The Republican journal., 1903-09-10

l never naQ.
The President stood the strain of
suspense pending reelection with out
ward composure. In accepting he
hewed out his policy straight to the
line, some chips flying at the heads of
the Lords, causing some lodging;
others scattering among the commons,
which they seemed glad to get for kin,
dlings. When the consuming fires shall
cackle about their Lordships, he will
doubtless be found warming his toes at
the hearthstones of the populace.
The Presidents address took up the
lines of his usual informal talks at
these reunions, touching on world
topics of government science, history,
and religion, showing the democratic
tendency of monarchieS in Europe and
of the Roman religious hierarchy in the
late Papal reign, and in the election OF
Plus X. bespoke briefly of his travels
the past year, giving an animated
account of his visit in April to the
worlds greatest battlefield, Gettysburg,
where American valOr, clashed SO
nightly against itself, sealed the fate
of the Confederacy, and insured the
preservation of the Union; setting forth
the important and heroic part that
Maine organizations took in the battle.
He closed the address with tribute of
love and devotion to his native hills
| and boyhood home, expressing his
pleasure at the reunion of some present,
separated a quarter and in one instance,
third Of century. Ralph L. Knowles
favored the meeting, according to pro-
gram, with two rare musical selections,
skillfully rendered on the piano. A
duet was also rendered ~ The great
satisfaction of all present by Mrs. p. A.
Dinslow and Mrg.' Chas. E. Gilman
Mrs. John Suaetorth gave one OF her
! readings, tE.:t are always i'll high favor
at these gatherings Miss Ethel Howes
was Oh the program for reading, but
she asked to be excused. This aston
, shed the clansmen, considering the
cast iron rule and severe penalty for
failure, but she calmly stated that she
was willing to suffer the penalty. Then
there was lord call for the president
to substitute for expiation. He did SO
by citing a recent printing establish
ment that has been called to his atten
ton. For brevity in stating an extern
Sive business it was put III verse thus:
''Shall | print kiss on your lips, said,
She nodded her sweet permission;
We went to press, and | rather guess
We printed full edition.
The business seemed to interest the
Dale meeting, and excuses TOR parts Oh
the program proved catching III three
more instances, and the president was
called upon in all three cases to make
.expiation by further business citations,
which requirement he met promptly
amid applause. A. Y. Martin, prophet,
who foretold last year remarkable
things with such clearness, was this
year a silent oracle. His silence may
prove full of brooding of things to come.
The last part of the program was the
knights of Boguesdale, his sub
iect being ''The Carding Mill" 1t open
ed with prologue in the form of an
idyl, giving a picture Of his boyhood
DAYS when the wheel and loom were
concomitants of the fleecy tlocks. A
glimpse of lost youth is seen in the
StanZa.
.'Ah. Behold it in the pasture,
BY the fattening tlocks and herds,
BY the cradleknolls of birds wheat,
Beauty past the gift of words"'
Another of the sweet contentments
of oldtime pastoral life contrasted with
present day fashion and tiutter.
Patience spins upon the wheel,
And her Skeln OF yarn is winding
On her elbow for a reel.
The early life of Thomas Lehman, who
ran a carding mill at South Montville
for many years, is depicted at George
town. his native place on the Maine coast;
then prospecting for new nome up
the Georges river, till a halt and abiding
place are made at the beautiful young
and growing hamlet OF True's Mills.
"What generous impulses Stirs the heart J;
What gift of men makes blood to start
And leap like ocean in gale,
When trepid sailors furl the sail.
The settlement of the Iennans at
South Montviile, the requirement of the
carding mill from Deacon True, neigh
borly and quaint relations with Nathan
Eden, a rare, learned character, who
later bought the grst mill of the Trues;
occasional appearances OF Uncle Eben
Page, brother-in-law to Uncle Thomas
Lehman, and a strong, gifted man, are
rolled off in the rustic poets lamblc
couplets in the pomp of word painting.
Under maple tree, in Uncle Tommy's
ward of night in June, with nelghbors
young and old sitting round, Uncle Eben
is represented telling a sorrow OF his
youth, that perhaps shaded all OF his
life. and that few of his old acquaint-
ances knew. Here the pathos of the
CantO eliminates.
Let us 90 back moment to one of
the authors carding mill pictures:
sWool came to mill in quilt and tick,
Some bundles small, some broad and thick;
This ones Aunt Betsy's cosset fleece,
Mittens to knit in fox and geese:
That one is mixed wool, white and black,
To weave in gray for frOck and SACK
That Cotswold's for Aunt Polly's loom,
Blankets to make for her spare room
But what would be one of these
cantos be without some cOnceit OF the
knights in boyhood prank or scrape.
This time it is in their initiation into a
secret order, the Good Templars, at Nc
Farland's corner. The goat comes in
for both comedy and tragedy Before
his imagined coming the most gallant
of the youthful Knights breaks out of
the solemn initiatory procession, PUSHES
from the hall, leaps on horse and rush
es away over the hills to his fathers
house in the gray black night, cen as
ssWhen some fell delusion springs
Out of the gray nights shadowy wings"
or, ''like the dead
Who bear some weird fatality
To mortals doomed in destiny"
Thus endeth Canto XIII.
Once more hail and farewell unto the
Dale, fresh, green, cool and still; the
home of our Young life and longing to