The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05


ject for which we have only room for one
verse.
There's spot in tho woodland
My heart longs to see,
Where streamlets are dancing
With laughter and glee;
Where the sweet daffodl
And the daisy are seen,
And the deer loves to sport
On it's mantle of green.
In the valley of Custer,
The park with its cluster :" =.
Of little log cabins spread out on the
green;
IT'S the valley of Custer,
Where oft we did muster,
And drank to the brave from the SOL
dier's canteen.
Among the authors miscellaneous poems are
some of his best. ''The Poor Mans Soliloquy"
is not only good in rhythm, but strong in ex-
preston and good ideas. There is happy
vein running through the poem, entitled,
''That Boy" Read the first verse:
''Happy father, full of glee,
Laughing, dancing, making merry;>
May you always happy be
Drink the baby's health in sherry.
May he prosper night and day, @v..
Grow mid love and sweet caressing,
While you kiss his lips and say:
God, thank Thee for this blessing
In that boy,
Full Of Joy; --Hi
Dancing, bouncing, baby boy.'' :
If Jack never loved, he certainly had warm
spot in his heart for Nora Lee.
II have watched the rose blooming
And the violets lovely hue,
And daisies like the starlight
As they sparkled with the dew;
have looked upon the lilies
And the flowers of every tree,
But none were half 80 pretty
As my blue-eyed Nora Lee.''
The poets mother and his promise to her
hand in hand. They are with him on the plains;
in the fight; in the palace; in the hovel-every-
where. The memory of the one, and the
sacred fulflment of the other, are his guiding
stars. Hence we find frequent illusions to
these prominent themes. Mark the beauty and
pathos of the following over the grave of his
mother:
There's green, grassy mound in the valley
Where angels their vigils are keeping;
The pine trees are singing a dirge far above,
The sky pearly tear-drop is weeping;
And cooling on high is a bright turtle dove
Der the grave where my mother is sleeping.
Peacefully sleeping; she sleeps meath the clay,
This world cannot give me another;
No one to guide me, and no one to pray,
While weep Ger the grave of my mother"
Decoration Day" is another excellent poem,
which would do Credit to one laying greater
claims to literary distinction than the simple
Poet Scout.
OF course, the poet having never drank, and
having seen the effects of lntemperance in his
| own family, is strong. temperance man, and
no wonder he swings his colors to the mast in
a stirring song, only one verse of which we can
give: .~t
Mail your banners to the derrick,
Grease the old machine once more;
Shout hurrah for Francis Murphy,
He is knocking ct your door!
Mothers! Down upon your marrow,
Pray with all your heart and soul
Pray for fathers, sons and brothers,.
Pray that all may sign the roll. '
I close my quotations from this interesting
volume by selecting two verses from q very
beautiful poem-indeed the best in the book
entitled Mothers Prayers:'
I'm the dreary hour of midnight,
| When the camps asleep and still,
Not sound, save ripping streamlets
Or the voice of the whippoorwill;
! Then think of dear loved faces,
As steal around my beat,
Think of other scenes and places .. ....
| And a mothers voice SO sweet.
Mother, who in days of childhood,
IS. Prayed as only mothers pray;
Keep him in the narrow pathway,
Let him not to be led astray;
! And when dangers lowered DER me,
When my life was full of cares,
Then sweet form passed before me,
And thought of mothers prayers
We wish Capt. Jack abundant success in
| this, his new venture, and see no good reason
why his book should not meet with a rapid and
extensive sale. 1t is elegantly printed, well
illustrated, possesses mel it and will be read bv
| all classes of readers.
st. Paul. Mimi, Oct. 81, 1879.