The Portland daily press., 1886-08-19
THE WHITE ROSE.
Sons and Daughters of York at Great
chebeague.
Their Fourth Reunion "a Grand Sue
cess.

The fourth annual reunion of the Sons
and Daughters of York was held yesterday
at jerks Landing, Great Chebeague, and
was attended by more than usually large
number of resident members of the society,
reinforced by a sprinkling of "Old Yorker"
from out of town. Among those present
were ex-Mayor Deering, Hon. VIM. G. Davis,
J. S. Kicker, D. B. Kicker, B. F.Chadbourne,
Mark p Emery, FL. j. Libby, r. o. Conant,
E. n. Perry, Rev. DIR. Small, Prof. Small of
Waterville, j. FL. Hamlin, Isaac L. Came,
Jos. F. Locke, John Sawyer, Hon. Ferguson
Haines of Biddeford, Lewis Lougee, John
p. Hobbs, Wilbur F. Lunt, Charles McKen-
ney, 1. D. Cushman, VIM. P. Hastings, Hen
ry G. Small, John B. Pike, l. S. Bean, John
c. Roberts, Chas. E. Bean, Nathan Redlon,
Cyrus Jellison, Arad Evans, and many 9TH
ers.. A large number of ladies also graced
the occasion by their presence. The whole
party numbered about $50 persons.
The day was all that could be desired, so
far as the weather was concerned, and SO far
as concerned any failure of other arrange
ments that had been well provided against
by the committee in charge. So there was
nothing to prevent the people from having
good time, and they had 1t.
After arriving at the island, the party
amused themselves in jerks Hotel and
about the grounds attached to the house, or
in longer walks about the island, until near
the hour of noon, when delicious clam boil,
served in true picnic style on the green at
the south side of the hotel, marked the first
general rally of the day. This meal was dig
nifed only by the name of luncheon, and,
delicious as it was, was only foretaste of
what was to follow.
After lunch the party again separated, to
amuse themselves after their individual
tastes until again called together by the din
ner call. AS for the dinner. that was served
in the dining hall and on the veranda of the
hotel. To describe it and do justice to its
abundance and variety would be difficult.
Suffice it to say to all who know jerks abil-
tiles in the line of catering, the genial jerks
fairly outdid himself, and received as a
mark of the company's appreciation unan-
imous vote Of thanks, passed by "a show OF
hands at the close of the literary exercises
which followed later in the afternoon.
Soon after dinner the company assembled
in front of the house, and were called to or
der to listen to speeches by distinguished
members of the society. In the absence OF
President Bradbury, Hon. Joseph A. Locke
was nominated presiding officer of the day.
The inevitable photographer, with his
camera, appeared at this juncture, and made
the customary three pictures, after which
the interrupted exercises were resumed by
the reading of the following letters from the
Hon. VIM II. Clifford by Mr.. Mcintyre of
the Argus:
Ladies and Gentlemen
1t is very great pleasure to be able to
meet with this society once more, ana ENJOY
with you those agreeable retrospects our as
sembiing always unfolds. All societies like
this have their origin in that all-perVadlng
sentiment the love of home. 1t is to testify
to their love of home that men and women
organize into associations like this, and thus
endeavor to renew, the tender attachments
that surround the place we hallow with the
dear old name of home. But, as we move
through the different periods of life, clrcum-
stances place us in homes far different and
distant from the homes of childhood and
youth. The home for which we more espe-
cially express our love and remembrance, by
the institution of this society is the home OF
childhood-the home and place of our birth.
Around this always cluster the most pathet-
ic memories and the most enduring attach
l1cutS. uC 6pUCH VI CnildhOOu IL SohoN
quence of its innocence and the absence of
care, always invests times, places and per-
sons with halo of peculiar attractlveness.
The soft and tender light thrown upon the ne
place of birth, by the characteristics OF
Childhood, are fortunately never dispelletd.
Even in later years.. as we look back with
mature vision, upon the scenes OF early Gays
we can never clothe them with the hard,
| worldly, practical character with which all
other places in the world are waapS Me ai-
| phere of childhood. Even as men grow ola
| and become indurated by hard contact with
| the world, the native town seems
| different from all others. over that
| at least, youth has thrown It's shlnlnS
| mantle and bathed it in its soft and mellow
| haze. 1t is more or less dream and fairy
| land and the radiance seems to brighten
| more and more, as years, like ships, bear us
| further and further from the towery shores
of youth. No hardships, no sorrow, no ms nus
Surprising radiance that hangs like early
| morning tfnts, in the horizon of early days;
| Streaming forward into all the cloudy ana
saddened hours of later life, youth Sheds lts
| light, through all our lives. Sensible OF this
| abiding impress of early times, men follow
| an irresistible instinct, when they unite
| themselves into society like this-to pur-
| loin one day from the annual round OF work
| and trouble, and live few, hours, at least,
in in the pure atmosphere and amid the happy
scenes of childhood. Man is so constituted
that most of his highest and best pleasures
must always be enjoyed in society,", He can,
not eniov them alone. Even recollections OF
home and youth must be gathered in compa-
| nv with others who share them with us. One
cannot sit always alone in the secret cham
her. and gaze solitary on the varied pictures
has hung upon e it s Se w"s past sgse Swee
fdT foT the lost and admiration of their worth
and m % ioyeliness,- the true depth and enjoy
o ali these feelings t5s sdrsv % our U ats oSsTs
% famiiiar like ourselves with the cherished
objects objects upon which memory so fondly dwells
Wear We are not misers with the precious jewels
the heart With those we are generous tC
No mG1a seR TTR % US 4es
ua uear anu ,r;th tHh the secret chamber wide
Sgealo open and ID the casket unlocked, There
neither moth P9sa nor fSit 6Tdug6 dGtn ndr sss
Sharing them with others, giving freely OF