The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-25

May 10th, 1874.
By JOHN BOYLE oREILLY.
No song OF of a soldier riding down
From the raging fight from Winchester town I;
No song of a time that shook the earth
With the nations three at Nations birth;
But the song OF a brave man, free from fear
AS Sherdan's self or Paul Revere:
Who risked what they riSked, free from strife
And It's promise Of glorious pay-hls life.
The peaceful valley has walked and stirred,
And the answering echoes Of life are heard;
The dew still clings to the trees and grass,
And the early tOierS smiling pass,
As they glance aside at the whte-walled homes
Or up the valley, where merrily comes
The brook that sparkles In diamond rllS
AS the sun comes over the Hampshire hills.
What was lt,that passed like an ominous breath
Like SILVER OF fear or touch OF death ?
What was IT ? The valley is peaceful still,
And the leaves are are on top OF the hill.
1t was not a sound; nor a thing OF SENSE
But pain. like the pang of the short suspense
That wraps tho being OF those who see
At their feet the gulf of Eternity.
The air of the valley has felt the chill
The workers paused at the door OF the mill
The housewife keen to the shiverng air,
Arrests her foot on the cottage stair,
Instructive taught by the mother-love,
And thinks of the sleeping ones above
Why start the listeners? Why does the course
VI the mlll-Streum widen. IL IS Il morse,
Hank to the sound OF his hoofs, they say,
Tat gallOpS 50 widely Williamsburg way?
GOu 2 " nat was tIIau, iiNe q llons,n ,iilrvN
From the winding valley WIN nobody speak
VIII nobody answer those women who cry
AS the awful warnings thunder by?
Whence come they? Listen? And, now they
The sound of the palloplng horse-hoo's near;
They watch the trend of the vale, and see
The rider, who thunders SO menacingly,
With waving arms and warning scream
TO the home-illed banks OF the valley stream.
He draws no rein, but he shakes the street
With shout and the ring of the galloping feet.
md this the cry that he 1ings to the wind:
$40 the hills for yoW tires ! Tie foqd is behind y
He cries and is gone: but they know the
worst
The treacherous Williamsburg dam has burst!
The basin that nourshed their happy homes
Is changed to a demon--Il comes! 1t comes,
a monster In aspect with shaggy front
or shattered dwellings,, to take the Drunt
or the dwellings they shatter-white-maned
and hOarSe
The merciless terror nils the course
or the narrow valley and rushing raves,
With Death on the first OF its Kissing waves,
TIL cottage and street and crowded mill
Are crumbled and crushed.
In front OF the roaring food is heard
The gallOping horse and the warning word.
Thank God that the brave mans life is
spared
From Williamsburg town he nobly dared
To race with the hood and u take the road
In front of The terrible Swpth 1t moved.
For miles 1t Numbered and crashed behind,
But he looked ahead with a steadfast mind;
"They must be rdrned!' was all he said,
AS away on his terrible ride he sped.
When heroes are called for, bring the crown
To this Yankee rider: send him down
on the stream OF time with the Curtius old;
His deed as the Romans was brave aud bold,
And the tale can noble thrill awake.
For he offered his life for the peoples sake.
-Boston Pilot.