The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-06-02
Response to Address of Welcome.
nY JOHN ". MARTIN, or TUE NEw MS
sIsaIPPIAN.

NJ JOHN ", MARTIN, OF Tue NEW lis
sts5iPPtAN.
Oh, if my lips could but respond as
does my heart my Iespone would tear
the roof OF the housed Kind people Of
Wet Point, thank you In the name Of
the mighty Press Of Mississippi, Assem-
bled before you in all it, Intellectual
majesty, It's grandeur aud its store
clothes. We are glad To see that the poo
pie here appreciate the great honor that
we have conferred upon them, by allow.
ing them to give us free entertainment
for week, aud 20 tO any other expense
they may desire for our benefit.
We have come upon the fair city OF
West POiat like the wolf on the fold.
We have come from the COW counties
aud the river bottOns-frO the Eden
land Of the coast, where the lobster and
shrimp grow ripe meath sparkling waves,
aud the oyster blossoms in the bosom Of
the deep where the Gulf and Ship
Island Railroad, on paper, goes crashing
aud laundering TO the sea-and from
where the mightiest OF rivers rolls in its
majestic grandeur. We have come with
naught OF baggage, but our sunny, sun
nv smiles; aud our own supernatural
appctitcs, to perform some rare and won.
derful gastrouomic work; and 10 let the
awe stricken people Of West Point see
how crowd oi Aristottles, Socrates
n1i Macaulays would have looked all
aFothrr
Noa have been kind TO Us, and opened
vide Your arms. your hearts, your
h0mea land. above All, your pantrics. II
we forget ourselves and eat too much.
torrvo us. for remember that at home
We live on hope fee passe. and the title
ui Colonel
Since our feet first touched the soil Of
your city the same sweet welcome in
spirit, that we have Just heard bre thed
from the lips Of beauty, jeweled with
smiles, aud softcncd with sweet cadences,
has been ringing In our raptured ears,
and has sounded strangely sweet 20 the
tired hearts that have gathered here.
Many q long, long day in our dreary
places Of toil have we looked forward To
this welcome, as the banished Peri look
ed u the gates Of pearl, or the weary
watcher Of the night looks forward "a
the hour when the rosy spirit OF the
morn, with jeweled fingers shall unlock
the gates Of day, and pour ITS gorgeous
gold upon the wakening world.
In ancient days IL was beautiful Ori
entail custom that whenever q mar
should once break bread beneath tn,
roof of another, the bond Of friendship
then established should ever afterwart
be held sacred and inviolate. NJ,
friends, we ha q broken much breaC
with YOU to day, and " we continue feel
ing we'll and the bread and opportunit,
present themselves. we shall break mucl
more tomorrow. Aud here amid thi
breaking Of bread and wild destruction
OF free hash, may the ties Of friendship
be sealed between guest and host aud b
forever as sacred as the iuncr shrine o
the temple of God.
In the shadowy waste Of the year
gone by, where dead hopes ike withere
howers lie thickly strewn, few are on
Glad remembrauces; but Of those few
noue are brighter or dearer 10 our soul
than the diamond memories Of the ha
cyOn days, when gathered together, an
listening 10 the welcome OF eur host
we for a while forgot the world aud ou
troubled toll. The life Of the journa
ist, great or small, is not one Of serenit
and JOY, but
Fading and ialsc il the aspect IL wears,
As the smiles We put on just TO cover on
tcars.n
Welcome. Welcomed Oh, beaatifI
word 90 us. Many a time far of frol
home and friends have longed to hes
that word, even a. the thirsty long 70
water aud the tired for rest Welcom,
WELCOMED | have wondered il in tt
realms Of eternal light, where music
vine forever floats, and the sapphii
heavens grow never dark-the ange
ever syllabled sweeter word in the
bcauteous songs to God.
thought today, when your gifted 0
ator (Atr. Fox) said welcome home,
II these homes were indeed our own
that those glorious words, "welcon
home,p brought with them though
more beautiful and sweeter to the wea
heart, than the poets richest fame
though that fancy were cradled in
dream Of love, wreathed In lightnil
and carlanded with iowers, diamOl
spangled and Jewel crowned. Indeed
have often thought that 70 the wea
soul that found its rest ON high, q
sweetest thing in that world Of j
would be, not the gates Of pearl nor {
golden streets, not the gorgeous thro
nor the river Of life, nor even the glo
Gus features Of his God, but the w
come OF the loved ones there.
Your kindness has planted deep with
our hearts the blossoms Of gratitu
which will not fade till many bligl
iur winter has rolled over Us in val
and far into the future will its hap
memory shed is CLEAN and fragrance
our hearts.
May the kind fates, in the loom Of I
long yefrs TO come, weave many fadel
rarlands Of glory for the people "
have greeted rs 50 kindly TO day; a
nav the angels look down from heave
rates. and shower their rarcst blessi
on the paths you tread. And may y
Iivcs be ever a. bright a. those radi
skies Of the better land across which
cloud has ever rolled.
Indeed, the good people OF West Po
have given us a glorious welcome,
the momoats have sped By unmark
upon the ieweled wings Of JOY.
aIIow noissless falls the foot Of Time,
That irsads on only aowerA
O. who 70 sober measurement.
Times happy swiftness brings
When birds u Paradise have lent
Their plumage 10 H. wing.
And who with clear account remarks
The ebbinga a the glass;
when 40 iis sands are diamond sparks
That dnrsls - they pas