WINTER MEETING AT LEBANON. 257 



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winter, which in turn changed the green to gold, and brought the hap- 

 piest season of the year after the crops were garnered and the fires 

 were kindled in the old kitchen hearth-stone. 



It was then we drove the cows home through the woods, down in 

 the meadow, saw the glorious autumn sunset, heard the village church 

 bell at evening vespers, while nature's great organ pealed in the thunder 

 cloud, and the angels went away to pray. 



You remember that morning when your trunk was packed and you 

 left for college, but never knew what the sacrifice was to pay for your 

 tuition ; you know that mother hugged you a little closer that morning, 

 and father tried to tell you about what would be expected of you at 

 college. When you returned the road to town had grown much longer, 

 and a few years had so changed the little valley over by the creek that 

 the hill with the chestnut trees was much closer to the house than 

 before ; the spring was still there, the lane was just as familiar, and as 

 you got the first glimpse of the moss covered roof of the old home- 

 stead your heart beat fast, and then you saw mother on the porch, and 

 sister came running out, and in a' few minutes you had been hugged 

 again, and was eating the choicest apples, that had been saved in honor 

 of your return. 



We often wonder now why the apples over in old Bedford's 

 orchard were so much better to our boyish taste than those of home. 

 Then Bedford had a dog; to be chased by Bedford's dog, and eat Bed- 

 ford's apples, was our besetting sin. It was about this time the tree 

 agent came around, and a man will ha\e to study a long time in the 

 woods to find out how a tree agent could supply any quantity of Wine- 

 sap apple trees out of a limited stock of Ben Davis. 



Going home from church through the woods, listining to her soft 

 voice — words that fell like a benediction to our listening ear, banished 

 every word of the sermon from our memories, and we ' ; worship only 

 these." "You've all been there." She was the flower of the flock 

 and no wonder the American people are demanding a national flower 



Thursday Morning, December 5. 



Session called to order by the President. 

 Opening prayer by Rev. J. K. Love. 



After which the following well-written and well-read paper was 

 heard : 



h R — 17 



