The record-union., 1894-12-29
terance, 1.-THE vagabond Traveller arose

/
beside his chair.
Travellers ALL" he began huskily,
there is one toast which should not be
overlooked upon this strangely sweet and
SAD OCCASION"
| "Hear !-hear.w rose encouragingly
fr om around the table.
have observed in my rather yaga-
rous career IN all civilized lands" he re-
sumed with bow of acknowledgment,
that IN every act, fact and condition of
| lie, there are two essential requisites-an
/ inverse and reverse fitness of things. If
L am to enjoy food there must be the
waiting. hearty appetite. If my mind
longs for historic spectacle, human pano-
| rama, or natures transcendent scene, il
cannot know fruition without these
things are in readiness for my enjoy
| ment. Ii the glow of friendship is 10 fill
| my heart like reciprocal feeling must
exist in others. If am to know the thrill
OF homecoming, the home and those
within it must bide that coming
| with the unspeakable outreachings OF
welcome"
A chorus of almost puzzled but gener-
Gus approval greeted the speaker,
IN other words, what would all that
has been uttered in this pleasant place
have been, had not it fallen upon friend
~ ears and found loving housing
| within warm and generous hearts?''
| The Vagabond Traveller had touched a
| responsive chord and he was interrupted
| by tumultuous expressions of pleasure
and delight.
Indeed, 1 would add" he continued
with quickened eloquence, "where would
our Tales have found lasting place but
| for the receptive soil of their loving audi
ence? Where-''
But the sympathetic and attentive si-
| lence which had come upon these just
and hitting words had been penetrated by
those lnsistive sounds which never would
still. They beat, beat, beat above our
heads with painful imperativeness. The
| Vagabond Traveller had been diverted
from his flowing sentence by them.
| They were uppermost in all of our
! thoughts.
| The Clerical Traveller looked conscious
ana grave; hltched his chair closer to the
table and quietly retilled our cups.
Nnen he saw that the last speaker had
| reseated himself in an abashed and con-
fused manner, he uttered another little
warning "AhemW and looking blandlv
and reassuringly around the table said
almost with the tone OF finally and bene-
diction:
II am sure our friend has most clearly
ana forclbly expressed the deepest and
truest sentiments of our hearts. That
| condition in this life which permits us TO
| be what we are, that other heart interest
which at last smiles back encouraging ac-
| cord, thai need of sympathetic good
| cheer which in any vocation gives unto
the strlver his strong, sure tread, and
that Genius of appreciation without
| which the Genius OF creation and revela-
ton were of no human avail or value, is,
after all, TOO often ignored and over
| looked. Our toast then shall be-"
Here the speaker was interrupted by
the rapid passing along the table from
the Nagabond's hands to his own of a
crumpled sheet of paper. He read and
reread 1t with unusual evidences of inter-
est. linen he arose and exuberantly re-
marked:
"a delicious exposition of the senti-
ment. This little poem of our friend-'
| Poem! poem! poem!" came vocifer-
ousiy from the eager listeners when the
Clerical Traveller again read with exqui-
site modulatIon these lines on
HOMECOMING.
| AS when some weary traveller
| Hath compassed all this mighty sphere,
And in the zone his way was set
| No look responsive could beget,
He sudden comes to eyes that know,
| 10 lips that love, to hearts that glow,
| And, speechless, lives eternity
| In that great Joy-so heaven must be-!
Thus when earth's toilers dare all fate
| In mighty tasks compassionate,
And in The zone their way is set
| Where look responsive falters yet
| 1nCy SuuC0H COul6 W eyes InaJ know,
10 ears that hear, to hearts that glow
Their heaven thrills through every sense
| Upleaping from their audience!
Subdued but earnest applause greeted
the reading of these lines.
ITO our beloved and loving world
wide Audience" came impressively from
| the Clerical Travellers lips and the toast
| was drunk standing in an almost solemn
silence.
But not wholly in silence was this
| tribute to friendship paid. The grew
some panels seemed to softly open and
close IN strangely vibrant sympathy.
The knots within the fireplace suddenly
leaped and crackled ominously. Our
! clock sounded the hour of IL in fits and
starts as though its ancient gear was pail
sying with the passing Year. Tremu-
| lous sklrllngs as of the complaining wind
| played dirge-like threnodies within the
massive chimney. The nights wild en-
ergles were making havoc among the
nelghoorlng tiles and chimney pots. and
that tramp, tramp, tramp over our heads
which had again for an instant ceased,
as though some one was listening tor a
coming which never came-seemed more
than ever relentless in its sentry -lik g
tread.
Our Ten Travellers faces heightened.
We arose as if by common impulse from
the table, and some Of the pipes were
hOI NOuoAy llSLIeus Wu6u various m0lQ-
| bers of the company disposed themselves
in chairs and settles about the room.
The uneasy panels were avoided. The
snuggest corners beside the clock and in
the lngle-look were vacant. Only one of
our number was near the ever-cheerful
fireplace now. This was the Aimless
| Traveller who stood leaning against its
age-colored frame work, his face still re-
tanning curious look of repressed energy
mingled with strange and far away
thoughtfulness.
''If that ghostly tread doesn't soon
cease" observed the Student Traveller
gloomly, 1--WE are certainly destined to
dismal parting at the passing of the
Year."
Possibly it represents the Unsatisfied
portion OF our Audience" ventured the
Gypsy Traveller dryly.
THAT portion, of course,' said the
Merry Traveller with a shrug, "who
would have told our Tales better or diff
ferently."
ut could possibly suggest" unused the
Vagabond Traveller, "that we might cele-
brate our parting little differently; say
by accomplishing some immediate good;
by discovering among the millions, not
thousands, OF hopeless ones in this vast
Babel some one brave but suffering heart
Just as is so frequently and entertain
lngly told in our Tales-and really set
ting his feet and face toward new life
and light with the birth of another year"
"Good"' "Capital!'' "We'll all go in
for that" and the like, promptly greeted
this unexpected proposal.
Lets set about it at once,D cried MANY
eager for Immediate participation in the
kindly exploit.
For the hospitalsp' suggested the Stu
dent Traveller.
The Minories, or Whitechapel," urged
the Casual Traveller.