Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-05-11


Scattered wide reluctant shadows
At the hour when timid fawn
Loves to Craze in woodland meadows
When from thousand gleeful throats
Music on the breezcs ioats,
When the myriad Esect-lifc
Fills the air with humming strife;
When gay flowers drink the dew
And the last weird whew-hcw-hew
ufthc sadiaccd owl has trembled
On tie ear Of mouse and shrew-
When the mountains purple simmer
Fades before the rosy glimmer:
scarce the day-god's radiant face
Is beiIcid by natures gaze
When the sturdy son Of toll,
iice,co- of the glad turmoil
Lightly steps meath leafy arches
Singing GU, with cunning eye
i ged oak and slender larcheS
boom Il his ettering steel to try.
Now approvinsly his touch
Feels The edge 80 keen and cruel
And. with firm, determined clutch
Clasps the nclv, and looking round
Lifts the with graceful motion
Plying il with Rhythmic swing
Till the very heavens ring,
flushing with its swelling sound
Natures Weakening commoti0n.
But the music of the steel
Growing deeper, peal on peal,
soon with .hrillcr voices blending
GA the fragrant air ascending
Wakes the echoes in the glen,
Frights the squirrel from lis den,
Who. with noisy bark and chatter,
Joins the hubbub and the clatter
OF the million tongues set free
shouting protest and reproach:
Why on our domain encroach?
Woodman, woodnan spare that tree!
But the axe sinks deep and deeper,
And the notch soon wider gapes;.
Severed is the twining creeper
Which the oak so fondly drapes
With IT. loving folds and tendril.,
With il foliage velvet-green,
With its crimson flowers, whose sheen
Rivals gloss of queemly rose
In her naughty, languid pose:
Thus the great reaper delights him TO reve,
often the best and the f;irest to level;
Garnerng with remorseless scythe
Age hale and hoary, youth tender and blythe
Now the clearcut notch is sunk
steps the aXcman round the trunk,
Eyes with satisfied approval
Giant stem iii for removal
70 the grassy, tlowcry slope
Where his bounding joyous hope,
Built upon this oall-foundation,
secs the solid walls apace
Rising higher and his face
Shines with glowing animation.
But his busy has wrought
While his fancy wrapt in thought,
And hc secs the moment nigh
When the brcczes Undisturbed,
SUNS heat by no shadows curlcd
VIII invade the spot till now
Sheltered by the spreading bough.-
Yet. with no rtmorseful sigh
VIII the woodman watch the tremor
Quiyring Ill il every leaf,
And his callou- ear i deaf
70 the trees dcspairing groan,
70 if -hrill, expiring moan,
As il totters, leans and sways,
And its giant strength betrays,
In its rushing. whriing fall
Carrying before il all
In its way with crash and glamor:
Well has steel so keen and cruel
Done its work for sill and fuel
PROSTATE lies the forest giant,
Sticd IN death his mighty arms,
Ncvcrmorc will crecpers plant
Fondle him with graceful charms;
Nevornlore will breezes stir
through the leaves now limp and willing,
Ncvcrmore gay songstels whir
In and out in merry tilting.
Nevermore will violet white,
Blue or purle, see the light
Glmting softly through the branches,
Making with the suns their changes,
Ling ring gently DER the coy,
Modest beauties whose sole joy
l. To shed their fragrant breath
Cnasked, unsought, ill decay
Hides them for another May
Never shall his leafy bower
Shelter love at trysting hour.
Never shall mis- shade beneath
sound the gleeful childish voices
As the Nav queen proudly poises
ON her brow the oaken wreath:
Vanished his glory
Like hero's in story,
His death we deplore, yet he lived not IN VAIN;
His memory after e
Him lives in the rafter
And sill of the hearth for which he was slain;
Now, ere the limbing,
Scoring and trimming ifE
The axeman may rest him and blowing the while
Smoke fragrant in curling
. Cloudets unfurling. 3E 8e
The hours of his toiling with fancy beguile.
PAI:T SECOND.
Air with fragrant smoke yet scented
Rises axeman and, contented, t.ss f.s
Laying by the soothing pipe,