IT is well for man to consider the heavens, the work of God's hands; the moon and the stars, which he has created. To look forth upon the universe, of which we form a part, fills us with high and ennobling thoughts, and inspires us with an earnest desire to press onward in the endless path, at every step of which new wonders and new joys spring up to greet our vision, and to gladden our souls.
Whichever way we look, above or below us, to the right or the left, we find a boundless expanse teeming with life and its enjoyments. This earth, large as it may appear to us, is less than a grain of sand in size, when compared with the vastness around it.
Take your soul away from earth, and send it on a mission of research among other worlds. Let it soar far away to where the dog-star, Sirius, holds its course; and then, though nineteen billion two hundred million miles from earth, a distance so great, that light, travelling, as it does, at the rate of six million six hundred and twenty thousand miles a minute, would require three years to pass it,—even then, when the journeying spirit had reached such a point, it might pass on and on,—new worlds meeting its gaze at every advance, and new wonders being seen as far beyond the point it had attained as the inconceivable length of the path it had already travelled multiplied a myriad of times.
We can scarcely comprehend the vast distance of Sirius; yet, great as this distance is, it is the nearest star to our system, and stars have been seen whose distance from the earth is estimated to be a thousand times as great!
Can human mind mark that range? A thousand times nineteen billion two hundred million! And were we to stand on the last of these discovered stars, we might look yet far beyond, and see "infinity, boundless infinity, stretching on, unfathomed, forever."
To have an idea of the vastness of creation, we must possess the mind of the Creator. What are we? We live and move and have our being on a grain of creation, that is being whirled through boundless space with inconceivable rapidity. And we affect to be proud of our estate! We build houses and we destroy them; we wage war, kill, brutify, enslave, ruin each other; or, we restore, beautify, and bless. We are vain, sometimes. We think the world was made for us; the stars shine for us, and all the hosts that gem the drapery of night created for our special benefit. Astonishing presumption!-born of ignorance and cradled in credulity!
The mind grows dizzy as it attempts to conceive of constellation beyond constellation, on and on, through endless space.
Commencing with this earth, the mind given up to serious reflection muses upon its broad extent of territory, its continents and its oceans, and it appears very large indeed. Forgetting, for a moment, its knowledge of other planets, it believes that this world is the whole universe of God; that the sun, moon and stars, are but lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth. But truth steps in and change the mind's view. It shows that, large and important as this earth may appear, the sun, which is spoken of as inferior, is three hundred and fifty-four thousand nine hundred and thirty six times larger; and the stars, that seem like diamond points above us, are, many of them, larger than the sun, one being one billion eight hundred million miles in diameter. Yet, such a bulk, when compared to the universe, is less than a monad.
A "monad" is an indivisible atom. It is as incomprehensible as the mysteries of creation, or the duration of eternity.
Tripoli, or rotten-stone, an article used in every family, and tons of which are daily employed in manufactories, is composed entirely of animalcul‘. In each cubic inch there are forty-one billion, that is, forty-one million-million of these living, breathing creatures, each of whom has organs of sight, hearing and digestion. Think, if you can, of the internal organization of beings a million of whom could rest on the point of a cambric needle!
But there are more minute forms of creation than even those. Deposit a grain, the four hundred and eightieth part of an ounce of musk, in any place, and, for twenty years, it will throw off exhalations of fragrance, without causing any perceptible decrease of weight. The fragrance that for so many years goes forth from that minute portion of matter is composed of particles of musk. How small must each of those particles be, that follow each other in ceaseless succession for twenty years, without lessening, to any perceptible degree, the weight of the deposit! And yet we have not reached the monad. A celebrated author
Niewentyt. made a computation which led to the conclusion that six billion as many atoms of light flow from a candle in one second as there are grains of sand in the whole earth, supposing each cubic inch to contain one million!
Here we must stop. Further advances are impossible, yet our end is not attained; we have not yet reached the monad, for the animalcul‘ and the less sentient particles of matter, light, are not, for they are divisible.
