] 2 Southern Historical Society Papers.
promised to return it. General Munford said to me : "I hope some day to turn it over to the museum at our dear old capital."
Munford was born in this city. There are those here to-night who knew and loved his father, who was so long the Secretary of the Commonwealth. -He has a host of friends besides the soldiers who followed him through the years of war. His heart beats with love for you and his State.
In justice to his merits, and for your due edification, I wish that the duty of receiving this portrait had been assigned to one better equipped for the task, whilst I may plead that no more loyal and devoted friend of his could have been selected.
A strong feature in the character of General Munford is his abi- ding love for his fellow-man. Some time ago, on his return from Alabama, he wrote me telling of some members of my old com- pany and relatives of mine in that State. He spoke in the kindest way of them, rejoicing at the success of many, and expressing the warmest feelings of sympathy for one who was deeply afflicted. Only this morning I glanced over the letter. The sympathetic paragraph suggests
ABOU BEN ADHEM.
Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase !)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence in the room he said :
" What writest thou ?" The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answer' d, "The names of those who love the Lord."
" And is mine one?" said Abou. " Nay, not so,"
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerily still ; and said : " I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men."
The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night,
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed whom the love of God had blessed,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. Leigh Hunt.
