96 



The choir then favored the audience with a hynm. This choir 

 was composed of one hundred singers, under the direction of Mr. 

 Cheney. The singing was fine, and was well received by the au- 

 dience. The following are the words sung, composed by Mr. E. P. 

 Dyer, of Amherst College : 



HYMN. 



Air. — " America^ 



Raise high the harvest song. 

 Ye farmers, old and 3 r oung, 



To Nature's King; 

 To Him who crowns your toil, 

 Who bids the stubborn soil 

 Its stores of "corn and oil/' 



In harvest, bring. 



"When spring was budding bright. 

 With cheerful hearts, and light, 



We held the plow ; 

 Through summer's sun and rain, 

 Till autumn came again, 

 We toiled, and not in vain, — 



All grateful now. 



Ere frost had seared the leaves, 

 The reapers brought their sheaves. 



Rejoicing home; 

 And now our bins behold ! 

 All filled with yellow gold, — 

 Oh, let His praise be told 



To heaven's high dome. 



God of the harvest time, 

 With voice and song sublime. 



We shout thy praise ! 

 To bless the rolling year 

 Thy hand is ever near, 

 Inspiring love and fear 



In all thy ways. 



Prof. Clark next introduced Dr. Loring, as " the man who com- 

 bines successful experience as a practical farmer, with extensive 

 scholarly attainments, and the rare gifts of the orator, and especially 

 worthy of esteem and honor." 



Dr. Loring responded. An attempt to give any synopsis of his 

 response would prove a failure. It needed to be heard to be ap- 

 preciated. Suffice it to say, that he convulsed the audience with 

 laughter, and sat down when he could no longer make his voice 

 heard above the noise of applause. 



Mr. Sweetser was next introduced to the audience as the poet of 

 the day. The poem closed the exercises in the hall, and the audience 



