The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-12-25
RESPONSE TO THE
ADDRESSES OF WELCOME
Mrs. Sarah S. Platt Decker, President
General Federation of WOmen's
Clubs.
CAT the Boston Biennial

His Excellency, the Governor, His
Honor the Mayor, Our Most Distin-
guished Member, Our Hostess, Mem
bers of the Federation and Friends:
/ confess that / came with some feel
ing Of trepidation, before this audi
ence tonight, and it is only fair that
you should have confidential ex-
PLANTATION of this disturbed condition
of mind.
There are those present who are
old enough to remember that made
what was called an address of well
come, when the Biennial convention
met in my home city of Denver in
1898. l responded to the welcome
two years later when we convened In
the splendid city of Milwaukee. /
welcomed the council OF the Fedora
ton at Atlantic City in 1905; re-
sponded to the welcome two years
ago, at the opening of that ever-to-
aforementioned meeting in st. Paul,
the city which gave, not only time,
money and service, but its heart to
the federation.
In June last year l welcomed the
council OF the federation in Virginia.
Now there are those, especially Of my
own official household, SO to speak,
who claim that my welcomes are get
ting old, and ought to be given treat
ment to revive them. They have
even suggested that absent treatment
might be desirable. | sympathize
heartily with this opinion, and with
you dear friends, that you must listen
to another response from me upon
this occasion.
But with all the welcomes in which
/ have participated, with all the
splendid hospitality of which / have
vivid and never-ending remembrance
and gratitude, never has my heart
swelled at the thought of a wei
come as tonight.
Sometimes we have gone with our
convention in an exploring fashion,
to enjoy new locality, sometimes
because OF great scenic attractions or
natural beauties, sometimes the
choice of the city has been because
of interesting events or historical en-
vironments. But none of these rea-
sons have entered into our thoughts
in accepting your hospitality. No, it
is not Boston, fine and grand as she
is, it is not because OF her natural or
artificial beauty; 1t Is not her centers
of art and learning; it is not her
wonderful historic setting and sig
nificance; 1t is not the woods and the
hills of New England which move
and attract us. 1t is the one COM
polling and heartfelt sentiment, that
for many of us at least, and in the
final reckoning for the large ma
jority of your guests, the return to
New England has meant a coming
home.
We say in the West, back East, !"
and that may mean Ohio or Illinois
or Indiana, but when we say back
Home that means here tonight and
you. How the memories throng
about us, as we think of the past; |
wonder If you realize you who have
given us these fair words of greeting,
that we are not strangers, we are
your kin-folk. We spent our child
hood under the roof-tree with you,
we knelt at the same dear knee to
whisper our evening prayers, we had
our training and education from the
same strong, rugged souls who gave
you your life foundations, ay, and we
still claim our part in the graves
which are dear to you under the
shadow of the hills, and by the
streams of New England.
| have often thought of the innate,
but unexpressed homesickness which
exists ever in the hearts of wander
ers, even though the new home
brings its need of happiness. l re-
member my own first visit to Massa :
chusetts, after settling in the West.
brought with me my little daugh-
ter, who knew nothing of the New
England home. We were obliged to
wait for some time in the Boston and
Albany station, and fifteen years ago,
you may remember, that was any
thing but an agreeable process. But
as | sat upon the well-worn seats, and
saw the familiar surroundings, only
remembered the happy days spent in
the Bay state, my dear companions,
the fascinating excursions to Boston,
o wonderland in those days; my
father and mother, my brothers and
sisters; and so sat smiling happily
at my thoughts. My little girl, how
ever, was restless and discontinued,