Mower County transcript., 1871-08-03
s#sssssR Poetry
OLD MADELINE.

BY LuOT LARcoM.
OVER q crumpled paper in her hand
Dlmly thacsSdle dick cred on the stand;
Up tho dark Shimne : narcd Sn,ouldering brand
The whole house slept
And Medicines care had made that sleeping sweet
For all day long
She pAttercd to and fro W wlth lli,ht, quick icet
And while her broom made nook and corner ho"'
She hummcd sOng
A broken singing thin and pitifu1,
And yet In tune. ,
with all hat makes grc" lyrirr 1 ''" ", "f school,
Al Night or noon
Now n uuaint hymn; now JAIME on lhe soa;
An anthem shalth
Tim, -nr,, in r.r thanksrvlnEs used to be,
In ~ sa, axe days before the land was FREQ;
A glec or catch;
{No matter what the children gathered near
For all and zach.
ratho. of moapins wind ,through branches ssre,
Mirth rs uf waves that break In sunset clear
On some lone beach.
Tonight che sat In silence. Every night
For year aud year.
Here had she covered hy the late candlelight
Over the worn out pri,t. and blurred her sight
Reading through tears
To one name, wrtcn on the list Of Dead"
Her tired eyes grew.
Falling In the march. pur4n ing foes that ned,
Somewh.r. beside the road he lay, thy suld;
sAsgrave none knew.
Tho ta,tercd Newspaper spread out to her
\ picture wide.
Among vast alien hills the hattlc's stir.
A death bed where none came to minister
To him who died.
A .pot of sreen beside mountain road,
~ warm winds kissed,
Whore strange large roses opened hearts that
And over him their blood red petals strcwcd
Whom love had missed.
For sweet maid Madeline had never guctsod
Ralph cared for her
fave as II friend: while vatnly he sought rest,
Sure that no tender feeling in her breast
For him would stir.
And stnl Ne image hhried she within,
6enAath her thought,
Wondering what happier gi,i hs heart would wir
She dr0w ned her vexiny dreams in work-day din;
The war he sOught.
And after he had fallen a comrade came,
And told her how
Upon tho battle.evo he brcathed her name.
Then Mrlcline said: Nome elsc my hand shall
Aud kept her vow.
With hor No li-htc-t wnony ever spcd.
NJ man might press
soothing hand upon her t,:, weary weary head;
With loneliness.
FOR MAQcnne Salu: sVlcly "hlts luz iuN
Beyond Deaths gate;
And might miss him through eternity
BY Joining fatcs with one less loved than he.
[ too can wait.
~ could not bear another lovers kiss,
That somewhere i" from ON the heights of heavenly
bliss
His spirit hither ycarns. mine to his,
Forever lcal."
This to. .beS silspt heart alone she said,
Hushiny lis moan
That yet int" II. errest singing strayed;
While all declared, "A cheerfuler old maid
Was never known
Nor ever was there. As her poor song worth
Aud wiChery stole
From muified minors in them had its birth,
Out OF crushed Joy Hprnng kindness and m1rth;
Her life was whole.
Whole, though it seemed a fragment, rent apart
From its true end.
Downward from deathless clnging reached her
Reader to comfort for It's hidden smart
To all friend.
None saw her tears save God and her lost love,
Surely that dew
Kept memory bIOssOming fresh in fields above;
Against deaths burs he must have fed the dove
That huttering flew.
So lived she faithful an unwedded bride.
His hand Of snow
Age laid IN blessing on her head. She died..
Do Raj lph and Madeline now walk side by side2
The angels know.
" y Inlerend,nf.