Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-06-23
HILLS OF ASIAN.

HILLS OF AsHAM.
Like the glare of bood-red furnace the August
Over the hills of Asham, with the drouth's long
wasting brown,
And, shorn Of the grace of twilight, at one step
Into the purple vapor that had drunk the days last
light.
Dread fell with the dark Ashana, where teachings,
Knocked at first,
The slow and cruel summer into ripe belief had
nursed; -
The trump of judgment tomorrow to thrill
with its solemn sound
The living amid their abors the dead in their graves
profcundi
And so, as the night rushed downward, lin his door
And, borne on its iurid bosom, beheld eternity.
ssTs thus to himself he muttered, that fhe earth
her judge should meet,
With the clouds eff heaven apgathered, ito make
path for his feet"
But the calm on his musing forehead broke into an
When his far-hared daughter Alice DER the threshold
faltering came.
At his stern command re,inquished.- theson of his
bitter foe?
From his chair old Jasper started. "Mhat brings
you here p" he cried.
BE off, ere my patience fails me! And you, girl,
Do you stand in the great doom's shadow, forgetfu
undismayed?
There's curse denounced upon children VINO nave
schemed and diSobeyedl ~
Oh, father, be kind ~ said Alice eff it be indeed
as YOU say,
And this night go black and awful presage the last
dread day, .
hall we carry our pride and passions alive to the
Is there anything unfergiven where the saints and
the angels ares
oh, father, dear father, tell that Tonight the
She chung to his arm, and pleaded with her sweet
dead mothers eyes.
But the heart of Jasper was hardened; he put her
roughly by.
There's just and right resentment thatnever was
meant to die
His father cheated me basely,-I swearit! More
over, know
He slandered me basely to hide it, What If it were
years ago?
wrong a wrong, forever" Then quietly Reuben
said,
ssI come from him with a message for you, sr,-and
he is dead.
Does penitent God has pardoned remain the same
in your eyes?
Untouched, can you hear him speaking fromthe,f
off grave where he lies?
He babe nae entreat youto measure, by your hope OF
final grace,
His sin, as your conscience should that you
would have done in his place."
The face of Jasper was troubled and thrice his hard
lips stirred
To thrust back the dead mans challenger butere he
could choose word
The wrath of the brooding tempest a reader voice
had found,
And the mighty heart of the darkness was lc{oyen
with fame and sound.
Muttering menacing harshly, the thunder Jared sto
In Deep dead hollow of silence, low down in the
shrouded west,
The night seemed listening breathless; and casper
AS if he feared to be dazzled by the light of the
Lcrdis descent.
AT last like one awakened from the spell Of dream
full sleep,
He faced his daughter and Reuben, with utterance
"Be ye twowitnesses for me, take back the words
1 saidl
The warming Of God is between me and the sin OF
him who is dead
scout of the clouds he has spoken in yon brief mo
ments space,
AS plain as the ghtened hill-sides, looked my soul
in the face;
And the dead years rose to judge it, stood in its
have done with the deeds of others, go to plead
for my own"
The hand of Reubena moment he held in pressure
How Alice had prayed to behold it, that clasp deferred
He turned from the porch in silence; and, under a
gray Old oak
They saw him standiike shadow, as the wind with
wall outbroke,
And the crash of the thunder, bursting in wide
blue binding track
''Father, o. fatherr cried Alice, come out of the
storm-come backr'
But only echo answered. for the lips Of Jasper
mute
With the Ggbtning's seal his forehead, he lay al
the searad oaks foot.
The morning slawned upon Asham in heaven OF
pearl and blue,
And the heartfelt the hills yfbrated, the great
smote it through;
The brooks in their channels Quivereds the little
leaves laughed their! fill,
And the sins and sorrows of mortals were rpenine
for Judgment still.
Atlantic.