The insect can be divided, because it has limbs with which to move; and an intelligence higher than man can doubtless see emanations from those particles of light. But a monad is indivisible! Think of each cubic inch of this great earth containing a million grains of sand, and those countless grains multiplied by one billion, or a million-million, and that the product only shows the number of particles of light that flow from a candle in one second of time!-and not a monad yet! Minds higher than ours can separate each of these particles, and yet perhaps they find not the indivisible, but assign over to other minds the endless task.
With such thoughts let us return to our first point, and remark that the star tens of billions of miles distant, one billion eight hundred million miles in diameter, is but a monad when compared with the creations of the vast universe of God!
Here the mind sinks within itself, and gladly relinquishes the herculean task of endeavoring to comprehend, for a single moment, a fractional part of the stupendous whole.
Deep below us, high above us, far as the eye of the mind can see around us, are the works of our Creator, marshalled in countless hosts. All animated by his presence, all breathed upon by his life, inspired by his divinity, fostered by his love, supported by his power.
And in all things there is beauty-sunbeams and rainbows; fragrant flowers whose color no art can equal. In every leaf, every branch, every fibre, every stone, there is a perfect symmetry, perfect adaptation to the conditions that surround it. And thus it is, from the minutest insect undiscernible by human eye, to the planet whose size no figures can represent. Each and all the works of God order governs, symmetry moulds, and beauty adorns.
There are all grades of beings, from the monad to the highest intelligences, and man occupies his position in the endless chain. Could you hear and see, as seraphs listen and behold, you would hear one continuous song of glad praise go up from all creation; you would see all things radiant with smiles, reflecting the joys of heaven. And why? Because they follow nature's leading, and, in doing so, live and move in harmony.
Who can scale the heights above us, or fathom the depths below us? Who can comprehend the magnitude of countless worlds that roll in space-the distance that separates the nearest orb from our earth, the worlds of being in a drop of water, the mighty array of angel forms that fill immensity?
Well may we exclaim, "Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord ofHosts, and that my soul knoweth right well!"
NIGHT had shed its darkness round me;Wearied with the cares of day,Rested I. Sleep's soft folds bound me,And my spirit fled away.As on eagle pinions soaring,On I sped from star to star,Till heaven's high and glistening portalsMet my vision from afar.Myriad miles I hasted over;Myriad stars I pass‚d by:On and on my tireless spiritUrged its ceaseless flight on high.Planets burned with glorious radiance,Lighting up my trackless way;On I sped, till music comingFrom the realms of endless dayFell upon my ear,—as musicChanted by celestial choirsOnly can,—and then my spiritLonged to grasp their golden lyresStood I hear that portal wonderingWhether I could enter there:I, of earth and sin the subject,Child of sorrow and of care!There I stood like one uncalled for,Willing thus to hope and wait,Till a voice said, "Why not enter?Why thus linger at the gate?"Know me not? Say whence thou comestHere to join our angel band.Know me not? Here, take thy welcome-Take thine angel-sister's hand."Then I gazed, and, gazing, wondered;For 't was she who long since died,—She who in her youth departed,Falling early at my side."Up," said she, "mid glorious temples!Up, where all thy loved ones rest!They with joy will sing thy welcomeTo the mansions of the blest.Mansions where no sin can enter,Home where all do rest in peace;Where the tried and faithful spiritFrom its trials finds release;"Golden courts, where watchful cherubsTune their harps to holy praise;Temples in which countless myriadsAnthems of thanksgiving raise."I those shining portals entered,Guided by that white-robed one,When a glorious light shone round me,Brighter than the noonday sun!Friends I met whom death had severedFrom companionship below;All were there-and in each featureImmortality did glow.I would touch their golden lyres,When upon my ear there brokeLouder music—at that momentI from my glad vision woke.All was silent; scarce a zephyrMoved the balmy air of night;And the moon, in meekness shining,Shed around its hallowed light.
