Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-01-23
THE WOODEN WEDDING.
BIZ W. A. CnoFFur.

When earth was filed with fairy clans,
And every mirth was wrought in fable,
When every shady grove was Pans,
Ere Persian Cyrus laid his plans,
Or Yankee Cyrus laid his cable.
about these days. as Beckwith says,
The Wooden Wedding doubtless dated,
And we trace the thread with care,
We may find how, and when, and where
The pretty thought originated.
Young Cupid, tired of petty art,
One day sought frolic more diverting;
And, aiming at Apollo's heart
A silver-tipped and dainty dart,
Cried, "Now wen have some royal hirtingI"
The shaft struck home; the urchin drew
leaden arrow from his quiyer,
And shot the maiden, Daphne, through.
Just then, Apollo came in view
She shrieked and fed towards the river.
The glimpse of lovelness complete,
Urged the impassioned god to follow;
With wings of fear upon her feet
Poor Daphne flew but still more fleet
Came rushing down mad Apollo.
Her wailing hIled the startling air;
With arnorous arms the lover sought her;
But old Peneus heard her prayer,
And changed into q laurel there,
As quick as fash, his frightened daughter.
No Daphne fair the wooer found;
Her arms were branches, shadow-laden;
Her white feet turned beneath the ground,
And skot their fbrant roots around
very hgneous sort of maiden.
Within rough bark the darnsel shrunk,
Her waterfall to foliage spreading;
She had to make her lonely bunk,
Ginevra-like, within her trunk
For her is held the Wooden Wedding.
Heroic Daphne, who avows
Shed rather be the tree she's gone to,
And see thoughtless browse,
And sheep take shelter meath her boughs,
Than wed a god she doesn't want to!
Though he is rich and fair, she grieves
When Love iInpels the god to follow.
And in the garb that Nature weaves
Politely makes her boughs, and leaves,
And says, "I'd rather not, Apollo"
How many, because Cupid's dart
Is gilded, marry when they shouldn't
Brave Daphne played the better part,
Nor gave her hand without her heart
Her wooden wedding was irouldnt!
Our sisters take when they so
To don the fascinating fetter;
A gracious fate has fixed it so,
That If they wed at all, you know,
They cannot well do any better.
That's where we have 'emI What q nnuss
Twould make through all the realms of Nature
o, brothers if the girls we buss,
Instead Of taking clods like us,
Gould marry some celestial creature
Five years of happy welded life!
All, in this era of divorces,
When many luckless wight and wife,
Involved IN hymenial strife,
Are seized by centrifugal forces;
When, unlike dame and Johnny Sprat
Or lured by some Utopian vision,
Pairs are unyoked for this, and that,
For absence, and for incompat-
Utility Of disposition;
How wise, in such age, again
To meet and tie the silken tether,
And tell the friends who crowd awain
With goodly greetings, that the twain
Are still resolved to live togetheri
No need to wish them, for their sake,
"A life Of joy, unmixed with sorrow;
A stream of love ripples break,
A bark that trails within its wake;
Only the raptures of tomorrow.
No faithful soul viii seek to shun
The discipline of self-denia1;
But may tkey, as the seasons run,
Be truer for each duty done,
And stronger for each hour of trial.
May every fuster brighter be.
And full Of summers warm and golden,
Till smaller craft shall crowd the sea,
And cluster on the sunny lea,
And wooden wedding grow to golden.
When Faith shall sink beneath the tide,
And Hope shall near the shining portal,
s Then may the bridegroom and the bride
Pass on together, side by side,
Where love shall sing and soar immortal!