The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-07-28
POETRY.
DOROTHY IN THE GARRE1.
BY J. 7. TRowBRIDSs.

l.
In the low-raftered gsrret, STOPPING
Careful v over ths cresking boer1s,
Old Maid Dorothy goes a-eroi,lng
Seeking some bundle OF patches, hid
Far under the caves, or bunch OF sage,
Or satchei hung CE its nail amid
The heirlooms OF bygonc age.
There is the ancient family chest,
There the ancestral cards and hatchel;
Dorothy. signing, sinks down to rest,
F0Tgetiul OF patches cage. and satthel.
Ghosts OF faces peer froT-i the gloom
OF the chimney, where. with swifts ard reel,
And the long disused, dismantled loom,
Stands the old-Iashioned spinning wheel.
She gees it back IN the clean swep. kitchen,
A part o. her gir,hood's little world:
Her no her i there By the widow stitching;
Snigda buzzs= sRd reel Is "hirleG
With many click: on her httle stool
She sis. child, by the open door.
Watching. and dabailrg her feet in the pool
OF sunshine spilled on the gilicd Il Dor.
Her sisters arc spinning al cav long;
To her waking sense fhs first sweet warning
OF daylight come, Is the cheerful song
To the hun ofthe wheel, IN the cary morning
Beniie. the gentle. rcd-ches ked hoy,
On his WY 10 ;chCol, peeps in a. The gate;
IN neat, white ptna!ore, elsed and coy,
She reaches hand TO her 5=shfui mate
hnd unde- the elm=. prs'tling pale,
T1gc. her they 60, throGeh c;ilameT ard goorn:-
L All comes back to scE. dreaming there
=
The hEm OF the wheel, ard the sumr weather,
The hearts fr-t trouble. aud loves- beginning,
Are all III her memory linked together;
And noT Il IL she herself .hat L spinning.
wtth the bloom of youth on cheek and Up.
farning the sPokss "ith the ishins PIN,
Twisting the thread f M the spindletip,
Stretching II ont and winding ii in,
tn and fro, With 2 bl.thcsorse tread.
Singing she gees. and her heart = fun,
Ard many a leng-drGTn golden thread
fancy sIlv.l with shining 1roOl.
Her rathcr sits ia his favcr;te place,
PGiliug his Pipe ny the chimney s.Ge;
Through cur,ing Clouds his kindly face
CLOVIS upon her with love AID pride.
Lulied by the wheel, in the old armchair
Her mother Is nusiDg. est in Tsp,
With beautiful Groop'ng head. and hair
Whitening uader her snow-white cap.
One by one 20 the grave, to the hrita.
They have followed her sisters rem the door;
Now they arc oid, ard she is their idOl:-
II all cones bact. On her heart once more.
In the autumn dEsk the hearth CLEANS brightly,
The wheel il set by the shade -y wsil,-
A hand Fl the lafch,-'tis lifed lightly,
AND IL walks Benjie, msnly ard tail.
nis chsir ls placed the o'a man tips
The cher. and brings his choicest fruit;
y crie b3ssS in the aze. and sips,
Ard tells ais story. and joints his flute:
@, sweet the tures. thc tax, the laugbteri
fhey Gil The hour WITH glowing tide;
But swec.cr he sal, deep moments after,
When she Is alone 5Y Benjies side.
But onoc wleh angry words taey part:
y, teen the weary. weary days
Ever with rsstles- vretcheG heart.
Flying her task, she .urrs to gszo
Ear up the road ard early and late
She ha-ks for f0otstap AZ the door,
Ard starts at the = 1st that swing. the gate,
And pr;ys for Henjic, who comes NO more.
Her faultg Beni'el and could yoa steel
Toar thoughts toward enc vEho owed you 50 p
S0lae2 she seeiSs in the wiir;.Hg wheel,
II duty and love that tighten woe:
Striving with la5er nrt Ia vain,
To drive away the dan days drearircss,-
Bic7siGg the toll that hGn.s the pain
Oi = deeper grief in the body WEAKNESS.
froad and petted. ard spoiled was she:
word, and a her lie is changcdi
liz wdvering love too easily
In the grel; gay city grows estraHged:
One year: SHE sits IN the Cid church pew:
rustic, marmTr,-O Dorothy hide
1OIr face and shGt from ycur soul the view
Is BsIJie leading , wHIvc-yeiled bride
Now fl-he- and mother hsve long been dead.
And Inc bride sleeps uldcT Z cnurchyard stone,
And a bent Old man with gTizzed read
Walks up tie lOag dim aisle alone.
Years blur 70 a mist: Snd Dorothy
siis Gcu5.ius betwixs the ghost she seems
Asd the pbantoE, Of youth, more real han shc
That meets hex there II that hagHt Of dreams.
Bfigat ycuug Dorothy iaolizsd daughter,
Sc1gtt 5y m my Z yoIihtal adorer,
Life. Ike ne risen ilwn the water,
Shining endless VISTA before her!
o.d Mall Doro.hy- wriEkIsd and gray.
uf0piGg I sdeF tha FARMHOUSE caves
And lie il Il brief November cay
Thas -ets a word OF vTttheTe5 lSaves!
YET faithfalness in the kurl5Ie-t psrt
J. better at last than prouf SUCCESS
Aud pat lence AID lose N 2 chas.eued heart
Are pearls more precious tran happiness:
And ia that morning when she sh III wake
To The spEir- time iTes1Ecss OF youth a"a:1,
AlitrogSle WI seem bat n 2 y5ng il Ike.
Ana lifelong so1Ic% breath on the pare
atlantic Eoathtg