WHAT though from life's bounties thou mayest have fallen?What though thy sun in dark clouds may have set?There is a bright star that illumes the horizon,Telling thee truly, "There's hope for thee yet."This earth may look dull, old friends may forsake thee;Sorrows that never before thou hast metMay roll o'er thy head; yet that bright star before theeShines to remind thee "there's hope for thee yet."'T is but folly to mourn, though fortune disdain thee,Though never so darkly thy sun may have set;'T is wisdom to gaze at the bright star before thee,And shout, as you gaze, "There's hope for me yet."
IT cannot be that thou art dead; that nowI watch beside thy grave, and with my tearsNourish the flowers that blossom over thee;I cannot think that thou art dead and gone;That naught remains to me of what thou wert,Save that which lieth here,—dust unto dust.When the bright sun arises, and its raysPass noiseless through my chamber, then methinksThat thou art with me still; that I can seeThy flowing hair; and thy bright glancing eyeBeams on me with a look none other can.And when at noon life's busy tumult makesMy senses reel, and I almost despair,Thou comest to me and I'm cheered again;Thine own bright smile illuminates my way,And one by one the gathered clouds depart,Till not a shadow lies upon my path.Night, with its long and sombre shadows, treadsUpon the steps that morn and noon have trod;And, as our children gather round my knee,And lisp those evening prayers thy lips have taught,I cannot but believe that thou art near.But when they speak of "mother," when they say"'T is a long time since she hath left our side,"And when they ask, in their soft infant tones,When they again shall meet thee,—then I feelA sudden sadness o'er my spirit come:And when sleep holds them in its silken bandsI wander here, to this fair spot they callThy grave (as though this feeble earth could holdThee in its cold embrace), and weep and sigh;Yet, trusting, look above to yon bright sphere,And feel thou art not dead, but living there.It is not thou that fills this spot of earth,It is not thou o'er whom these branches wave,These blooming roses only mark the spotWhere but remaineth that thou couldst not wearAmid immortal scenes.Thou livest yet!Thy feet do tread the golden courts of heaven;Thy hands have touched the harps that angels use;Thy eyes have seen the glory of our Lord;Thy ears have listened to that song of praiseWhich angels utter, and which God accepts.
THEY had escaped the galling chain and fetters,Had gained the freedom which they long had sought,And lived like men-in righteous deeds abettors,Loving the truth which God to them had taughtSome at the plough had labored late and early;And some ascended Learning's glorious mount;And some in Art had brought forth treasures pearly,Which future history might with joy recountAs gems wrought out by hands which God made free,But man had sworn should chained and fettered be.They lived in peace, in quietness, and aidedIn deeds of charity-in acts of love;Nor cared though evil men their works upbraided,While conscience whispered of rewards above.And they had wives to love, children who waitedAt eve to hear the father's homeward tread,And clasped the hand,—or else, with joy elated,Sounding his coming, to their mother sped.Thus days and years passed by, and hope was bright,Nor dreamed they of a dark and gloomy night.Men came empowered, with handcuffs and with warrants,And, entering homes, tore from their warm embraceHusbands and fathers, and in copious torrentsPoured forth invective on our northern race,And done all "lawfully;" because 't was votedBy certain men, who, when they had the might,Fostered plans on which their passions doted,Despite of reason and God's law of right;And, bartering liberties, the truth dissembled,While Freedom's votaries yielded as they trembled.Shall we look on and bear the insult given?O, worse than "insult" is it to be chained,To have the fetters on thy free limbs riven,When once the prize of Freedom has been gained.No! by the granite pointing high above us,By Concord, Lexington, and, Faneuil Hall,By all these sacred spots, by those who love us,We pledge to-day our hate of Slavery's thrall;And give to man, whoever he may be,The power we have to make and keep him free.
WHAT shouts shall rise when earth shall holdIts universal jubilee!When man no more is bought and sold,And one and all henceforth are free!
