The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-17
HIS TRIBUTE TO WOMAN.
Col. shelby Myrick's Response to the
TOast

Col. Shelby Myrick's Response to the
Toast.
On the subject of Woman" Col.
Shelby Myrick delivered one of the
most entertaining toasts of the even
ing. 1t was replete with pathos, wit
and humor. AS an after dinner speak
er Col. Myrick has a reputation
throughout Georgia. This reputation
he has earned, and his effort of last
night, or, more properly speaking, this
morning, added laurels to his wreath.
1t was humorous, yet it was true: it
was touching, yet it was grand. The
subject was inspiring-"Woma Col
Myrick took the place of Mai. ]. Fer
ris Cam, and was notified of his Sc
lection only three hours before the
Rlks and their guests marched in to
the banquet hah. This toast to 'Wom-
| an was probably, in full, the most
timely and prettiest of the evening,
The most unselfish devotion we
| may ever know is that of our mother"
said Col Myrick, "A sweet affection
is that of our sister, a most tender
| love is that of daughter, but the love
and affection we all want and with
out which we are never satisfied, is
/ that of the sWeethearts who reward
on devotion by becoming our wives.
| 1t is not less the pleasure than the
| duty for every man to have a SWEET
kheart--I was about to say the more
| the merrier-and l am one of those
| who believe that the sooner he makes
one of them his wife the better for
him.
| Il believe with Robert Ingersoll and
as he So beautifully said 1.-THE
grandest ambition that any man can
possibly have, is so to live and so
improve himself in heart and in brain
| as to be worthy of the love of some
beautiful woman. You had better be
the Emperor of one loving tender
heart and she one empress of yours,
| than to be king of the world. The
man who has won the love of one good
woman in this world; l do not care
if he dies in the ditch, a beggar, his
| life has been a success
| And how true it is that
| Disguise our bondage as we will
| lis woman, woman who rules us
still"
| Her pouer is supreme. Mans admi-
| ration, for woman never lags. He
will give her half his fortune, he will
| give her his whole heart; he seems
always willing to give her everything
he possesses except his seat in the
street car.
Mr.. POSTMASTER, l have never ex-
J plored the matrimonial field. 1 must
therefore remain silent upon the
| glories, charms and beauties of wife
| until conditions are more suitable.
! But l can say from observation that
| there is one in the world who feels
| for a man: there is one to whom re-
fected joy is better than that which
comes direct: there is one who rejoices
in anothers honor more than her own;
there is one who loses all sense of self
in the sentiment of kindness, tender
ness and devotion to another, and that
one is she who is honored with the
| lovely name of wife.
| But there is another phase of a wom-
an to which words can. not do justice.
The sun as he courses his way in
matchless splendor across the great
| arch of day, sending his rays deep into
the throbbing, quivering bosom of ma
/ ture, is glorious object. The moon,
as she moves in queenly majesty along
the parapet of the skies, her royal robes
radiant with star dust that sends a
| glow as of dawn through the night is
| an object of enhancing interest The
blue dome of the armament, resting in
| pillared grandeur high above the earth,
through whose unnumbered ailses the
voices of the sea and air echo and
! them of praise to the great Creator,
has always stirred the human heart to
| profoundest admiration. But there is
| a grander and greater than all of these
| The man whose intellect has been
trained in the art and science of the
schools, whose spirit leaps with cheer
full alertness to the cause of Justice and
mercy, and to fight with never resting
energy in the conflict of human rights:
whose honor is as true and as pure as
| the blade of a sword; this is a being
upon whom God has set his SEAL But
oh! there is a more gloriousiy, beauti-
full one than he. bow to
the majesty and glory of the mother;
of her who possesses a form and grace
that surpasses the grace of all other
created things; of her whose sympa-
thy can hear the slightest wall of dis
tress as if it were the voice of a
trumpet.
1t is the mother who fingers with
| unwearying frame around the bedside
OF disease, who always catches the
hrst waking breath of the sufferer as
he isps his faltering wish, whose an
gelic sympathy smiles hope into the
aching soul, who sits enthroned the
sweet genius of home, guiding a bless
ed household along the shining ways
of happiness, whose loving counseIs
lead the daughter up the narrow path
way TO pure virtuous womanhood.
whose heart and soul is the treasure
house whore all the aims and schemes
of childhood are stored, who molds
the plastic spirit of her boy, holds he
fore him the shining ideals of honor
and truth. and points his young am
bitton to a lofty and honorable man.
hood. and whose gracious form lives
forever i'm the memory of that bow.
wherever he may be in the wide world,