The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-06-04
RESPONSE OF JOHN. H. MARTIN,
OF the New Mississippian, to
Address of Welcome at West
Point:

dH uOto NY utdIlg NY IccpOuSC
would tear the roof off the house
Kind people of West Point, | thank
you in the name of the mighty
Press OF mississippi, which YOU
see assembled before you in all OF
Its intellectual majesty, its gran
deua aud its new store clothes.
We are glad to see that the people
here appreciate the great honor
4 that we have conferred upon them,
BY allowing them TO provide free
entertainments for a week and go
to any other expense they may de-
sire 10: our benefit.
We have come upon the fair city
of West Point like the wolf in the
told. We bave come from the COW
counties and the river bottoms
from the Eden land of the coast,
where the lobster and shrimp grow
ripe meath the sparkling waves,
and the oyster blossoms in the
bosom of the deep--wLere he Gulf
aud Ship Island ltailIoad, on paper,
goes crashing and laundering to
the sea--and from where the
mightieSt OF rivers rolls in its
majestic grandeur. We have come
with naught Ot baggage, but our
sunny, sunny smiles and Oui' own
supernatural and ever willing appe
tites, to per Orm some rare Won
draus gastronOmic work and to
let the awe-Stricken people OF
West Point see how Il crowd of
Aristottles, Socrates and Macau-
lays would have looked all togeth-
er.
You have been kind to us, and
opened wide yOurarmS; YOUR hearts,
your hOmbs-and above all YOUR
pantries. Ii we forget ourselves
and eat to much, forgive us, for
remember that AZ home, we live on
hope. free passes and the title OF
"COlonel."
Since first our feet touched the
soil of your city, the same sweet
welcome IN spirit, that we have just
heard breathed from the lips OF
beauty, jeweIed with smiles, and
SOitened with sweet cadeuccs,
has been ringing III our rap
tured ears, and has sounded
strangely sweet to the tired liGarts
that have gathered here.
Many long, long day in our
dreary places OF toll have we look
ed forward to this welcome. as the
baniShed Peri looked to the gates
of pearl, or the weary watcher of
the night looks forward to the hour
when the rosy spirit OF the morn,
with jeweled fingers shall unlock
the gates of day, and it shall pour
its gorgeous gold upon the awaken
ing world.
La ancient days it was beauti-
ful oriental custom (hat whenever
IA man ShOnld once break bread
beneath the root of another, the
bond of friendship then established
should ever alterward be held
sacred aud inviOlatP, My friends,
we have broken much Tread with
you to-day, aud il we continue feel
ing well aud the bread aud OppOr-
tunity present themselves we shall
break much more to. morrow. And
here amid this breaking of bread
aud wild destruction of other free
hash may the ties of friendship be
sealed between guest aud host aud
be forever held as sacred as the
inner shrine of the temple OF God.
In the shadOwy wasle of the
years gone by, where dead hopes
like wIthered flowers lie tlliekly
strewu. few are our glad femem
brancesj but of those few, none are
brighter OF dearer to our souls than
the diamond memories of the hal
cyOn days, when gathered together
in annual reunion aud listening TO
the welcome of our hosts, we tor
while forget tue world and our
troubled toll. Tue lite of the journ-
alist; great or small, is not one of
serenity and Joy, but
"Fadin and false as the aspect it wears.
As the smiles we put ON just to cover our
tears"
Welcomed Welcomed oh, beau
tlful word to us. Many a tine far
off frOn home and friends | have
lOuged TO hear that word, eveu as /
The thirSty long for wafer and the I
Tired Tor rest. Welcomed Wei
rOmei have wondered if the
realms of eternal light, where mn-
sic divine f0reter floats, aud the
sapphire heatens grow never dark
the angels ever yllabled sweet
,r word IN their beauteOus songs 10
4Ud.
| thought to day when your gift.
ID orator (Mr. Foxy said ''welcome
iome, as it these homes we've IN
Iced our Own,r that those glorious
words, "welcome hOme,n brought
With them thoughts more beautiful
md sWeeter TO the weary heart
han the poets richest fancy, even
huugh that fancy were efsdlrd in
J dream of love, wreathed.in light ,
ling and gaflanded sith flowers
spangIed aud jewel crown {
a. Indeed, I have otten thought (
hat to the weary soul that found ]
Is rest on high, the sweetest thing 1
i. st...s f.~;--t.f ..,rls1 az fow rvaufd q