The Nevada Democrat., 1857-11-25

She set apart, as one forbid,
Who knew that none would condescsnd
To own the Witch's child friend.
The seasons scarce had gone their round,
Since curious thousands thronged to sec
Her mother on the gallows tree;
And mocked the palsied limbs fage,
That faltered on the fatal stairs,
And wan lips trembling with Its prayers
Few questioned the sorrowing child,
Or when they saw the mother die,
Dreamed Of the daughters agony.
They went up 30 their homes that day,
As men and Christians justified;
God willed 1t, and the wretch had died
Dear God and Father Of us all,
Forgive our faith in cruel lies,
Forgive the blindness that deniesI
Forgive thy creature when he takes,
For the all perfect love Thou art
Some grim creation Of his heart.
Cast down our idols, ovorturn
Our bloody alters; let us SEQ
Thyself in thy humanity
Poor Mabel from her mothers grave,
Crept TO her desolate hearth-stone,
And wrestled with her fate alone;
With love and anger and despair
The phantoms Of distorted sense,
The awful doubts Of Providence
The school boys jeered her as she passed.
And when she sought the house Of prayer,
Her mothers curse pursued her there.
And still, DER many a neighboring door
She saw the horse-shoe's curved charm,
To guard against her mothers harm
That mother, poor and sick and lame,
Who daily by the old armchair,
Folded her wthered hands In prayer
Who turned IN salem's jail,
Her worn old bible DER and DER,
When her dim eyes could see no more
Sore tired and panied, the poor girl kept
Her faith and trusted that her way,
So dark would somewhere meet the day.
And still her weary wheel went round
Day after day with no relief
Small leisure have the poor tor grief. as AZ
So in the shadow Mabel sits; ~
Untouched by mlrth she sees and hears
Her smile ia sadder than her tears.
But cruel eyes had found he out,
~ And cruel lips repeat he name,
And taunt her with her mothers shame.
She answered not with railing words,
But drew her apron DER her face,
And sobbing glided from the place.
And only pausing at the door,
Her sad eyes met the troubled gaze
OF one who In her better days,
Had been her warm and steady friend,
Ere yet her mothers doom had made
Even Esek Harden half afraid.
He felt that mute appeal of tears,
And, starting, with an angry frown,
flushed all the wicked murmurs down.
oGood neighbors mine" he -ternly said,
"This passes harmless mrth or jest;
I brook no insult to my guest
''she is, indeed, her mothers child;
But COPS sweet pity ministers
Unto no whittier soul than hers.
''Iet Goody Martin rest in peace;
never knew her harm fly,
Aua~ ttoI natl GAp Eno mot
~ know who swore her life away;
And, as GoD lives, I'd not condemn
An Indian dog on word Of them"
The broadest lands in all the town,
The skill to guide, the power TO awe,
Were Hardens; and his word was law.
None dared withstand him to his face,
But one fair maiden spoke aside:
''The little witch Is eyil-eyed
"Ier mother only killed COW,
Or wtched churn or dairy
But she, forsooth, must charm man"
Poor Mabel in her lonely home,
Sat down by the windows narrow pane,
White In the moonlghts silver rain.
The river, on It's pebbed rim,
Made music such as children know
The door yard tree was whist cred through.
BY voices such as chidhood's ear
Had heard in moonlights long ago;
And, through the willow boughs below.
She saw the rippled water shine;
Beyond in waves Of shade and light,
The hills rolled off into the night.
Sweet sounds and pictures mocking so,
The sadness of her human lot,
She saw, and heard, but Needed not.
She strove to drown her sense of wrong,
And, her old and simple way,
To teach her bitter heart TO pray.
Poor child the prayer begun in fAith,
Grew to a loud despondng cry,
OF utter misery; "Let me die ~
"Oh take me from the scorniul eyes,
And hide me where cruel speech
And mocking finger may not reach
81 dare not breathe my mothers name;
A daughters right dare not crave,
To weep above her unbest grave
''Let me not live until my heart,
With few to pity and with none
To love me, hardens into stone.
40 God have mercy on thy child,
Whose faith In thee grows weak and small,
And take me ere lose II all ~
4 shadow on the moonlight fell.
And murmuring wind and wave became
voice whose burden was her name.
Had then God heard herH Had He sent
His angel down In flesh and blood
Before her Esek Harden stoodl
He laid his hand upon her arm
''Dear Mabel, this more shall be;
Who scolds at you, must scold ut me-
'tYou know rough Esek Harden well;
And If he seems suitor gay,
And If his hair is touched with gray,
"The maiden grown 81 all never find
His heart less warm than when she smiled,
Upon his knees . little child ~ r ts.
Her tears Of grief were tears Of joy,
As, folded in his strong embrace,
She looked in Esek Harden's face
40, trusst friend of all l'' she said,
dGod bless you for your kindly thought,
And make me worthy Of my lotP'
He led her through the dewy fields,
To where the swinging lanters glowed,
And through the doors the huskers showed.
"Good friends and neighbors 70 Esek Said,
',m weary Of this lonely life; O.
In Mabel see my chosen wife