Then songs they'll sing,That loud shall ringFrom rock to rock, from shore to shore."Hurra!" they'll shout, "we're free, we're free,From land to land, from sea to sea,And chains and fetters bind no more!"Let every freeman strive to bringThe universal jubilee;All hail the day when earth shall ringWith shouts of joy, and men are free!
Then each glad voiceShall loud rejoice,And chains shall fall from every hand,Whilst myriad tongues shall loudly tellThe grateful joy of hearts that swell,Where Freedom reigns o'er sea and land.
TAPVILLE was situated on the borders of one of the most beautiful rivers that grace and refresh the soil of New England. It was once a quiet place, once as perfect in its character as any of its sisterhood. A moral atmosphere pervaded it, and the glorious and divine principle of doing unto others as they would have others do unto them governed its inhabitants; and, therefore, it was not strange that its farmers and storekeepers kept good the proverbial honesty and hospitality of their progenitors. Tradition said (but written history was silent) that a few of those who landed at Plymouth Rock separated from the main body, and took up their abode further in the interior; and that, from these "few," a flourishing company arose, and the place they inhabited was "Springvale." But time and circumstances having much to do with the concerns of earth's inhabitants, changed the character as well as the name of this ancient town, and "Springvale" became "Tapville."
One evening, in the year one thousand eight hundred and I don't remember what, after a somewhat fatiguing ride on horseback all day, my heart was cheered on coming in view of the town. I had never visited Tapville, but, from accounts I had heard, judged it to be a sort of Pandemonium-a juvenile Bedlam. As I entered, troops of children greeted me with shouts, and my horse with stones. Despite of my treatment, I could not but compare their appearance, to say nothing of their conduct, with those I had last seen in another town, thirty miles distant. These were attired in rags, those in good clothing; these with unwashed faces, uncombed hair, and bearing every mark of neglect,—those bright and smiling, happy themselves, and making all around them so.
I did not much fancy my reception, I assure you. My horse seemed wondering at the cause of it, for he suddenly halted, then turned slowly about, and began to canter away with a speed that I thought quite impossible for a beast after a long day's work. I reined him in, turned about, and entered the town by a small and not much frequented pathway.
There was a large building at my left, with a huge sign over its principal door, from which I learned that "Good Entertainment for Man and Beast" might be had within. Appearances, however, indicated that a beast must be a very bad beast who would accept its "entertainment."
A fat man, wearing a green jacket on his back, an old torn and tattered straw hat on his head, and both hands in his pockets, stood lazily at the door; before which half a score of dirty children were playing with marbles, and a short distance from which a couple of children were fighting, upon whose pugilistic exercises a woman, with a child in her arms and a pipe in her mouth, was gazing with intense interest.
The general appearance of the town was far from pleasing. At nearly every window, hats, or shingles, or bundles of rags, took the place of glass, and the doors, instead of being hung on hinges, were "set up," liable to be set down by the first gust of wind.
Near one miserable shantee, poor, very poor apology for a dwelling-house, one man was endeavoring to get another into the house; at least, so I thought; but both were so much intoxicated that I could not tell, for my life, which the latter was. At one moment, the man with the blue coat with the tails cut off seemed to be helping the man without a coat; the next moment, I thought the coatless man was trying to help the other. The fact was, both needed help, which neither could give; so they remained "in a fix."
Now and then, a bare-footed little child would run across my path, and hurry out of sight, as if fearful of being seen where so much that was neither of heaven nor of earth was discernible.
In striking contrast with the want and desolation around, stood a beautiful mansion. Around it was a garden of choice flowers, and the vine, with its rich clusters of luscious grapes, shaded the path to the entrance of the house.
