The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-02-12
A KENTUCKY p1!AN.

Domosth"ncnn orniory III the Legislature.
An OntburRt OF southern Chiynlry.
Nec FORK Tribune @fL
A now Demosthoncs has arisen.
Woman has found new champion.
Politicians havo been taught lesson.
An inspired voice has seduccd civil ser
vico reiormors into abandoning their
fond traditions. Thoschool books pos.
Ress II now standard Of cloquencc,
and Patrick Henry OH Liberty and
Chatham on Humanity arc forever
superseded. In the union OF Irish ora.
tory and Kentucky beauty, "a tho Spir-
itunliats say, thcConditions OF sublimi-
ty are met ut Frankfort. Last week
woman was to DO nominated for state
librarian. Did the chlyaIrous legislators
waste time i'll prosaic, recitals OF her nc.
quiroments? No. On tho contrary,
they deputod Senator Mullgan, OF LCx-
ington, to undam his bubbling fount OF
eloquence and wreathc her, SO to speak,
in an aurora OF rosy, poesy. In these
diilident, hating syllables hc approach
ed tho task: ,U,
How dull, unmusical, colorlcss, these
poor words OF mine TO paint such an ono
us the masters cssayed 10 fix when they
sought to picture tho purity Of tho soul
in the radiant beauty OF tho temple.
Some Del Sarto III inspired tints, some
Byron or Burns in enhancing numbers,
some Handel in the weird magic of his
notes-altcrnatcly n paean or prayer,
an angelic chorus or q moan-might in
the mystery OF his art, charming the
sense, transporting the soul-prescnt
true portrait OF one who, among the
daughters OF Eve, is SO rare combinH-
ton OF all that is gcntlest, purest, most
womanly-of Mary Brown Day" r
Even orators heads Wilton, even
Mulligans grow old, even the chivalrous
sadden, as they gaze back along the
years; but consider tho conpensations
THE stored stream that surges near
US, floating on its bosom q full, round
century OF history, poetry. tradition,
was broader, deeper, clearer than now;
these old hills that tower above lis were
greener, loftier, yet easier climbed; this
old pile was statclcr, majestic; men
were Drawer, youth more heroic, lasses
were faircr, may [ be- pardoned for at
least believing. And amid that troop
ing throng OF maidens, more beautiful
than the nymphs OF Thcssalian groves,
purer than the virgins who fed the
sacred flames on Ephesian affairs,
brighter in glance and smile than tho
beam OF Venus; happy as the wild birds
that twlttered around them, the echo OF
these hills repeating, but adding no
sweetness to their laughter, the most
winsome and beloved, gentlcst, bonnicst,
best was she whom We SO loved to re-
member as Mary Brown RUSSELL"
The Surveyed Goddess herself must
have shed tears as she listened to what
followed:
"Her womanhood las made good all
that her girlhood promised. As patri-
otto as the sturdy senator from whose
IONS she Is sprung, rs joyous in nature
rs the sparkling stream by whose banks
she gambolicd in childhood, as brave as
the maidens who filed forth from Bry-
ants Stations rude bastions, as gentle
as the breath OF the springtime, as sin
cere in faith as the nun in her cloister,
as stcadfast in friendship as the sun.
flower in homage, as fixed in integrity
as the hills that joined in the songs of
her sirlhood, her soul garlanded IN vir-
tues. as June is with roses, she is as
lofty OF purpose as tho incompatible
Maid OF Domremy. And now, though
the soft outline OF her girlish beauty Of
mould may have lost somewhat OF its
perfection; though the bloom OF the
roses may have faded from her cheeks;
though tho ripple Of laughter breaks
not SO spontaneously often from her
lips as OF yore, yet is her soul MS pure,
her spirit as gentle, her heart rs true;
and those who loved and honored Mary
Brown Russell in other days still rs
fondly cling about that sunny spot that
ever encirclcd Mary Brown Day. These
hearts beat responsive second when I
name her to your choice as librarian OF
the state"
Practical climax OF majestic out
burst! No wonder the spcllbound eau
Gus used handkerchief. Burke on
Marie Antoinette, Brougham on Queen
Caroline, Irving on Mrs Emmett, never
scared like this. The whole world will
bo grateful to Kentucky for having
wanted q librarian, and tho names OF
Clay and Mullican, the Lexington sill
ver-tongued, will henceiorth, ring to.
gether along the golden corridors OF
time. It is pertinent to remark that
the lady was duly elected.