Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-03-18
1Doetrp.
Americas Answer to Ireland's
CRY.
by G. vANDENHoFF.

ny G. vANDENHoFF.
Horb, mid the howlings Of the wintry night,
what cry Is that, that louder than the storm
Comes bursting DER the proud Atlantc's wave'
Tho voice of wall, shrler and shriller still
As full Of dread, as if Despair himself
Were riding on the blast and shrieking "WoeW
Louder and louder yet it comes. II is
A furnished nations death-cry! IIark lis
The shrek Of millions In their agony
And shall that cry be vain Must ERir perish
Erin, the brave, the generous, true in heart,
The nurse of manly sentiment and wit,
The poets cradle and the patriots gravel
Where shall she turn her in her needi Where look
For helpi Where shall the fomished mother turn,
Pressing her gaspng infant to her breast,
Whose fouut is dried by witherod Fomine's hand,
And cannot queneh its thirst nor sootho its pangs
With Natures sacred stream In vain she wrings
Her hands, and tear her air,-no help is near!
Where shall she turn Where shall the strong man tun
PagHe-struck by want, ralsed and shrunk,
His manly sinews wasted to child's,
And his big heart weighed down with deep despairl
With vacant eye he gazes on his home
Made desolate, his hearth deserted, cold;
lie stares with stony look upon tho wife
That was his youths first love--his only one,
She whose rich beauty once made bright his heat,
And of his humble cot paradise,-
Whose cheerful voice music to his ear,
And with its tone could calm his widest mood
Can that be she 7 that Iamne-changed thing'
Is that gaunt, CHASTITY form the one he loved
Is Il at her cheek, so rosy once with health
And happiness, all faggard now and wans
Are those her liyid lips, her CLASSY eyes
That glare upon him, can they be the same
That once beamed love and hope into his souli
In wild bewilderment he stares upon her,
Nor longer knows the mother of his children.
His children! God on them he darcs not look
For Death and Hunger cling about them so,
That they are hideous in ather's
And seem like fendish mockeres ofhis boys.
lie does not weep his breath s chilled 10 stone
He cannot weep, bnt sullen turns away,
And with maniac laugh and shtiek Of anguish,
Wrung from his breaking heart-he dies. But; Oh
Where shall the wretched widow turn ,-where look
For help hope Tho hand of heaven has crushed hel
Man heeds her not-tho earth denies it's gifs;
Disease and want are inmates Of her cabin;
Unbured lies her husbands corse before her,
Taintng the air, uushrouded in her sight
Till ee6Rless, without prayer, its cast
Into a common, uameless grave, to rot
With heaps ofdead in horrid fellowship!
She has no space for grief time for tears
For bark! e'en her furnishing children's cries,
Calling, not for their father, but iof food,
Ring in her ear and pierce her mothers heart,
Driving her agony to madness /! God
Must they TOO perish Father, mother, wife,
old men and young, and innocent babes, must oil
BE doom'd, and find no friendly hand to save
Forbid it heaven forbid it mercy No.
Their cry is heard, and shall not be in vain
Borne by the angel pity the gale,
The wall of Erin mourning DER her sons,
Has reached distant but friendly land,