Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1862-06-04
FLOTsAEI AND JETS AM
NUMBER /.
Emigrants.

| country that is to become their home,aha
perhaps their grave, is, and al"ays has
been, full Of interest.
The Pats aud Biddys, Hans and Ka-
trinas, that drift down on the shores OF
this vast North American Continent. the
overhowings of the crowded population
| Of the Old World, are as much adven-
turers and explorers rs were Columbus
and the Pilgrim Fathers.
20 them, q Ameriky" is as little
known as it was to Capt Miles Standish,
and ike him they have an army of hos
tile natives to contend with. Let any
one that doubts this watch the unloading
Of 80 emigrant ship at any large seaport
| town.
Let us eonjuro up q group, such rs
may be seen almost any day in Castle
! Gardens or on the Battery:
First see the old couple, the grand
father and grandmother Of the youngest
Of the group. Is it, can ii be, the lust
for gold, the "auri sacra flames" that
has sent them over 5000 miles of ocean
to leave tl;cir old bones in n stranger
land? No. surely, the haggard, care
worn look, the tattered and patched
dress, the attenuatod face, and the claw
like hands, all alike are unmistakable
and uncoutroyertibIe tokens of the Pow
crty and Want that have sent them
across the seas, to seek among strangers
! that which their native aud denied
! them. Alas! poor old folks. pale care
has dimmed the fire of your eyes, and
toll and sorrow have bowed your forms,
and now, when The sunset hours Of your
lives should be marked with peace and
plenty, You have once more to grid the
harness. and forth to the battle of life .
No wonder they wear a wcaIie1 and
harassed look, and take but little interest
in the strange and novel sights around
them.
And now for the next couple. the
children Of tho old folks. Here they
come, alternately scolding and coaxing
an GRANT child they have been in search
of-PAtrict; and Aieen, or Hans and
Katrina, one description will answer for
either couple. A man in the prime Of
life, but old in appearance, a few more
gray hairs in his curly black hair, + few
more wrinkles in bis forehead, than are
the proper allowance for his time Of life,
are the scars, honorable scars, all in
front, that he bears rs tokens OF lis life
fight against Hu nger and Want, and bis
helpmate-
Care, and sorrow. and childbirth pain.
Have i,tt their traces in heart and brain
Av, and in her once bonny face too,
bonnv even now COR the kind heart and
true woman's nature that peeps out
through those soft brown eyes, but, ike
her husband, she bears seals Of wounds
received in the battle Of life, though, in
the beautiful words Of the Old Emigrant
Song,-
"Yours was the brave, true heart, darling,
That ST i'll kent hoDinr on
When the red had left your cheek. darling,
And your hearts young hopes were gone"
And she, too, has buried her hearts
young hopes far away, perhaps in that
Emerald Island beyond the sea, perhaps
in the sunny cornields of France, or the
vine-covered slopes of Fathcrland. But
her g brave, true heart" still keeps hop
inc on, her confidence in him whose
troubles she has shared, and will share, is
never shaken, she: and perhaps she alone,
sees the silver lining to the cloud, when
others see but the threatening squall
with the ruin and desolation that follow
it. They. like the old folks, pay but
little attention to the noise and conru-
sion, and as little leisure have they to
notice the strange sights around. A
band of Ishmaeites, their hand against
everybody and everybody's hand against
them, stands round waiting for chance
to ensnare them. Beware! Patrick, that
well-dressed and pleasant-mannered jim
tlemau is the biggest plunderer Of the
| lot. All. here is deliverer at hand.
Bearing down on the party, ''under o
press of canvass" comes their friend OF
the long, tedious voyage. the boatswain
OF the ship. Some thoughts Of his own
parents, and the cottage under the high
chalk-clifs Of Old England, or tho
memory of black eyed boy, lac yon-
der one who, scared with the noise and
hustle. is clinsiug tearfally to bis mother,
aud above all, the memory, perhaps, Of
her who, with the black eyed boy beside