“It is our throne--the pedestal on which our building rests! a century agone its bed was hollowed out by pithy arms, now resting in the dust. Oh sturdy hearts! Oh honest hands! Beyond the boundaries of space and time, where Nature’s seedlings bud, and waters gather in a mighty deep, to thee, to thee we look through tears we dare not hide, and glimmering in the phosphorescent radiance of a holy past, we cry aloud, and loud the answer comes. The waves dash high, the breakers roar, the bright bow spans the clouds above, when lo, forth springs in brilliant splendor, our flag--the emblem of our dearest hopes,--our pride, forth springs in glorious purity, our flag,--the stars and stripes,--the flag of Adams and his son John Quincy.” At this stage of the proceedings, four hundred ladies uttered a simultaneous scream and fainted. The gallant orator, descending from the rostrum, helped to carry and lay them upon the greensward without, where members of the Fire Department promptly saturated them with a portion of the Schuylkill River. Then, taking a hasty draught of Bowers’ Centennial Mead, the orator re-entered the hall and resumed his address. Not one of the audience had left--during the interim they had been nicely entertained by the Director General (always prepared for emergencies), who gave them a comic song and dance. [Illustration] In resuming, the orator alluded to the Garden of Eden. He explained how the “S” became added to the name of Adam, and drew a pleasant word picture of the illustrious founder of his family in his fig-tree suit. He spoke for two hours in an interesting manner, and concluded. The chorus then joined in the national anthem, “Pop goes the Weasel,” after which the POET OF THE OCCASION, [LONGFELLOW.] America’s sweetest singer, who touches with his gentle hand the heart-strings of the world, waking them to musical response as pure and truthful as his own blessed soul, stepped forward, and read his original poem, which will live forever, a mile-stone of the nation. The people listened with rapt attention to the words of the honored bard. He seemed inspired; his voice was full, and each syllable he uttered reached every corner of the immense building. We caught the words and pinned them to our note-book in phonographic characters as they were given birth, and we reproduce them here complete and unabridged. [FOREVER AND FOREVER.] A SONG IN TWO VOICES. _First Voice._ The silent horologe of time, which varies never, Hath swept into the bosom of that sea Pulsating ’gainst the rock “Eternity,” The life-blood of an hundred years, Forever and forever! But crimson blood upon the Ocean’s wavelets, never Content beneath the surface smooth to hide, Will traces leave enrubying the tide, Till earth in chaos disappears, Forever and forever!