I continued on. Far up a shaded avenue I perceived a small, yet neat cottage, so different in general appearance from those around it, that I turned my way thither, in hopes of resting in quiet, and, if possible, of learning something relative to the town. I alighted, knocked, and soon an old lady requested me to enter, saying that Tommy would see that my horse was cared for. It was a small room that I entered; everything was as neat and clean as a New Year's gift, and there was so much of New England about it, that I felt at home. Near an open window, in an easy-chair, sat a young lady of decidedly prepossessing appearance but evidently wasting beneath that scourge of eastern towns and cities-consumption. There was a hue upon her cheek that was in beautiful contrast with the pure white of her high forehead, and the dark, penetrating eye that flashed with the deep thoughts of her soul.
The old lady was one of those good-natured, motherly women, whom you will find at the firesides of New England homes, generous to a fault; and whom you cannot but love, for the interest she takes in you, and the solicitude she manifests for your welfare.
A repast was soon at hand, and when it was over the lady said,
"You are from Boston, then?"
"Yes," I replied; "and, having heard considerable respecting this place, have come hither to satisfy myself whether or not any good would be likely to result from a temperance lecture here."
"Temperance lecture!" she exclaimed, as she grasped my hand. "Do, sir, for Heaven's sake, do something, do anything you possibly can, to stay the ravages of the rum fiend in this place!"
She would have said more, but she could not. The fountains of her heart seemed breaking, and a flood of tears flowed from her eyes. The daughter buried her face in her hands, and the sighs that arose from both mother and child told me that something had been said that deeply affected them.
Tommy at this moment came in, happy and joyous; but, as soon as he saw his mother and sister weeping, his whole appearance changed. He approached his mother, and, looking up in her face, said, "Don't cry, mother. Jenny will be better soon, and Tommy will work and make you and her happy. Don't cry, mother!"
The child's simple entreaty brought more copiously the tears to the mourner's eyes, and some time elapsed before they became in the least degree comforted.
"You will excuse me, sir," said she, "I know you will, for my grief; but, O, if temperance had been here ten years ago, we should have been so happy!"
"Yes," said the boy; "then father would not have died a drunkard!"
The surmises I had entertained as to the cause of this sorrow were now confirmed; and, at my request, she told me her story, with a hope that it might prove a warning to others.
"You must know, sir, that when we came here to live we were just married. Alfred, my husband, was a good mechanic, industrious, frugal and kind-hearted. He had by his labor and economy accumulated a small amount, enough to purchase an estate consisting of a house, shop and farm. He had many and good customers, and our prospects were very fair. We attended church regularly, for we thought that, after enjoying the bounties of a beneficent Ruler all of six days, it was our duty, as well as privilege, to devote the seventh to His praise.
"Years passed by, when one morning Jenny, who was then about seven years old, came running in, and told me that a new store had been opened; that the man had nothing but two or three little kegs, and a few bottles and tumblers. I went out, and found it as she had stated. There was the man; there was his store; there were his kegs, bottles and tumblers.
"The next day some changes were made; a few signs were seen, and the quiet villagers gazed in wonder, if not admiration, at the inscriptions, 'Rum,' 'Gin,' 'Brandies,' 'Wines and Cigars.' Old men shook their heads, and looked wise. Old women peered from beneath their specs, and gave vent to many predictions. Children asked what the words meant.
"That night I talked with my husband about it. He thought that there was no danger; that social enjoyment would harm no one; and seemed astonished, to use his own words, 'that such a sensible woman as I was should express any anxiety about the matter.' That night, to me, was a long and sad one. I feared the result of the too much dependence on self which he seemed to cherish.
"The rumseller soon gathered a number of townsmen about him. His establishment became a place of frequent resort by many, and soon we had quarrelling neighbors, and disturbances at night. Boys became dishonest, and thus the fruits of the iniquitous traffic became visible.
"I noticed that Alfred was not as punctual in his return as formerly; and my fears that he visited this pest-house of the town were soon confirmed. I hinted to him my suspicions. He was frank, and freely admitted that he visited the bar-room; said he had become acquainted with a few choice spirits, true friends, who had sworn eternal friendship. 'Danger,' said he, 'there is none! If I thought I endangered your happiness, I would not visit it again.' I recollect the moment. He looked me steadily in the face, and, as he did so, a tear escaped my eye. He, smiling, wiped it away, promised that when he saw evil he would avoid it, and left me alone to my reflections.
