The Red Cloud chief., 1882-10-06
AFTER III CYCLONE.
NEBRASKA

Isthis ths spots they tell me 90.
where my home stossi q week ago
Ono little week ago. an me.
Ny weary gaze can only sce
An orchard of uprootcd trees.
- A garden swept away, aud fhrse
, Great heap. OF logs and clay fhnt prcsa
The earth " tn their un~siRhfiine.s
They made the cottage low, where we,
Nyseaf and John and baby. three.
AtIcssf. Of all earth = children were
Most glad of life. most free from cara
The morning. on. Il was 80 bright!
And clover blossoms red and ~bts
Made the air heavy with perfume,
And early roses were In hIpoin:
The climbing peas In bnd. and bccfs
T In ref-iined leave. telling their sweets,
The beans grew fast. the cabbage, too.
Its scn7Treen leaves empcnried with dow,
stood sturiiiy: and from my door
1saw IL all and wondered more
And more-my isaby ON my Lnse-
why God had been 80 god 10 me.
Then John came whistiIng from the Held
John was my life. my sun. my shield
And n be- came. my heart. 90 blest
with olden memories tender est.
scrfncd oyerhurdensd Just t. see
HIM come. and see the baby yiee.
lie talked with me a little while,
Drank from tho well, then with % smile
LATED the baby up. and said:
~9ood-bye:" nni laid upon my head
His hand with tender touch, and then
HHu- we Will not come back sgalu.
Ny work IL DONE. and now. you see,
The bsby goes along with me-"
laughed aloud. with scarcely less
Than my own baby's careie. snoes.
Indcr the trees. and through the gate
Went man and Oh ID with JOY ciatc:
The father with such fond. fond prfdo
To give tho little one n ride
On horseback there: ! looked that way
And waved my hands "a glad as they;
And THIS. and this. who tells me so,
That II was but n week ago.
Then ! was young. now I am old,
As though my thrccscore years were told;
My memory tries In Va n 90 go
Through " hat bcfcl, tut this ! know:
An awful snund from everywhere
And sudden horror niicd the air.
swaying and sweeping overhead
Aspoctra. cloud - DARK and dread
Came through the sky. and Heaven fell,
And earth sank down. and up rose He'll,
And ! was lost, and called ON John
To bring our child, but did none.
died. for IL wa death 90 me,
And that one honr eternity.
And now. God pity me, ! stand
Upon this desolated land:
Home. garden, flower and tree are gone.
have mo- hope. mo child, no John.
The ncighbors tell ms God knows best.
To comfort me: they are at rest,
They say. and buried t-ndorly
when ] Wa. NIL too III 10 SEQ.
IL must be 50. II must be 80,
But was u but a week agol
Would ] coul ! know how long II seer ms
To John an ! baby In their dreams,
For well ] know they dream 81 me,
Who loved them. oh, 40 utterly!
An! they have much t. tell. how they
Cried out for me In death that day.
John standing on the Happy shore
without my welcome Mt the door,
lie cannot he at home. and he
VIII grfcvc bccaus &C. ne said To mo
They would not rome again. then make
More of the baby for my sake.
oh. there be secrets dread and deep
TIE dead must know. the dead must kcer;
And there bc sorrows all too dread
To tel the living: hut the dead
We long t. tell: they heed us not.
oh, John and baby, uniurgot'
! stand AN efiigy Of woe
Where our home stood n week ago.
Louise Y. Boyd, Ia Indianapolis Journal