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!"
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