Page:Visit of the Hon. Carl Schurz to Boston, March 1881.pdf/79

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
66
VISIT OF MR. SCHURZ TO BOSTON.

may lie in a direction which shall lead to foundation of independent universities,—of which we have in Boston and Harvard the promise, if not the very beginning. Now, once more, welcome, our guest, our German countryman! first German senator and Presidential councilor! Welcome, the man of civil reform, the financial adviser! Welcome, the German student of old! May he ever remain young!




The Chairman. Gentlemen, we want now to wind up this demonstration; and we want a man to do it who will do it with dignity, with grace, with humor, and with intelligence,—and that man is Colonel Theodore Lyman.


ADDRESS BY COLONEL THEODORE LYMAN.

Your suggestion, Mr. President, that I should wind up this demonstration, reminds me of a country organist in Germany, of whom it is said that Handel one day went up into his organ loft and took a seat beside him. When the minister had pronounced the benediction, Handel said, “If you will allow me, I will play the organ while the congregation goes out.” This the organist very gladly allowed him to do. Needless to say, as soon as Handel began to play, the congregation all sat down again; and there they remained glued to their seats. After that had gone on for some time, and the minister in the pulpit began to look rather cross, for his