1898.] ANNUAL REUNION. 151 



own premises not simply for our own enjoyment, but to extend 

 our hospitulity to others, our friends and neighbors, our friends 

 both at home and abroad. 



We are fortunate this evening both in the number and quality 

 of our guests — our new Mayor, who has already earned an 

 enviable record, the distinguished and accomplished President 

 of the Massachusetts Society, superintendent and principals of 

 our schools, professors from Amherst and Clark and the Insti- 

 tute of Agriculture, Rhode Island, and presidents of many of 

 our local institutions, guests also from the Fruit Growers Asso- 

 ciation — and fellow-members in your name and behalf, I welcome 

 these our guests in the festivities of this evening. 



Now I presume that a large proportion of this audience have 

 somewhat the feeling of the colored man down South, who 

 was in the employ of a stanch churchman, an Episcopalian. He 

 used to attend church with him as long as he worked for him. 

 He left his employment, and his employer having missed him 

 from church met him one day and said, " How is it that I have 

 not seen you at church lately?" "O yes, I go to church." 

 " Well, but I have not seen you at our church." <'0 no, I am 

 a Methodist." " How is that?" " Well, you see, Massa, the 

 Methodists, they get right down to business and give us a good 

 gospel service, while these Episcopalians take half the time to 

 read over the proceedings of the last meeting." Now I presume 

 the younger portion of this audience would be very glad to 

 waive these proceedings and get right down to business on the 

 floor below, but there is another portion who believe that a feast 

 is never quite complete unless flavored with a little salt. 



Now we must divide the time the best we can between these 

 two elements, and right here I will caution the speakers to make 

 their addresses short. The President has suggested that they 

 be limited to ten minutes, but I think that would be a rather 

 arbitrary rule. I know last year one of our speakers, feeling 

 that he must come within that limit, broke off suddenly in the 

 midst of the most interesting speech, although there were loud 

 calls for him to go on. Well, that gentleman is here tonight 

 and we will have the remainder of that speech, but if any 



