The news & observer., 1901-01-25

| the completeness and elegance of its every
detail. But as you stand in the library
proper. Immediately beneath this hall ard
| look upon the portrait of that noble Girls
| tian woman whose blessed memory and
| name are indissoubly linked with this
work as it hangs there as it were in
silent benediction i believe you will
| agree with me in the reflection that there
seems TO be one thing and only one thing
wanting There should be hanging there
also a companion portrait, executed by
some competent artist in durable oil and
bearing upon its face the familiar fea-
lures of our friend and Raleigh's latest
and most liberal benefactor, Richard
Beverly Raney
| MR.. GRAY'S SPEECH OF ACCEPTANCE.
| r. 4. Gray, speaking in behalf of the
citizens of Raleigh, accepted the hand
scme Gift, in the following elegant and
eloquent speech:
"On behalf of the people of Raleigh !
beg to accept the noble and beautiful gift
which the thoughtful kindness and
munificence of our most liberal fellow
citizen mas provided for us and which you,
DR.. Marshall. as the representative Of the
-
charge. have so graciously rendered.
Our appreciation of the beauty and
magnificence of the gift is heightened ty
it's free and untrameled nature-the abb
sence of any conditions, limitations or
circumscriptions save such as are neces-
sary to preserve it for the free and full
enjoyment of it's advantages and charms
by us and the generations that will follow
Us. AS the donor wishes us to do, We
recognize and will cherish it as our very
own--ours to keep, ours TO care for and
sustain, ours to be proud of and ours to
exhibit with q becoming and pardonable
pride TO the people of our State and our
country, and TO all who love and ad-
nire the true, the beautiful and the good
The gift is hallowed, too, by the senti-
ment and devotion, too sacred and tender
TO be here dwelt upon, that first inspired
The thought which has found such bcauti-
full expression in this free library which
is at once a memorial and a benefaction
For as a memorial it well typifes the
beautiful and symmetrical character OF
her whose name it bears, and as bene-
faction it makes glad the hearts and will
elevate the thoughts, the aspirations and
the lives of the people of the city where
her presence was a charm and her life
itself a benediction.
THE trend of Christian civilization in
the erection of monuments for the COM
memoration of virtues and the perpetua-
tion of cherished memories is to combine
the beautiful in art with something that
is useful and elevating to the living. Not
so with older and pagan civilizations. The
architects and other artists Of olden TIM
designed and wrought as nobly and as
beautifully as those OF later and modern
days, but when royalty the rich, the
powerful, nations, communities or individ-
uals sought to erect monuments to COM
memorate the achievements or the vir-
tues Of heroes or to express their love
and veneration for departed friends, the
genius of artists. the treasures of mines
and vaults and the labor of thousands of
slaves were employed to erect structures
that were magnificent in their beauty,
but appealed only to the eye and pleased
only the senses.
Centuries ago an Emperor in the sun
rise land of India determined to erect
''To the Memory OF an Undying Love" the
most superb monument ever reared 10
commemorate a womans name The most
renowned architects were engaged TO
plan the great mausoleum and thousands
Of artists, artisans and laborers OF India
were employed for seventeen years in
erecting and adjoining the magnificent
structure of pure white marble at a cost,
even With the cheap labor of India, OF
fifteen millions OF dollars. With its
domes and minarets, its walls inlaid with
agate, sapphire, jasper and other precious
stones wrought into flowers, surrounded
by fountains and artificial lakes and gar
dens of surprising lovelnesS beautiful
to the eye and delightful to the senses,
with fragrant flowers of every hue and in
endless variety, embracing acres of roses
leach cup n pulpit, every leaf a book,
Ii is said to be even now, after the lapse
Of centuries, as perfect as when first
completed, with no signs of neglect or
decay, and IT is declared that there is
nothing in architecture finer or more
lovely than this ideal OF Saraeenic art and
nothing more mysterious and affecting
than the delicate echo beneath the prin-
cipal dome where the sarcophagus rests
by which. when the name of her in whose
honor the mausoleum was erected is
whispered a soft solemn repetition rolls
through the dimly lighted vault above as
ii spirit voices We're repeating the name
with such music and pathos as to dim
the ere OF the heaPer with tears.
learn that Mr.. Raney when in India,
visited that marvellous tomb and when,
years subsequently. he. was designing the
drop curtain for this stage his thought
reverted to the beauties of the TAI Mahal,
and frcm photographs of various views
which he had obtained of the mausoleum
and its spacious and beautiful grounds,
he caused a complete and beautiful paint
ing to be made by noted artist and this
you will see when the drop curtain is
lowered.
But beautiful as is the Tai Mahal it
serves only to please the eye and senses
Its builder prompted by the holiest emo
tions did the best he could according TO
the ideas, conceptions and tendencies of
the civilizations then prevailing. He
lavished his wealth and laid tribute upon
the genius of artists, the labor of slaves
and the quarries and mines of his own
land and of foreign countries in order
TO commmOrate his love and to perpetuate
the name OF one dear to him. But it has
only pleased the eye and delighted the
senses OF the millions who have visited ii
during the passing centuries. 1t has
helped no one, lightened no care. re-
lieved no suffering and pointed no as