THE WISCONSIN FARMER.



of having a position where no one could stand
before, and up stairs, may remember, but
it is not in language to describe so fair a sight.
  Mr. Beecher was not present, and to those
who were in the secret of the programme, this
was a marvel and no little disappointment.
The superintendent of the Plymouth Church
Sabbath School called the meeting to order,
and the strictly religious services were con-
ducted by the pastors of the several churches
whose schools were participating in the festiv-
ities of the occasion. Then followed speeches,
or little talks to the children, interspersed
with singing of hymns and patriotic anthems,
including of course the " Star Spangled Ban-
ner," and finally "America," that alone being
worth a journey of a thousand miles to hear.
Mr. Beecher's church will seat twenty-five
hundred. The body of the seats below, as of
the gallery, which runs entirely round the
building, all rise a little and is so constructed
that the volume of each voice, as of the organ,
seems to pour its melody that but a moment
before vibrated every pulse, at the foot of the
altar. Those who have seen finer displays of
this kind may smile at my enthusiasm, but to
me it was a sight never to be forgotten. Not
the number of people, the children it was that
held the spell, and did not break it when, with
banners, the number of which I tried in vain
to count, and with flowers in every hand, rose.,
and sent our Ad America" up to the listening
heaven, with a volume and a will I had never
heard equalled.
  The principal orator of the day was Ex-Gov.
Wright, of Indiana, whose remarks were well
worth repeating did space allow; but as is too
often the case, on such occasions, more to the
adult than to the child audience. I do not
know that any one could tell you how many
standing-up seats there are in this church,
and I would only approximate it by observing
that all these children passed out and through
the parlors of the church, where refreshments
were served to them, ere the people had found
their way to the outside and massed themselves
on the corners where the processions were to
be formed. This was done in three divisions,



those that did not belong to the Plymouth
Church going away to other festivities. The
children of the church, headed by thirty-two
little girls in white, then proceeded to Mr.
Beecher's house, where, with his family assem-
bled, ho stood upon the door-steps to receive
them and their gifts. I have said before that
every child had flowers, which is literally
true. Observing these as they came into the
church, I had asked the superintendent the
occasion of this immense floral display. His
reply was, "IIf you remain till the ceremonies
are over you will see ;" and did I not see?
Standing upon his own door step, Mr. Beecher
received his little flock with smiles and bows
and pleasant words as they passed, each one
casting flowers at his feet. It was very beauti-
ful. The day was cloudless, but of so mild a
blending of azure and gold, and with such
pleasant breezes, that thousands of uncovered
heads stood reverent, looking on.
  As the last of these flowers fell at his feet,
with a face glowing and a voice tremulous with
emotion, Mr. Beecher looks up, for the first
time from the faces of the children, and made
one of his happiest little speeches. I cannot
go more into detail than to say that he made
every child there feel how much more desira-
ble it was to be little folks than big folks.-
He told them this ovation was doubtless as
great a surprise to them as it was to him  He
said he had only been apprized of it a week
before, and had, in common with them, been
under promise to keep it secret even from him-
self, and that having done so, it had blossomed
into this beautiful reward. He told them how
he had stood knee deep often before, in the
lowers of his garden, but never upon his
door-step, all of which would be incomprehen-
sible did he not see the faces of the fairies all
ireund. Many other good and appropriate
hinge which without being remarkable, Mr.
Beecher gets off with such inimitable simplic-
ty of manner, that they charm both old and
young.
Did the people go away as soon as they
were dismissed? No, they did not. AU lin-



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