Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-03-08
The Drunkard's Children.

walked alone, one autumn eve.
The wind was chill and drear;
But, louder than the moaning breeze,
murmur met my ear;
The spot was wild-and sad the hour,
And as paused to know
Whence came the sound, | heard with gri
This plaintive tale Of woe.
Sister o brother, let us turn again.
And seek our wretched home;
The night grows dark, and am cold,
Say, whittier can we roam?
PCrchaHce our father now has sunk
Into his heavy sleep;
And we can steal into our beds.
And wake and watch, and weep"
Broder.-" Nay, sister nay-I cannot go,
To rs no home twill be;
No word of welcome greets Us there.
No cheerful smile We see;
For loving look we meet a trowu-
For word, the curse we hear
And for caress, the drunkard's blow
Fills Us with pain and fyar
Itis not home!- has no food
No clothes, nor fire 10 warm:
NOT can its ruined walls and root
Protect from cold and storm:
II has no books to feed the mind
NOprayer to God above
And-since our gentle Mother died
No peace, nor JOY. nor love!
I'm vain We seek where We are known.
The gifts our home denies:
The very children that We meet,
The drunkardS child despi>e:
Come, sister, let us wander far
From blow. and curse. and ieer.
Where peace again shall fill our hearts,
And hope our pathway cheer
Si8t,r.-' Dear brother, add not tony grief
To wander ask me not;
Ny best affections cluster still
Around that checTlcss cot;
1t Is our Mothers home-aud We
Were happy at her side
And God own angels hOyercd there,
When that dear Mother died!'
B,otlcr.-. Az T was her home--ifth that hc home
Whose walls for years behold
Such scenes of guilt and misery
As never can be told:
'liS this that mad~ me, TIL my eyes
With tears of rage are dim
The memory ofmy mothers wrongs
Hath crushed out love for him ~
Sister,. O brother, quell this angry mood.
When review her life,
] thiuk-Im but the duunkard', cd'd-
She was the drunkard's irle'
Ny ~orToWs cannot equal hers
Like her I'll meckly bear.
And daily, To- my mothers God,
For him present my prayer
Br5fter.-.. cannot pray. and there is left
No ground for faith OF hope;
For heaven dslain- 10 bless the hand
That lifts the dJmninL cup.
Auiitit were not so, ON as
For PRAYER he has no claim,
For he hath filled our lives with grief.
With poverty and shame!
The past is dark-a fearful cloud
Upon tn, future lies;
If still We link our fate to his.
That cloud viii never rise.
\ drfuLsu ttthfr'-'t is not S0t
A father we have not
q. my proud spirit wildly ~puImS
The soul-dcgradiug thought
Nitr-"rcacg! brother. pcacpl this must not by.
such words must not bc said
such tumult never filled the heart
of the now santcd dead
o list 20 me, while l repeat
What yOu can ne'er forget;
And YOU shall own, with all his faults
He Is our tather yet.
Just ere our mother passed away
Into the spirit land,
kuUt, while on my head She laid.
Her cold and trembling hand;
Aud deep within my heart is writ
Each word She uttered then.
A~ sentence ON the solid rock
l. gravcd with iron pen
With feeble voice. and quiycring lip.
She spoke Of years gone by
utearly love, and joy. and peace
Her morning cloudlcs- sky.
And as she pictured him who then
Made her % happy bride,
pom her faded cheek arose
Tie flush of wumau's Vridct
She spoke of after years ofblis>-
of bliss without alloy:
And long She dWtlt upon the love
He bore his darling boy;
And tcryently she prayed that all
That love might bee returned
That uc'rr the father. by his son
In darkest hour Doe ~purucii
Through following years Of pain and Woe.
Her thoughts seemed mot alive:
And SHtHcc showed how heartily
The Christian could forgiycl
NumrWprN of countless wrongs
Disturbed her peaceful breath
The lips that muTmured not i'm life.
Spoke no rcproaCh i'm DEATH
But passing all her sorrows I,,.
ln self forErtfuIuc~-,
Is through her life ina death she sought
Her family TO bless
And with that hope which ever ,iweU-
In womau'~ trusting heart
She made each cloud Of futuroiU
Seem ready to depart.
Her living faith, with eye undimmsl.
Our father could behold.
Rc-torcd-tu be again 20 us.
All that he was of old.
And, with uu-ritsh joy. she gazcI
Upon the vision fair.
of bliss her children should partlLs
In which she must not share.
twas then, with deepest tenderness,
solemn charge she gave.
That should ne'cr depart from him
Her spirit yearned to save;
Nor cease my daily prayer for him
Howe'er hy sin dctlcl-
The husband Of her dcarhDsS love
The father her child!
% how the tones of that sweet voice
Went thrilling through my soul
And swept each chord Of sympathy,
With mrestraucd control.
promised-aHd her gentle hand
Grew heavy ON my head
Her spirit bore my vow to God
And was with the dead.'
/ Broher.-"Dear sister, we irW return again
That cot is Heavens gate,
Our father Vet shall DE redeemed
Like her Wen toll and wait
But first wen seek her grave, and pray
Above that haluwei sod
For love. and faith. and nope like her =
Then trust our Mothers 1iOdr G. ID.