"But I will be brief. I need not tell you how, step by step, he descended that ladder whose end rested in the grave. I need not tell you how I warned him of dander; how I entreated him to avoid it; how I watched him in sickness, and bathed his fevered brow; how my heart was gladdened when I saw his health returning, and heard his solemn promise to reform.
"Nor need I tell you how he was again led astray, and his hand encircled that cup which he had once dashed aside. O, sir, he was a good man; and, in his sober moments, he would weep like a child, as he thought of his situation! He would come to me and pour out his soul in gratitude for my kindness; and would beg my forgiveness, in the tenderest manner, till his heart became too full for utterance, and his repentance found vent in his tears.
"What could I do but forgive him, as I did a hundred times!
"Disheartened, I became sick. I was not expected to survive; and Jenny, poor, child, watched by my side, and contracted an illness, from which, I fear, she will not be freed till the God she loves calls her home to himself.
"When I recovered, Alfred remained for some time sober and happy. But he fell! Yes, sir; but God knows he tried to stand, and would have done so had not the owner of that groggery, by foul stratagem, hurled him to the ground. I went, my daughter went, friends went, to ask the destroyer of our happiness to desist; but he turned us away with an oath and a laugh, saying, 'he would sell to all who wanted.'
"Frequent exposure brought disease; disease brought death, and my husband died.
"All our property was sold to meet the demands of merciless creditors, the principal one of whom was this very rumseller who turned me from his doors. A friend furnished us with the cottage in which we have since lived. Many kind-hearted friends have gathered around us, and we have been happy, save when the recollections of the past rise before us. Others, beside myself, have had cause to mourn and our town, once inhabited by happy, quiet and contented families, has become noted as a seat of iniquity.
"He who has caused this change is now the wealthiest man in town. You might have seen his stately palace as you rode up, environed with fruits and flowers. He lives there; but, within the shade of that mansion, are the wretched hovels of those upon whose ruin he sits enthroned. He has roses and fruits at his door, but they have been watered by widows' tears; and the winds that reach his home amid rich vines and laden trees may bear to his ears the orphan's cry, from whose mouth he has taken the daily bread."
When the old lady had finished her narrative, she could restrain her tears no longer, and they burst forth as freely as at first.
I inquired whether there were any beside herself who would become interested in a temperance movement. She replied that there were many, but they wished some one to start it.
I had left a gentleman at the town I last came from, who was an eloquent advocate; and my first act, after listening to the widow's narrative, was to write a note, and send it in all possible haste to him.
The next day he came; and, if you could have seen the joy of that family as I told them that we had announced a meeting, you would have some faint idea of the happiness which the temperance reform has produced.
From what I had learned, I expected that we should meet with some opposition from the wealthy individual before alluded to, or from his agents, who were so blinded to their own interests that they could not be easily induced to move for their own good.
The evening came, and the room we had engaged was well filled. My friend arose, when a stone, hurled at him from without, missed its aim, and struck a lamp at his side, dashing it into a hundred fragments. Little disconcerted at this, he began his address; and, in a short time, gained the attention of the audience in so perfect a manner, that they heeded not the attempts of a noisy crowd without to disturb them.
He continued on. Men leaned forward to catch his words, and some arose and stood as motionless as statues, with eyes fixed intently on the speaker. Women wept; some in sorrow for the past, others in joy for the future. A deep feeling pervaded all. The disturbance without ceased, and one by one the disturbers came to the door; one by one they entered, and began to feel the truths which the speakers uttered.
The only interruption was made by an aged man, who bowed his silvery head, and, in trembling accents, moaned out, "My son, my son!" These words, uttered at the expiration of every few minutes, increased the solemnity of the occasion, and added power to the lecturer's remarks, for all knew the story of his son, and all knew that he was carried home dead from the groggery.
