18 State Horticultural Society. 



an unreasonable monstrosity. Some one of these strict evolutionists wilt 

 take exception to this, but I will prove it. I don't believe that there is- 

 a man or woman in the sound of my voice who is the original idea of 

 his God. That may be a little far-fetched. Man has gone about and 

 seen the needs and wants of man and has set about to supply them. As 

 I said before, this has given rise to industry and there is none grander 

 than the one that we have represented here in our midst to-day, or to-night, 

 I should say. The one that is represented by these men's honest faces 

 before me. Men who have been held aloof from the world and its cares 

 and given themselves to the study of growing plants, they have com- 

 muned in silence with their God and Nature's God. \Mien we look into- 

 your eyes we feel that we are looking in the eyes of men. Brothers,, 

 yours is a spelndid work ; a grand and a beutiful work. Think, if you 

 may, of a world where all is desert — no cooling shade, no protection from 

 the summer's burning sun or the winter's driving blasts. What a scen- 

 ery this would be. What a monotony. Beauty is the poetry of vision^ 

 It is to the sight what the harmony of sound is to the car. It is in such 

 a work that we say -welcome to you. Yes, we welcome you. We at once 

 extend to you our hands, and let me tell you, our hearts are in them. 

 But, this welcome of mine is but empty words. How easy it is for me 

 to say "You are welcome." How easy I might stand here and pour out 

 words of welcome by the hour and yet your stay here might not be pleas- 

 ant. You might not feel welcome. But, I know my people. I know 

 for whom I am speaking. I know that they will not let me lie. No, we 

 surrendered to you the keys and throw open the gates of our little city and 

 say to you, "come in." 



But, in this work of welcome, you have a part to do. You must 

 throw all formality and ceremony to the winds. \\'e all know Sam 

 Smith and John Jones to be good Missouri men. But the Ph. D. and the 

 MC. and so on makes us feel as if we had to reach up to touch the hem 

 of your garments. Put your every-day names on your cards. If you 

 want your stay to be pleasant. }-ou must be one of us as well as 

 one among us. Brothers of the Horticultural Society, we may not be able 

 to show you any scenes "along the Hudson," but we will say that if 

 you rise early some of these mornings before the peep of day and watclt 

 Phoebus as he climbs the horizon, you will see a sunrise that you can- 

 not see every day in this world. Listen to the prattle of the children as 

 they play their games, kick the can or hear their merry laughter in their 

 sports, you cannot but be touched. We may not feed you in courses. 

 We may not have the fine wines of the East ; you may have to sit down 

 to a plain meal of milk, corn bread, potatoes and bacon, but if you do, 

 be assured that it was prepared by some kind mother, wife or daughter 



