The morning journal-courier., 1908-09-28
GREAT GATHERING
HONORS Mr.. HAYNES
CONTINUED from First Page)

A'pHlHucu from flfhl Ihse'l
dustry OF the sea are far from sight
to the eastward and westwad Even
the tide Of wealth and fashion In
search of recreation, which has swept
along these startled shores In later
years, does not come here II stops
among the Islands Of Penobscot bay
or sweeps along 10 the harbors OF
Mount Desert, leaving this bay which
lies between, to Its immemorial quiet
ness, In the summer season It puts
on It's softest mien. The evergreen
woods seem gentler and less desperate
In their struggle for life; even the
sternness Of the granite hills wraps
itself In deluslve colors OF warmth.
For large part of the year, however,
the quiet Is intensified by a bleakness
Of distant outline and a barrenness OF
immediate aspect which scarcely need
the help Of the winter winds to chill
the heart Of the traveller accustomed
to populous cities or fertile valleys,
But II these silent places OF the coast
Of Maine are forbiddng to the
stranger, they are not so to her sons.
These draw In with their first breath
OF her e-giving air, not only love
for her very bleakness, but passion
ate loyalty that leaves It's mark On
every endeavor to the end of life. II
they be given the inner spirit at all. II
is spirit which whispers to them In
every cline that when they again
face the stern wardens of their child
hood, they shall face them unshamed.
So II was with the son born TO
Maine on that Haynes farm in 1869.
The haunting memory OF the land that
bred him was one OF the uplifting
forces OF his life. one OF his last acts
was TO go back 10 his old academy
and tell them so. and then TO come
back here and tell US OF II. II was
the last sermon that heard him
preach. And In his memory II was
not only her most beautiful, but also
her most unyielding. aspect that re-
NAMED that aspect by which she
asks the sternest service OF her sons
How should he analyze her moods in
any case? How do more than say;
Whether all beautiful Il lies
Or but waste plain. Scared and torn,
How shall know? for meath these hills
And in these valleys ! was born.
What | have said Of this country is
my own Justification for being here.
This is no time for personal apologies,
but am sure you will appreciate that
| was asked from among his friends,
to give the address at this time from
no other special fitness, save that |
too was born on these shores. hat a
few miles from his own birth place,
His land was my land. and his people
were my people. try to think that
he would himself been reconclled tr
my inadequacy for such a task by the
fact OF this common heritage.
The people of this country Of which
/ speak have a marked individuality
from which few who are born among
them ever escape. II marks them of
sharply from what Is commonly
called the New England type. and
| allies them in some ways with the dis
/ tant west. II Is best expressed.
/ think by the saying that Maine Is 9
/ belated frontler--to speak paradox.
I ically. frontier left behind. Culture
+ civilization. conventionality, the super.
rcfinemcnts and arisocratic listinc
tons of city life moved westward an.
left behind the ruder, more primitive
more open heated life of a simpler so
eiety. And left to themselves. its PEG
methods of life. not always knowing
how they differed from those of tn
great world and in no case carinl
much. Whether their standards wer
better or worse they wee independ
emily arrived at and they were applied
to all men; 10 themselves and tn
strangers within their gate. Whethe
rich or poor, learned or ignoant, IA
nous or obscure the visitor is wei
coined on terms Of equality II h
measures up to the local standard an
left with serene Indifference II h
does not. And so 1t is among them
selves There are no sharp dstinc
tons of wealth. no large cities, n
CULTS between neighbors The chic
source of wealth are the forest an
the sea, those two grim destroyers q
all artificial distinction, If Maine ha
been the only English speaking com
munity IN the world, the wor
democracy" would never have crep
into the language, for there wou
have been no opposing conception
with which to contrast It, | canno
recall ever having heard a Maine ma
speak OF himself or his community, a
democratic, Added to these charac
terlsties Is a rough charity. whic
while not always avoiding rathe
brutal condemnation OF what offends
still grants ungrudging credit to wha
Is worthy, and judges a man by tn
best that he can show and not tn
worst.
The men Of the coast, furthermore
possess that strange serenity of TEN
per which comes from wrestling wit
the sea. They learn early the lesso
that Impotence and fretfulness are q
no avail; 1t brings the fog, or drive
it. away, regardless Of mans purpose!
And so they learn to face all the vicis
STUDIES Of life with serene fortitud
born Of hard experience. In yout
they have the longing for adventure
not from the fevered fretfulness of tn
city bred, but obeying the far ances
trail call Of the sea-faring blood The
carry with them the temper whic
makes them take strange lands calm
ly as their birthright but which bring
them back like homing birds. 1t
always something imposing to me [
think of the hundreds of men alon
our coasts mpassively minding the
little farms, gossiping in some cross
roads, or worshippng in some lit
church who have seen far lands an