150 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1898. 



" Nature never did betray 

 The heart that loved her ; 't is her privilege 

 Through all the years of this our life, to lead 

 From Joy to Joy; for she can so inform 

 The mind that is within us, so impress 

 With quietness and beauty, and so feed 

 With lofty thought, that neither evil tongues, 

 Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men. 

 Shall e'er prevail against us, or disturb 

 Our cheerful faith, that all vphich v/e behold 

 Is full of blessings." 



I have thus, my friends, briefly endeavored to break the ice, 

 let me hope not entirely inconsistent with the spirit and purpose 

 of the occasion. 



" God Almighty," says Lord Bacon, " first planted a gar- 

 den ; " and indeed it is the purest of human pleasures, it is the 

 greatest refreshment to the spirits of man ; without which 

 buildings and palaces are but gross handiwork ! 



But I must not prolong my remarks. There are others to 

 speak to whom you will all be delighted to listen. 



I now have the pleasure of introducing our honored friend 

 and ex-president, Henry L. Parker, who will act as toastmaster 

 for the occasion. 



ADDEESS OF HENKY L. PARKEE. 



Mr. President, Fellow-Memhers, Ladies and Gentlemen: — 



In the midst of warlike rumors, preparations for war, and all 

 the excitement dependent thereon, this is eminently a peaceful 

 assembly. We do not want war, but in view of the recent 

 action of Congress, appropriating fifty millions to be used by the 

 President at his discretion, we may well say as John Bull once 

 said, " We don't want to fight, but by jingo, if we do, we've 

 got the ships, we 've got the men, and we Ve got the money 

 too." But as I said, this is a peaceful assembly. 



We come up here annually to cure our warlike spirit, to heal 

 our differences, to bury all the little animosities and differences 

 that may have germinated during the year, to cultivate fraternal 

 feeling, and we come here and meet in our own halls upon our 



