The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1865-06-29
90 e r., @ Y :
The ChanGcLiDG.
A. D. 1891.

BY JOHN q. WHITTIER
For the Cairest mai6 in Hampton
They needed not to search,
Who saw young Anna Favor
Come walking iuto church
Or bringing from the meadows,
{ At set Of harvest,dav,
| The frolic of the black birds,
The sweetness ofthe hay.
Now the wrariest of all mothers,
The saddest two years bride,
She scowls in the face of her husband
And spuyns her child aside,
"Rako cut the dead Goals, goodman
For there the child shall lie,
Till the black. watch comes to fetch her
And both up chimney fly.
It's never my own little daughter,
It's never my own" she said
"The witches have stolen my Anna,
And left nc an imp instead.
Oh, fair and sweet was my baby,
Blue eyes, and heir of gold;
But this is ugly and wrinkled,
Cross, and cunning and old.
[ hate the touch OF her fingers,
I hate the feel of her skin
It's not the milk from my bosom,
Blu. my blood, that she sucks in.
Ny face grows sharp with the torment
Look !. my arms ale skin and boue =
Rake open the red Goals, goodman,
Aud the witch shall have her own.
She'll come when she hears it crying,
In the shape of an owl or bat,
Aud she'll bring us or darling Anna
In place Of her screeching brat"
Then the good man, Ezra Dalton,
Lai.i his hand upon hsr head:
Thy sorrow is great, o woman
I sorrow with thcc," he said.
The paths to trouble are many,
And never but one sure way
Leads out to the light beyond it:
My poor wife, let Us pray
Then lie said to the great All Father,
Thy daughter is weak and blind
Let her sight come back, and clotho her
Once more in her right mind.
Lead hor out Of this evil shadow,
Out Of these tauoias wild;
Let the holy love Of the mother
Turn again to her child.
Make her lips Ike tIrc lips Of Mary
kissing her blessed Son;
Let her hands, ike the hands Of Jesus,
Rest on her little one,
Comfort the soul Of Thy handmaid,
Open her prison door,
Aud Thine shall be all the glory
And praise foreVcrmorc."
Then into the face of the mother
The baby looked up ami smiled
And the cloud Of thcr soul was lifted,
And she knew her. little child,
4 beam of the slant sunshine
Made the wan face almost fair,
Lit the blue eyes patient wonder,
Aud hG'rin9s ofpale gold hair.
She kissed it on lip and forehead,
She kissed it on cheek and chin,
And she barred her snow-white bosom
70 the lips 50 pale aud thin.
Oh, fair on her bridal morning
Was the maid who blushod and smiled,
But fairer to Ezra Dalton
Looked the mother of his child.
With more than a lovers foulness
He stopped to her worn young face,
lud the nursing child and the mother
lie folded in one embrace.
Blessed be God !" he murmured,
"Blossed be God :" she said
For see, who once was blinded
l live, who once was dead.
Vow uount and ride, my goodman,
As thou lowest thy own soul
Woes me, if my wicked tancies
BE the death Of Goody Cole 20
lis horse lie saddled and bridled,
And into the night rode he
Jow through the great black woodland,
Now by the white beached sea.
Ie rode through TIE silent clearings,
lie came to the ferry wide,
nd thrice he called to the boatman
Asleep on the other side.
lie set his horse to the rive,
He swan to Newhury town,