Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-12-10
TrentOM; or the FOOtstcD In the
SNnW.--A Tr dttiOss Of Christ
mas Night, l776.
BY LIrPARp.

1t was dark and dreary night, sixty mine
years ago, when, in an ancient farmhouse that
rises. along yendsE shore. snd ald man and NJ
Tchildren had gathered around their Christmas
aearth.
1t was lovely picture.
That old man sitting there on the broa1 hearth
in the full glow Of the famc-his dame, fine
old matron, by his side-his children. bacd
Of red-'pped maidens.-some with slender
forms, just trembling on the verge Of girlhood
Others warming and flushing into the summer
morn of womanhood! And the warm glow of
the fire was upon the white locks Of the old
man, and on the mild face of his wife, aud the
young bloom of those fair daughters.
Had you ,on that dark night--for it was dark
and cod-while the December sky gloomed
above, and the sleet swept over the hills of the
De,awaro-drawn near the farmhouse wind.
ow, and look d in upon that Christmas hearth
and drank in the full beauty ofthat scene-you
would confess with me that thoug.. this world
has many beautiful scenes much of the strange
ly beautiful in poetry--yet there,b that hearth
centered and frightened and burned that poe.
/
of Home "
You have all heard the story of the convict
who stood on the gal ows, imbued in crime;
steeped to the lips in nblood-stood there, mock
ing at the preachers prayer, mocking even the
hangman. When sudden y, as he stood with
single, burning, scaldng, tear rolled down his
cheek.
81 was thinking" said he. in broken voice
81 was thinking of the-Christmas fire =
Yes in that moment when the preacher fail.
ed to warn, when even the hangman cou d not
awe--a thought came over the convct's heart
of that time, when father and his children,
in far land gathered around their Christmas
| fire
That thought melted his iron soul.
Il care not for your ropes and your gibbets,
he said. "But now, in that far land-there,
over the waters--my father, my brothers, my.
sisters, are sitting around their Christmas fire!
They are waiting for me! And l am here p.
on the scaffold"
Is there not deep poetry in the scene, that
cou ID thus touch murderers soul and melt ii
into tears
And now, as the old man, his wife, his
daughters cluster around their fire. tell me-
why does that old MATS head droop slowly
down, his eyes fill, his hands tremble?
All, there is one absent from the Christmas
hearth .....
He is thinking of the absent one--his manly
brave boy, who has gone from the farm house
for year.
But hark Even as the thought come ovel
him, the silence of the fire side is broken by {
faint cry--a faint moan, heard over the wastes
of Snow from afir
The old man grasps a lantern, and with tha
young irl by his side goes out upon the darl
night.
Look therc--as following the sound of tha
moan--thry go softly over the frozen path how
the lantern flashes over their forms--over a few
white PAGES Of frozen snow-while beyond al
is darkness. .... . ....
Still that moan, SO low, SO faint, SO deep
toned, quivers on the air.
Something arrests the old mans eye, ther
in the spow-they bend down, he and hi
daughter--they gaze upon that sight.
1t is ahaman tootstep painted in the sno,c pain,
ed in blood.
"My child" whispers the old man, tremu
lousy. "now pray to Heaven for Washington
For by this foo,step, stamped in blood, judg
that his army is passing near this place.
Still that moon quivers on the air
Then the old man, and that young girl, fol
8 lowing those footsteps stained in blood-onc-
wo--three-four-look how the red token
crimson the white snow following thos
: bi"ndy foot prints; go on until they reach tha
roc \ =. ling over the river shore.
There the lantern flashes over the form Of
7 half naked man. crouching down in the sno'
, freezing and bleeding to death.
:. The old man looks upon the form: clad
ragged uniform of the Continental army-tl
stiffened fingers grasped the battle musket.
1t was his only son.
. :. He called to him--the young girl knelt, an
n you may be sure there were tears in h
cyes-chafed her brothers hands-ah, the
were sti and cold. And when she could n
warm them, gathered them to her young b
R som, and wiped her tears upon his dying fac
), Suddenly that brother raised his head
extended his hand towards the river.
Look there dther!" he said, in his husl
voice.
I. And bending down over the rock, the o
man looked far over the river.
= There, under the dark sky. fleet of boa
, were tossing amid piles Of floating ice
fleet of boats bearing men and arms, and G
1t tending in irregular lines from shore to shore
And the last boat of the feet that boat ju
leaving the western shore of the Dc aware; L
old man saw that too, and saw ev
through the darkness; yon tall form. half m,
fled in a warriors cloak, with gray horse
his side
= Was that not strange sight to see at de-
Of night, on dark river, under dark sky?
+ The old man turned to his dying son to a
;, the meaning of this misery.
n "Father," grasped the brave boy, totteri
- to his feet "Father, give me my musket. he
me on; help me down to the fiveri for to nigl