Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-03-16
1)oetrpp.
THE EnIGRANT MOTHER.
BY L. II. s.

From nv own native cline took my way
Across the foaming deep; my husband slept
Il his new grave, and poverty had stripped
Our lonely cottage Letters DER the wave,
From brother and poor sister, bade me come
To the new world where there is bread for all.
s. with my heavy, widowed heart went,
Nr only babe and |.
Coarse curious eyes
Looked searchingly upon me as | sat
n The throngd steerage, with my sick, sick soul
But al each jeering word bowed my head
Down Ger my helpless child and was content,
Fog be was all my world.
Storms rocked the bark,
Aal haggard fear sprang up with oaths and cries;
+, wondrous courage nerved nle-for 10 die,
With that fair loving creature in my arms
Seemed more than life without him If shade
q asarjaess or trouble marked my brow,
H boxed upon me with his fathers eyes,
and was comforted.
But sickness came,
Close air sad scanty food. Darkly they pressed
On feeble infancy, and oft I heard,
i nouralul twilight settled o er the sea,
Tie frequent plunge. and the wild mothers shrek
Elea her lost darling to the depths went down
I I4encame he terror. To my heaving breast
closer cllsped my child, and all my strength
Went forth Ia one continual cry to God.
Scarcely | slept lest the dire pestilence
>.7ld smite him unawares-e'en when he lay
d peaceful dreams the smile upon his cheek,
.rmb.ed lest the dark-winged angel brea1hed
rsloas whispers Iuriug him away
came al last that dreadful sickness came,
Ile ieyer-short and mortal! Midnights pail
snseai er the waters when his fast faint breath
Eas.aned my cheek-deep in my breaking heart
s-1t the mothers cry.
One mighty fear
absorbed me, lest his cherished form should feed
Iae dire sea monsters, nor beneath the sods
g he green, quiet, blessed earth await
Tie resurrection.
So | shuddering pressed
! TIE body closer, though its deadly cold
Ffoze through my soul.
To those around l said,
Al3 rocked him tenderly as though he woke
II iEs.iuuess, or felt the sting of pain.
~ poor lead babyl Terrible to me
>uel a.sehood seemed. But yet the appalling dread,
Lest tae fierce scaly monsters of the sea
! >aoa.i wind around him with the gorging jaws
/ eImas,eTed me
Nights fed and mornings dawned
and stall my chill arms clasped immovably
LIE sarlveiling form. They told me he was dead
An 0ade me give my beautiful to them,
toT burial in the deep With outstretched hands
4 -asy stood demanding him until the light
81 nom my swimming eyes
But when / woke
so.n the long trance, that icy burden lay
~ longer on my bosom. Plying words
] 'ss Captain spoke Look at yon little boat
-e-s-ed to our stern. There in his coffin rests
- body Of thy son. lin three days
8sreach the land, he shall be buried there
Is thou desirest."
Then from breaking morn
y eEss We're fixed, and when the darkness came,
. tle red 6innacle's uncertain ligh.
watched the floating speck amid the waves,
Aad prayed lor land.
As thus kept my waeck,
.'Ae aeSoiate RIzPah, mournful visions came
1 !. ny ioTsaken cottage, while the spring
!. gushing crystal, where meath towering trees
] 5 rs" our water, gurgIing in my ear,
g mock me with Is memories of ioy.
4. 1afoat was dry with anguish, and when voice
-'-ei me to pray for land, lifted up
a, ,entnaked thought which finds the throne
Sooner than pomp OF words.
With fiery face
- eager foot the third dread morning rose
n oi zae mysty de,p. aud colby rang
l-e -easl-k knell of hope.
As Ger the stern
sazed with dim eye on the flashing brine
Ss.7,1ought its depths were opened, aud saw
FEATURES most vile that DER the bottom crept.
F---<aFts and shiny serpen,s, hideous forms
-- s-aPeslor which man 5 languagehas 10 name
-'s 70 the surface rose the monster shark,
sa; 70 seize his prey
Convulsive shrieks,
q -5 Pent within my bleeding heart, burst forth;
n nom the watcher At the mast there came
s~oat Of ~LASnE and on the horizons edge
u --el ialntstreaklike the white seraph' 5 wing
4 blessed land' We neared, and my breath
i 7 o2- continued gasp. On, blessed land.