseph Frye, the great-great-
grandfather Of Senator Frye, the distinguished In
dian fighter, whose name is connected with Love
wells fight, fought on Fryeburg ground, Judge Ju-
dab Dana, styled by Clay the six weeks senator
from Maine,' and to whom he administered in turn
a scathing rebuke; james W. Ripley, Enoc h Lin