The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-10-03
OUI FALLEN HEROES.
COMPOSED AT THE TOME or ABRAHAM LISooiN'
JUSR 7TII. ISL


stood and gazed toward the sea
From underneath the weeping willows;
And listening TO the monotone
or singing, surging, murmuring waters
closed my eyes, as II entreneed'
Scarce needing gay Columbia's daughters
Who, chatting glibly as they sped
From shrub TO tomb, from tree 10 marble
Made dlseord with the melody
ofwhIspering winds and wild birds warble;
Then, turning from the giddy throng
In silence-lest from sleep I'd wake her
passed an Infants new-msde mound
And stopped beside the grave OF Baker
lbw, stone wall and marble slab
OF name and date of birth gave token
And briefly spoke his greatest deeds,
And when his thread OF life was broken;
While overhead the arehing skies,
And underfoot the grasses vernal.
And all around the flowers and trees
Spoke TO me of tho grand Eternal,
In words so plain l could not fail
To heed and understand their voices
As when immortal spirits sing
And my tried soul with bliss reJoiees
Forever" sang the cooling winds;
'Foreyer!" spake the surging ocean;
Forever" said my answering heart,
''Shall live the works he put IN motion"
And while, alas, ungrateful man,
Regarding his great acts too lightly,
Rears no meet monument To mark
His wondrous words and deeds which rightly
Live In the hearts all leal and true
Ofthose who knew him but 10 love him,
Fair CalifOrnia's arching skies
In smiling beauty bend above him,
And perfumes from the balmy breath
OF breezy-laden plants exotic
Fill all the air with redolence
And rouse me from my thoughts chaotic.
No more shall mOrtRls hear his voice,
But thousands tell In song and story
Meet praises OF his noble life
And martial deeds and well-earned glory.
! turn me 10 the distant East,
And ponder o'er the din OF battle,
Which called our brave and good 10 face
The cannon's roar and musket's rattle.
| Again sing, and now my theme
i not of snrsing, murmuring billows,
/ Nor yet OF flowers and ladies fair,
Nor yet OF waving, Weeping willows.
My Tyre tune, and now once more
I sweep the chords with trembling hngers,
And strike n dirge. all grand and deep,
Which In my sad soul fondly fingers
And from the vernal, slOping shore,
Where / stand rapt in meditation,
Ny memory notes the troubled clouds
Which shrouded once our suffering Nation,
I When yielding TO his eountry's call.
In her dark hour Of tribulation,
iSing softly, Muse, aud do not wake her,
The infant under yon earth-moundl
/ Up sprang TO arms, met death and fell
our gallant, glorious Colonel Baker.
The winds went signing through the trees,
And white sails decked the foam-capped
ocean,
And san Franeiseo's busy hum
Was heard above the waves commotion,
And sea sulls in the craggy clens,
| Against whose feet wild waves were dashing,
COoed 10 their mates. who sought their food
Where breakers 'mong the rocks were crash
ing,
And I'm my soul a quiet peace,
Composed Of JOY and pain and sorrow,
Awoke me to the toll oflife
And its demanding, stern tomorrow.
/ turned and sped me through the wales
And o'erthe frownlng, snow-elad mountains,
Through broken wilds aud desert plains,
o'er arid wastes, past gurgling fountains.
Lone Mountain stlll slept by the sea,
While on sped from hillside Rincon, =
And passed Oak Ridges welcome gates,
And stopped beside the tomb OF Lincoln.
The circumambient air was still;
The warm, spring day with Peace was laden,
And trees and birds and flowers and bees
Sang welcome TO the bllssful Aidden.
stood beside the monument
! And gazed enrapt into the pOrtaI
Where rests all that belongs 10 earth
OF proud Columbla's son immortal;
And as unused upon his life,
And on his dreadful death-scene pondered,
Methought he from the vault emerged
And stood before me as I wondered.
His fine, expressive countenance
With thought and joy and peace was beam.
ing,
And "welcome" spake his kindly voice,
While his glad eve with love was cleaning.
! stood transfixed, and while gRZed
The misty, dream-like vision vanished, .
And for "a moment time and place
Were from my 'wildered senses banished.
But reason rallied 10 my aid,
And memory quickly re-Rssured me,
And back upon life's real plane
Their joint endeayors gently lured me;
And then unused upon his life,
I When firm he held our helm of Nation,
And ON his tragic, martyr death,
And his loved couniry's lamentaiIon,
When the quick telegraphic wires
Flashed forth, without a second. warning,
Mute tocsin OF his fearful fate,
Aud all the land was draped I'm mourning.
| Oh, why, brave hearts of fallen friends,
T Come ever to the heart OF woman
The thoughts that stir and words that burn
With fires divine on altars human,
II 10 her thirsty, waiting soul
: No privilege or hope Is given
To tread with man earth's paths 10 fame,
, And like him walk high roads TO heaven
Why, brothers, crcumscribe her sphere?
. Why hedge with human Legislation
Her soul. which, like yours, shonld be free
To seek is chosen destination?
What We admire lets emulate,
Dear sisters mlne So on lifs's highways
! We travel with the good and great
I While shedding light along lifo's byways
, The twilight falls; you know sped
Past far Pacific's hillside Rineon,
From Bakers grave, where sea-gulls wed.
And stopped beside the tomb OF Lincoln.
2 Al. u.
y TAKES THE STUMP.
J Our readers will see by notice il