Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-01-08
See across the mystic river.

Is oftenest closest in reach.
See across the mystic river.
Circling round and round forever.
On the slopillg sandy moat,
Where Charon chains his ferry-boat,
Where the spectral council stands,
Lifting high the heshlcss hands,
When the solemn rites are said
Ger the corpses of the dead,
Where writes Times chronicler,
Telling OF the olden year,
How he fought--how he fell,
Battling long and bravely we'll,
For the weak against the strong,
For the right against the wrong,
How he triumphed in the right
How he failed yainst errors might
How in misIlap or mischance
His armour pierced OF broke Instance.
Sing loud deep aud solemn dirge,
o. Southern sea;
Drown in the roll Of sullen surge,
The wild 'evelry.
That bursts from Atare's g'iarded hight,
Shaming the tempesf's boisle:'oIls spite;
Let thy waves swell
Ald battle Moro's castle wall,
And cover with Il foam-flccked pail,
The spot where fell
The nartyred heroes of fair Liberty,
On the island shore OF thy deep blue sea.
Queen Of the Southern cyclades,
Meath southern skies,
Thy Towering shore and spice-fraught
breeze
Marks Paradise
Where every hill and aromatic grove
Should be temple Of fraternal love;
But hapless dwell
a race Of warriLg tratrieides5
Whose nations council nothing guides
But fiends of He'll,
Prompting nought of good and all that s
vile,
70 bring dire ruin on thy bright isle.
Freshly the ballnv breezes bore,
The perfume from fair Cnba's shore,
And filled the glad Virginius' sail
With spice and orange scented gale.
That drove her through the sparkling
sea,
Light as phantom argosy.
Whilst from her deck the eager crew
Gazed far out Ter the water blue,
While like ball of burning fire.
The sun swung low DER steeple and
spire,
And many palace and gorgeous pile
Built on he shore of this bl CHIT isle.
Their glad hearts woke to sudden thrill.
And eyes long dry began to fill
In very joy at the loved scene,
That fiends of war had. come between,
And drovethem far, guiltless ofcrimcs.
70 other shores and colder climes.
The winged fish spolted idly by.
And waves of flame came riding high,
But that fair isle had greater claim
Than flying fish OF wave of flame.
Hark TO the boom of challenge gun,
Putting cloud between the sun;
And full set sails on straining mast,
Driv wing the vessel in furious has sic
Whilst well aimed shots of ball and she'll
Tell OF the danger and death too well
nnj,ll- ~ n q owe linz
Unreeted is flung tothe stiftning gale,
And foam that fills the vessels waite.
Tells of the speed heI trim sails make.
But not to the eager watching eye,
The lessening danger which they fly.
In file they kneel upon the sand,
With bandaged ewes and fettered hand,
AND upturned faces to the sky,
That hung a low blue canopy,
AS fin mercy yet to shun
Their faces from the scorchine sun,
Aud one proud soul did nobiy pray,
Their eaptorissvengeance vet to stay,
Upon his friends and noble crew,
y no scis ef treason never knew:
;.ui no. tor BIN one word ot prayer
10 ask a boon or life to spare
10 lIirn who stood tor Freedoms cause
And fell Tor her, and not because
The business OF her claims had Jailed,
But strength of Tyranny prevailed.
And back he took his place in file,
Whilst o'el his face there Lit a smile.
Proud as lord or any king.
Who steps from throne 10 scaffiold NC,
And bowed him there upon the sand,
Not al the tyrant's proud command
To die for guilt against the laws,
But suffer tor blest Freedoms cause.
While full in 'front.' there eager stood