Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-11-20
In Memory Of my Friend Jo'
sephine Rowe.

II MCuOIy VA 11J - AS-~~
sephine Rowe.
Over the river they bore her,
When the evening shadows fell;
Over the mystic river,
To live where angels dwell
Her march up he hill was ended,
Her Journey of life was DER,
So the angels came and took her
To that far Off. distant Shore
Where the tree of life stands ever,
70 heal all care and pain,
And from where, if the soul once enters,
1t can neer return AGAIN.
Clasping her white hands gently,
When she heard the angels call,
She turned, with a face all radiant,
And bade goOd-by to all.
And when to her weeping sister,
She spoke word Of cheer,
And her broken hear ed Mother
She begged her not to fear;
For she said, "i'Il soon reach heaven,
Where the Lord will take my hahd,
And say, Thrice welcome, Josie,
Home to our angel BAND
1.-THE n crown upon my forehead,
He'll place with tender care,
And he'll bid me wander ever,
In his home so bright and fair,
And then l shall see dear Father;
lie is waiting there for ne.
And well talk of you, dear SISTER,
And Mother, We'll talk of thee;
"And III ask the waiting angel,
Teanswer soon your prayer,
And I'll come and oreu the pearly gate
WhcnI see You standing there"
Her vol ce grew faint and fainter;
On the evening breeze twas head,
Like the tar off distant warbie
Of some lonely, dying bird.
And then, as her waXy eye-lids,
Closed over her deep, dark eyes,
We knew that her soul was waited
TO that home beyond the skies:
We knew that the grim old boat-man
Was proud of his precious prize,
And that the angels waiting
Over Oh the ut ser side,
Were eager to clasp our Josic,
In a lingering, long embrace,
And gaze with zen der mercy,
On her beautiful, angel lace.
But how with those left t. n 'urn her,
Can we say, Thy VIII be DONE
When we know that forever cur darling
Has flown from oar earthly nome
When we know that more at noontide.
We shall hear her gay young call,
No more Le soothei by her song,
Nhen the evening shadows fa'l!
Yes, we can say it, Jesus,
Though tits suited with a sigh;
Mortal for immortal
O how sweet, like. her to die!
Then we strewed her colt with flowers,
OF the richest rarest hue.
And we saw, OF seemed to see her smhe,
AS if our darling knew,
That the last sad work was mournful,
TO prepare her for the tomb,
When soon in its diugy darkness,
We would hide her youth and bloom.
Twelve white robed school ties bore her,
With whom in childish hours,
She had played by the silver brooklet,
Or toyed with the summer flowers.
And none of those twelve could remember
That ever their school mate dear,
Had caused by a naughty answer,
single pang or tear.
Quick to forgive and pity,
Slow to rebuke or scoin.-
She lived by all the world beloved,
Through Sunshine and through storm;
She lived as the righteous liveth,
She died as the righteous die.
And to-day mid celestial valleys,
She is wandering up on high.
They laid her away so gently,
1t the dark and silent tomb;
And we turned with thought OF horror
To flee from its sulen gloom,
When 10 we thought of our treasure,
1t had clasped in its embrace,
And we stopped with an eager longing
To see once more her face,
But the earth was fast reclosing
Ger our darling's prec ious form,
Hiding her ever from loved ones,
And from the worlds rude storm.
Then we took our journey homeward,
With a sad and mourntul tread.
Feeling that all our sunshine
With Josie now lay dead.
Home to our lone ly cottage,
We took our dreary way,
When the golden hues OF sunset,
Bespoke the wane of day.
And there in our bitter agony,
We realized our lvss,
Yet we bowed our hearts in concert,
And thanked God for our cross,
For the one bright hope is ever
Before our aching eyes,
That Josie, our darling Josie,
Is safe in the mystic skies,
Where white robed angels wander,
Through valleys of living green,
And where, OH blessed comfort,
Christ's face is always seen.
Z. IvEY.
Can't 18th 1874