Monday, May 20, 2013

AMERICA TO ENGLAND


Read at the LoOOs Club dinner to Whitelaw Reid
The youngest of the nations,
    Grown stalwart in the West,
Yearns back to where each morning
    Glows o'er the ocean's crest,
And cries: "0 Mother Country,
    Ours is your ancient pride,
And, what~'er may befall you,
    Our place is at your side."
"Ours are the old traditions
       Of Saxon and of Kelt;
    We visit rare Westminster,
       And kneel where you have knelt. .
.
Your restful country places,
       Hills, lakes, and London town­
Their memories we inherit
       And share in their renown.
"Your Avon is our Avon;
       Song knows no border line;
   The stars their radiance mingle
       Which in one heaven shine.
   Within your 'Poet's Corner'
       Longfellow's gentle grace
   With all the august shadows
       Is given a welcome place.
"Your mighty men of science
      Who've made the world anew,
Transforming earth and heaven,
      Wrought not alone for you.
From Newton up to Darwin
      Each from his truth-built throne,
Nods greeting to our homage­
      We claim them for our own.
'You fought the fight for freedom
     And taught mankind the creed;
Long ere our 'Declaration,'
     There was a Runnymede.
We won at Appomattox,
     But you had won before;
Our Bunker Hill and Yorktown
  Look back to Marston Moor­
"Our Washington and Lincoln
      Were of your sturdy stock­
Cut out of Milton's quarry,
      One piece with Cromwell's rock.
Our Pilgrims learned the lesson
      That English meap.s the free,
And through the wintry weather
      They brought it over sea.
Then let this glorious vision
       Along our pathway gleam

As up the future leads us
    The Seer's, the Poet's dream.
One race and one tradition,
    English, American.
And one high inspiration­
    The destiny of man!"


M. J. Savage.

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