Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1902-06-28

her. And were it not that the contribu
tons were strictly limited to 81 The
purse that Slavin handed her wheI
Shaw read the address at the farewell
supper would have been many times
filed with the gold that was pressed
upon the committee. There were nc
speeches at the supper except one by
myself in reply On Mrs. MAYORS behalf
| She had given me the words to say
and l was thoroughly prepared, else
should not have got through. I began
in the usual way
"Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentle,
men, Mrs. Mavor is
But l got no further, for at the men
| ton of her name the men stood on the
chairs and yelled until they could yell
no more. There were over 25O of them,
and the effect was overpowering. But
got through my speech. l remember
it well. 1t began:
Mrs. Ma0or is greatly touched by
this mark of your love, and she will
wear your ring always with pride"
And it ended with
''She has one request to make-that
you will be true to the league and that
you stand close about the man who did
most to make it. She wishes me to say
that, however far away she may have
to go, she is leaving her heart in Black
Rock and she can think of no greater
joy than to come back to you again."
Then they had 'The Sweet By and
By" but the men would not join in the
refrain, unwilling to lose a note of the
glorious voice they loved to hear. Be
fore the last verse she beckOned to me.
I went to her standing by Craig's side
as he played for her.
"Ask them to sing" she entreated. 81
cannot bear it."
Mrs. Mavor wishes you to sing in
the refrain" I said, and at once the
men sat up and cleared their threats.
The singing was not good, but at the
first sound of the hOarse notes of the
men Craig's head went down over the
organ, for he was thinking, l suppose,
of the days before them when they
would long in vain for that thrilling
voice that scared high over their own
hOarse tones. And after the voices
died away he kept on playing TILL half
turning toward him, she sang alone
once more the refrain in voice low
and sweet and tender, as if for him
alone, and so be took it, for he smiled
up at her his old smile, full OF courage
and full Of love.
Then for one whole hour she stood
saying gOOdby to those rough, gentle
hearted men whose inspiration to good
ness she had been for five years. 1t
was very wonderful and very quiet. It
was understood that there was to be no
nonsense, and Abe had been heard to |
declare that he would throw out any |
cotton backed fool" who couldn't hold !
himself down, and, further, he had en-
Joined them to remember that her arm |
wasn't a pump handle.
At last they were all gone, all but |
her guard Of honor-Shaw, Vernon !
Winton, Geordie, Nixon, Abe, Nelson, |
Craig and myself.
This was the real farewell, for, |
though in the early light OF the next
200 men stood silent about the
stage and as it moved out waved their
hats and yelled madly, this was the
last touch they had of her hand. Her
place was up on the drivers seat be-
tween Abe and Mr.. Craig, who held
little Marjorie on his knee. The rest
with GIaeme's team. 1t was Winton's
fine sense that kept Graeme from fol-
lowing them close. LET her go out
alone,' he said, and so we held back
and watched her go.
She stood with her back toward Abe's
Dlunging four horse team and, steady
ng herself with one hand on Abe's
gazed down upon US. Her
head was bare, her lips parted in a
smile, her eyes glowing with their OVID
leep light, and so, facing us, erect and
smiling, she drove away, waving us
farewell till Abe swung his team into
he canyon road and we saw her no
more. A sigh shuddered through the
crowd, and with q sob in his voice,
NintOn said, God help US all!'
I close my eyes and see it all again
he waving crowd of dark faced men,
he pluuging horses, and, high up be-
ide the driver, the swaying, smiling,
waving figure, and about all the noun
aims, framing the picture with their
lark sides and white peaks tipped with
he gold Of the rising sun. 1t is a pic
ure love to look upon, albeit it calls
Up another riat l can never see but
through tears.
l look across q strip Of ever widening
water at a group of men upon the
wharf, standing with heads uncovered,
very man a hero, though not man
f them suspects it, least of all the
nan who stands in front, strong, reso-
ute, self conquered, and, gazing long,
think l see him turn again to his
lace among the men of the mountains,
lot forgetting, but every day remem-
ering, the great love that came to him
nd remembering. too that love is not
II. 1t is then the tears come. l
But for that picture two of us at least l
re better men today.
A -