The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-11-21

but it would be unpardonably incom-
plete, and I would do violence to
every impulse Of my nature did fail
to express to you from a grateful heart
my profound appreciation of the dis
tinguished honor done me by your in
spring presence and by your respect
full attention.
Among the celebrities of Grecian
mythology was Orpheus who was
crowned the Father of Song. The
gods were enchanted by the melodious
strains of his melting minstrelsy-the
trees Of the forest bowed their stately
heads, and the glad streams hushed
their happy song at the grand swelling
sweep of his tuneful Tyre At his death
friendly Muses. bore him with teathered
tread to his last resting place at the
foot of Mount Olympus, and summon
ing nightingale, they charged it with
the duty of appearing every evening
to warble its sweetest lays as cease
less dirge over his lonely grave.
Not more touchingly beautiful is
this legend than will be to future gen.
erations the story-the proud the Won
derful story-of the heroic devotion
of the women of the South.
A sympathy as tender and true as
that which moved Israel's maiden to
repair annually to the hills of Gilead,
to weep over the mournful fate of
Jeptha's daughter mingled with grief
deep and unutterable as that which
smote the hearts of the fathers and
mothers of Egypt at the Staying of
their first born, inspired the mothers
and maidens of the South in the dark
hours of our calamity, with heroism
and devotion unparalleled in all the
annals of the world.
Their fathers, brothers and sons
charged Notifications crowned with
bristling cannon, which belched forth
fiery streams of destruction and death
they stood in the red haze of the bat
tie face to face with the foe, and look
ed him in the eye over cleaning gun
barrels, with unblanched cheek; they
went to the feast of carnage and death,
presided over by the war gods, like
maidens going to marriage feast land
made a record that eclipsed the splen.
dor of Rome's legions in her palmies!
days. Grand and resplendently sub.
lime as is that record, yet the chival
rous and grateful South would presen1
as the model of her heroic spirit the
name of one which is not to be found
on the muster rolls of her immorta
soldiery. She would point-not te
wavering plumes in victorious battle
but rather to the splendid wreck of tha
once proud and luxurious home, sur
rounded by all the comforts and ele
gance which wealth and affection coulC
bestow. Amid the drear desolatior
; and ruins of that home stands th'
; proud figure of her whose delicate fin
: gers had never known ruder toucl
than the ivory keys of the piano o
the silken strings of the guitar, ant
from around whom the rude waves o
, war had swept everything except he
grand and superb womanhood. Ye
[ in the frmness and majesty of he
noble spirit, she proudly proclaimed
7 "We, the women of the South, accep
the situation" Proud, and justl,
: proud as we are and should be, of tn
record of Southern men,yet had tn
: power, l would summon all the gran,
&, old heroes of the living and immorta
f spirits of the dead and align them il
! her front, and ask them to salute he
| as the queen of the heroes of the world
: | have been made to thank God, owe
S and over again, that l was born her
in our beloved Southland, where tn
e proudest boast OF our manhood an
i honor is that her fiat is omnipoten
e and where she sways undisputed, tn
: the sceptre OF absolute social dominion
! May the noble example of her sublim
e moral heroism never perish from OF
t memories. Inscribe it on the impel
r ishable tablet! Embalm it in undyn
r song! Let the genius of pencil! an
:, chisel embellish it with its most re
y splendent inspirations! Let Fam
e place it among her richest treasures
r. the Pantheon of Immortality, and Il
e the time swept harp of the ages swe
II in grander strains the giant anthem
: praise to Southern maidens and Soutl