The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-11-17
Just as l Am.


There's sentiment in a toast and
more than that, there S the song of
the soul. Many foolish sentiments
are expressed in toasts, but occasion
ally one hears the ''real thing" as
they say. I was working down in
Iowa few years ago on country
newspaper, and it was my good for
tune to attend a gathering Of num-
Der of the county newspaper boys at
reunion and smoker" After the
boys had disposed of the courses and
had settled down to while away the
evening with the dreams and memories
that the curl of the smoke from pipes
and cigars revealed, the POSTMASTER
set the ball rolling. Everyone of
those Woodworking newspaper boys
seemed inspired. There were many
beautiful things said at that banq uet
board as the hours flew by, but moth
ing equalled the toast of Dick Patton,
when ne arose to respond to 1.-THE
Absent Ones.' Dick had founded the
Gazette in early days when Iowa was
virgin prairie and the settlers were
few. He had remained with his paper
many long years, through thick and
thin, privation and prosperity. His
hair was gray, his face bit wrinkled,
his eyes seemed to have been indented
in his head about eight pleas, but
when his soul was awakened those
eyes seemed to dance and twinkle in
their deep recesses. Everybody loved
Dick, and he loved everybody. When
any of his old subscribers would move
away Dick felt like he was losing one
of his family. True his paper follow
ed the old subscriber, but Dick al
ways felt bad to see the members of
his newspaper family go away to
climes far distant never to return.
But that was not all, Dick had no
family. He was a bachelor, and that
was all that any of his most intimate
friends ever knew of his domestic life.
"Absence makes the heart grow
fonder' said Dick, as he began, and
there was pathos in his voice and his
expression.
Neither on the wings of the morn
ing nor the sable chariot of darkness
can we o'ertake those who are absent
and who journey on. Goodbye-there
is an age, a cycle, aye, there is i'm
mortality in that word goodbye; many
times spoken with smile to mask the
sorrow of the heart and keep back
the food of tears. True friendship
and love can never be severed. Fond
associations may be broken by that
fate that leads old and dear friends
into new paths and fields, and their
absence from social gatherings and
the business marts where they have
been seen for many years leaves a
homesick feeling in our Breasts
Dick paused for a moment, and
raising his glass just as the town
clocks deep, solemn sound began to
toll the hour of midnight, he said: =
"Here's to the absent one. Many
long years have passed since I met
her. A spirit divinely sweet was
hers. There was that moring of love,
bright with golden rays that gave
promise of forever and a day of bliss.
There was a goodbye, meant for but
brief parting. Goodbye. Eternity
will echo that goodbye. Here's to the
absent one.''
The clock had clashed it's slow ring
ing notes, solemn accompaniment to
Dicks pathetic toast, and the silence
| at that banquet table for a few seconds
| was a beautiful tribute to the memory
| OF the absent one who never saw Dick
Patton grow old. '.s.