When, at the end of the lecture, it was asked who would sign the pledge, the whole assembly started to respond to the call, and each one that night became pledged to total abstinence.
The next day a great excitement existed relative to the groggeries in town; a meeting was called, and a committee appointed to act in a manner they thought best calculated to promote the interests of the people at large.
This committee determined to present the facts to the keepers of the places in question, and request them to renounce the traffic.
The facts were presented. They saw that their customers had all left them, and why should they continue? It would be a losing business.
The effect of the moral suasion had been powerful; it labored with the very soul of the traffic, with those who put the pence in the dealers' coffers. It was more powerful than all laws that could have been enacted. Forbidding them to sell while customers crowded their doors would have had no effect, unless to create riot; inducing their customers to leave them soon induced them to leave the business, for where there are none to buy there will be none to sell.
In view of all this, the rumsellers of Tapville gave up; and, strange to say, joined with the people that night in their rejoicing, and made a bonfire of their stock in trade.
By the light of that fire my friend and I left the town; and when far away we could see its glare, and hear the shouts of a disenthralled people.
After a few months' travel in the south and west, I revisited Tapville, or rather the place where it once stood; but no Tapville was there. The town had regained its former sobriety and quiet, and became "Springvale."
I called at the widow's cottage; Tommy ran out to meet me, and I received a welcome I shall never forget. But Jenny was no more; with her last breath she had blessed the temperance cause, and then her pure spirit winged its way to that home where sorrows never come, and where the troubles of earth are forgotten amid the joys of heaven.
'T WAS cold, bleak winter, on a rock-bound coast,When bands of exiles trod its frozen shore.Who then stood forth to greet the coming hostAnd shelter freely give when storms did pour?
Old Samoset-peace to his memory still!-
He bade them welcome, welcome, with good will.Then was the red man's nation broad and strong-O'er field and forest he held firm control;Then power was his to stay the coming throng,And back the wave of usurpation roll.
He might have crushed them on old Plymouth's rock,
And freedom to this day have felt the shock.Not so he willed it; he would have them sitIn peace and amity around his door;The pipe of peace in friendship would have lit,And, as its white cloud up towards heaven did soar,
Learned that like it the spirits pure and white
Ascend, to live in never-ceasing light.But what return did they profusely giveWho were dependent on the red man's corn?Not even to them the privilege to live,But war and fire, torture, hate and scorn!
Hunted like wild beasts through the forests' track;
For food and welcome such they gave him back.Then roused to madness was the Indian's soul,Then grasped with firmness every one his bow;No mortal power his purpose could control,Till he had seen the traitors lying low.
Revenge! revenge! was sounded far and wide,
O'er every field and every river's tide.The little child that scarce could lisp a wordWas taught to hate the white man; maidens fairWere roused to fearful vengeance, as they heardTheir brothers' wrongs, and madly tore their hair;
Old men urged on the young, and young men fled
Swift to increase the armies of the dead.And thus the war began,—the fearful warThat swept o'er happy homesteads like a flood;The white and red man knew no other lawThan that which wrote its every act in blood.
Daylight beheld the ball and arrow's flight,
And blazing homes made terrible the night.The rifle's sharp report, the arrow's whiz,The shout, the yell, the fearful shriek of death;Despair in him who saw the last of his,And heard "good-by" from children's dying breath;
The last sad look of prisoners borne away,
And groan of torture, marked the night and day.With arms more skilful-not with hearts more true,Or souls more brave to battle for the right-The white the unjust warfare did pursue,Till, inch by inch, the red man took his flight
From homes he loved, from altars he revered,
And left, forever, scenes to him endeared.O, what an hour for those brave people that!Old men, whose homes were loved as homes can be;Young men and maidens who had often satIn love and peace beneath the forest tree;
Parents who'd planted flowers; and with warm tears
Watered the graves of dearest-gone for years!From every tree a voice did seem to start,And every shrub that could a shadow castSeemed to lament the fate that bade them part,So closely twined was each one with the past.
