Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-05-10
VIRGINIA LETTER.

Editor Democrat ~
Fruit trees literally loaded with bios
SONS, remind Ne that spring Il here, and
that We are promised N abundar 'e
fruit. We trust q, may be spared the
',old snap" which Is Outlines 20 disas .
trous In this section, to early fruit.
Farmers are fastening to get their corn
planted, and the thrifty housewife has
completed her annual house cleaning,
and Il nov experimenting her garden,
strawberry beds, etc and indeed they
don their sunbonnets, and are often In
the midst Of the work, hoe and rake 10
hand. Labor Il not considered degrad-
Ing In the South these days.
The all absorbing topic Is the Cuban
question. While all acknowledge war Ii
deplorable, an honorable warfare Il pref
cradle to the war Of starvation so long
In progress on the Island. Our humble
opinion lie that II the bellisereucy OF
Cuba hsd been recognized year ago
something done for them ~ was promised
our assistance with food and arms
would not have been needed, and the
large amount Of money expended 10 p =
trolling the coast could have been put to
a better use had 1t been expended 10 Civ
ing our Idle working men and women an
opportunity to earn q living. Every
one believes our brave ssilors were sent
TO their untlmely death, by the Spa1itrds,
And the guilty ones should have been
brought to justice by the Spanish su-
thorities. The destruction OF The Maine
was sufficient cause to justify q declsra-
ton OF war. Was Il y less crime than
the firing on Fort Sumpter? For the past
few days trains loaded with our boys In
blue, together with horses and smmuni-
ton have been passing our door. We
are not so many hundreds Of miles from
the scene OF strife, and Il makes our
blood boil to read Of the cruelties prac-
tissd there.
We spent some weeks In Washington
this winter seeing and hearing the beau
tiful things one can always lind In the
capital city. No pen can adequately de-
scribe the new library building. II must
be seen to be appreciated; not only seen
hut studied. And then the new Corcoran
Art Gallery. One could spend days Ia
II and find more to please.
The convention Of woman sufiragists,
to celebrate their fifteenth anniversary,
was held during the month OF February,
and was largely attended, and great
interest manifested. We heard several
women speak who are members Of their
be called "Hon." They were not mascu-
line looking women by any means-al-
though don't know why II 10 q crime,
or anything unnatural, for daughter to
resemble her father any more than for
the son to have his mothers features and
ways. Not all Of our speakers were
women. for we had such men "a Senator
Teller, Representative Mason from I'LL
nois and other public men. Some like
Teller were from states where equal
suffrage had been tried, and proven a
success, and such speeches coming from
actual experience had great weight.
Side by side good women want to work
with good men to make the world better.
During the progress Of the convention
we were saddened by the announcement
OF Miss Wizards death. IL Was a. q
personal loss TO every one We met.
Those Who had never seen her or heard
her sweet voice, felt as IL they had lost
frieni. The second Sunday In March
was appointed as memorial day, so we
remained In Washington that we might
attend the meeting. Fine addresses were
delivered by personal friends, and those
who knew her only by her work. Sem
ator Blair was one Of the speakers, also
DIR. Rankin. president Of Howard Uuiver-
sity. and the suthor OF the poem set To
music, and sung by everybody, "God
be with you till we meet again" He
closed his address with the following
gem Of original poetry, equal 10 Tenny-
sons last poem, Crossing The Bar:
one sigual FROM greeting band.
a fragile bark strikes o1t from land.
fsrth's task complete sink then 10 rest,
The peace OF God within tby breast.
The cbptidc iifts the lone buoy bell
Hall and Farewell
4 white wing on the horizons eige.
4 tiny spcck. To sight picige
Thy passage safe. thy passage short,
Gods angels greet thee at the port.
The ebb tide hfts the lone buoy bell
Hall and FAREWELL
The sunset gun. Iifo's colors down,
A new star set within nights crown,
Then, triumph OF Gods love and grace
" itb saints and martyrs take thy place.
The ebb tide ms the lone buoy bell
Hail and FAREWELL
EsTELLR GREENE Cross.
Manassas. Va, April 81, '9s.