LADY ISLINGTON

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 143, 26 September 1910, Page 2

LADY ISLINGTON

A SCOTTISH WELCOME. By Tale raph.—Press A*sockti«V\. Wamganui, Last Night. The Wanganui Caledonian Society recently forwarded to Lady Islington the following address, which speaks for itself:—"To Her Excellency, Lady Islington, Government House, Wellington, New Zealand,—The president' and members of the Wanganui Caledonian Society desire to accord to your Excellency \ a warm, and enthusiastic Scottish welcome to these beautiful islands, whose shores are washed bv the flashing, foam of the Pacific; and although hitherto personally unknown to us, we cannot feel that in thus approaching your Ladyship we are addressing a stranger, as, born and nurtured in Caledonia, Ave naturally assume that you are possessed not' merely of its instincts and traditions, but of that clannishnes's which has been such a striking characteristic of the children of the heather in every quarter of the globe. We hope and believe that your residence, and that of His Excellency, amongst us will'he pleasurable to you and of advantage to our whole island community, but during your period of "exile" we can readily assume that you will be animated by the feeling which finds expression in those,beautiful lines— . ■ i

"Though far from thee* my native shore, And tossed on life's tempestuous ocean, My heart aye Scottish to the core, Shall cling to thee wi warm devotion."' And we believe that when the time arrives for your departure, perhaps for a wider if not a higher sphere of duty, it will be universally recognised that, with His Excellency, you will have shed a lustre upon the high position which you have occupied in this, the most distant outpost of the mighty Empire of which we are proud to form a component part. On behalf of the Wanganui Caledonian Society, we are, your Excellency, yours obediently,—Donald Ross, president; M. MacKenzie Forbes, secretary. Wanganui, September 20, 1910."

Today the secretary of the Society received a reply from the Governor's private secretary, expressing appreciation of the sentiments contained in the address, which she would ever cherish as a memento of her visit to New Zealand.