O, was it strange they fought with furious zeal?
Say, men who think, and have warm hearts to feel.And thus they went,—a concourse of wronged men,—Not with a speedy flight; each inch they gave,Each blade of grass that passed beyond their ken,Was sold for blood, and for a patriot's grave;
And white men paid the price-and now they hold
This broad, broad land for cost more dear than gold.And yet 't is not enough; the cry for moreHath vexed the Indian, till the Atlantic's waveNow blends with it the thunder of its roar,And soon shall sound the requiem o'er the grave
Of the last Indian,—last of that brave band
Who once held sway o'er all this fertile land.Methinks to-day I see him stand alone,Drawing his blanket close around his form;He hath braved all, hath heard the dying moanRise from the fields of strife; and now the storm
That hath swept all before it, age on age,
On him, the last, seeks to pour forth its rage.Raising his hand appealing to the sun,He swears, by all he hath or now could crave,That when his life is closed, his life-race run,A white man ne'er shall stand above his grave.
Shall he, the last of a once noble race,
Consign himself to such a dire disgrace?Never! let rock to rock the word resound;Never! bear witness all ye gods to-day;Never! ye streams and rivers, as ye bound,Write "Never" on your waves, and bear away;
Tell to the world that, hunted, wronged, abused,
With such reproach he ne'er shall be accused,The red man's brethren, tell him where are they;The red man's homes and altars, what their fate?Shall he who stands the last, the last to-day,Forget with his last breath to whisper hate?
Hate, deep and fathomless, and boundless too,
Such as to fiendish cruelty is due.He cannot bear the white man's presence now,Or bear to hear his name or see his works;He thinks that wrong is stamped upon his brow,That in his good deeds selfish purpose lurks.
Has he a cause for this?-review the past,
And see those acts which prompt hate to the last.Sons of the Pilgrims, who to-day do boastOf Freedom's favors, ye whose wealth doth lieFrom the Atlantic to the Pacific coast!Let not the race you have supplanted die;
Perish like forest-leaves from off their lands,
Without a just requital at your hands.O, give them homes which they can call their own,Let Knowledge light its torch and lead the way;And meek Religion, from the eternal throne,Be there to usher in a better day;
Then shall the past be blotted from life's scroll,
And all the good ye may do crown the whole.
O, THAT some spirit form would come,From the fair realms of heaven above,And take my outstretched hand in hers,To bathe me in angelic love!O that these longing, peering eyes,Might pierce the shadowy curtain's fold,And see in radiant robes arrayed,The friends whose memory I do holdClose, close within my soul's deep cell!O, that were well! O, that were well!I've often thought, at midnight's hour,That round my couch I could discernA shadowy being, from whose eyeI could not, ah! I would not turn.It seemed so sisterly to me,So radiant with looks of love,That ever since I've strove to beMore like the angel hosts above.The hopes, the joys were like a spell,And it was well! Yes, it was well!And every hour of day and nightI feel an influence o'er me steal,So soothing, pure, so holy, bright,I would each human heart could feelA fraction of the mighty tideOf living joy it sends along.Then why should I complain, and askWhy none of heaven's angelic throngCome to this earth with me to dwell,For all is well,—all, all is well!
AWAY from home, how slow the hoursPass wearily along!I feel alone, though many formsAround my pathway throng.There's none that look on me in love,Wherever I do roam;I'm longing for thy gentle smile,My dearest one, at home.I walk around; strange things I see,Much that is fair to view;Man's art and Nature's handiwork,And all to me is new.But, ah! I feel my joy were more,If, while 'mid these I roam,It could be shared with thee I love,My dearest one, at home.Blow, blow ye winds, and bear me onMy long and arduous way!Move on, slow hours, more swiftly move,And bring to life the dayWhen, journey done, and absence o'er,No more I distant roam;When I again shall be with thee,My dearest one, at home.