The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-14
GRANDDAD IN THE INGLE.
by ROBERT BUCHANAN.


ny ROBERT BUCHANAN.
(CasselIs MAgazins.l
All On a windy night OF yule
When SNOW was falling white.
We sat all warm in the marish farm
Around the yule-logs bright.
The clock licked 10 y. and the wind did blow,
And the snow was heaped and blown;
Aud we laughed and talked, bat granddad sat
As Sill a. any stone
As still he sat as a cold, gray stone
HIS thin grey hair as white as foam.
Like drifting weeds his hands.
His eyes were dead, and dull ard cold,
As the ieiy -tish on the rock time
To the ticking Of the clock.
His cheeks were pale. his lips were dumb,
He sat IN the ingle-glow.
Still as a stone on the lone sea-sand,
Though the tide doth come and go;
Though the sun may come on its moist cold side,
5nigb ne snow may dash and the lightning flash,
And the startled sea-bird scream
Too late too Iatei he is old, so old,
He hears no human cali;
He cannot smile, he cannot weep,
Ills blood flows on as dark as sleep
He lives and that Is all
"GranGdad, granddad, look up and speak
To thv grandchild MajOrici"
He does not stir, but sits ana smiles,
Like one who doth not see.
lie sits and family feels the fire,
And fsndles his thin knees;
Flash the light, and rattle the log
He neither hears nor Sees
"Granddad, here is thy daughter Joan.
CoIue Ger with cousin Jane! ~
s'Ay, ay," he cries. with a teDle nush,
Then his soul shuts again.
a., 49,, tho yvords ba ve a strange sea-sOund
As they leave his feeble UPS,
of the blowing wind and the tossing sea,
And the men who sail in ships
All year long he sat by the fire
And we had heard strange tales, .
or his ike of old, when he tossed and rolled
Amid the lonesome gales.
And often when his chair was wheeled
Without into the sun,
Aoa the he s ae n The tbsP GT e had dome
For round his life mystery hung.
And we children had heard that he had been
bloody buccaneer;
That the stain of blood was on his hands.
That his soul was black and deep,
That he had seen such sights as made
His spirit shrek in sleep
That the red round god his hands had gained
Was eyed with blood of men;
And rs We spake. our voices sank,
And we looked at him again.
m would
And his hands would clutch his chair,
And some bloody scene within his soul
Would shake him unaware
sometimes hi' cold lips would unclose.
And tax in strange tongue.
Aud his voice would quicken, MS thin arms move
And al bis ways grow young.
S0metimes his voice was fierce and loud.
Asffhe trOd the decS;
Sometimes he seemed TO toll like men
Who SWIM from ships a-wrecS
-Rut ever the life he lived went on
Within his soul alone;
To all the wash of the waves oflife
He kept as cold as stone.
Yet or MS face yvoold lie in peace
As ifhe knew no sin,
With light tina. came not rom WITHOUT
But Issued from within;
A light like giistening light that 81 eeps
On the wet rock by the sea,
As ifhis thoughts were all az rest.
Was opening Tranquility.
suddenly on that night OF yule.
The old worn shape waved up his arms,
And spTang from out his Chair.
-'.see. seel" he cried, and his hair blown
He pointed with his skinny hand,
Aud uttered eager cries.
-Now, granddad, granddad. sit thee down.
There is no creature nigh!'
He answered not but stood erect,
With wildy-gstening eye.
Hush: man the boatsi' and in our sight
Firm mp and down he trod.
"FOrm line who stirs fOOtStep dies.
she's sinking TO Cod
'.Nail down the hatches Ifthe slaves
Climb ND. We must all drown.
If enc among them stirs foot,
ssh DOT. new, and hack them down.
"Away-she sinks!" and both his ears
He stopped as he did speak.
'.sSaved saved ;" he moaned, then trembling stO
With tears upon his cheek.
"God pardon me, and cleanse my sOul."
He murmered with thin moan,
Then raised his hands into the air,
And dropped as dead as stOnei