Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-07-12

the wonan's Christian Temperance Union. Of
room of the SECOND Presbyterian church on the
ing Of March H. ss9 which occasion the following
oriS lnal poem was readl
II into the oceans vast a little rehbel throw.
ITnw far Ger the Infinite deep will the circles 90?
Ssh they widen, and widen and touch the shore
OF the faroiI mystical erermore
Then. wa come with a prayer that the pebble thrown
May widen the c!rcl.s OF good to the iArher6s
Why stand we here in public place tonight
To voice our thoughts, or inter forth prayer.
iiut To- do service in the cause OF right.
tnd help the work entrusted to our care.
For We are women, I'M ie, We grant you. air+
t. light the yrsta fires of home,
And at her alters bs priestesses true;
Nor ever wish forbidden ways to roam;
10 tt ain onr darling boys to lofty ends.
And rear pretty girls for other homes.
And pathways that thro' quiet valleys trend.
Where noise and jlrring discord never come
To feel the soft clasp of the baby's hand,
And watch the freight glowing on the wall.
And therew ith he content though all the lanI
We're stirred with tumult. to its certain fall.
And this is chyarous good sirs that you shclll give
To us frail women all the sweeter part
While you 90 out to battle with the storm.
And in the outer world do strive and live
To keep us safe, the jewels of your heart.
You cannot bear the public gaze be lifted to brow
Our voices heard outside homes sheterlng wall:
You feel we are unsexed if we allow
thought of ours down on the crowd to fail.
And we were well content, thus girded round
With all the sweet and pure delights that grow
On loves enchanted ground,
No other mission did we care to know.
But somehow, to our paradise there came
A serpent's heightened trail across on bowers
hideous creature with an eye of fame,
An awful breath that scorched our rarest flowers
| He came behind you at the open door
| Y0u closed 30 tightly as you entered in.
UnnOticed, TIL the crown your manhood wore
| Fell III the dust all set with thorns of sin,
He stayed. and touched noble boys with blight
Boys that we reared with tenderest love and care,
| Aud rOunl our gentle girls he drew the night
| TIL at shuts from woman's life the sunshine fair,
We close our eyes, and with backward gaze
| Behold the hills that shut our chldsnd in:
Wrapped in the glory Of morn's golden haze
| Or in the shadow of the twilight dim.
| \ pretty village with its pointing spires,
| Its shaded streets. and quiet, sunny homes:
| And its one lordly mansion standing there.
| With winding pathways and with blossoms rare
| Twas said that stately mansion was upreared
on something evil, sold as honest goods,
Which worked an Ill to neighbors, and twas feared
| The rich mans gains would never work him good
Who sows a wrong must sometime reap in tears
The harvest growth, delayed for many years
little westward of the hamlet fair
| A huge, black structure on the fertile plain
Arose the still-its vile smoke darkening there
The waving beauty of the golden grain,
For which the Moloch waited to transform
| The healthful Juices to poisonous bane,
| That re appeared in many a subtitle form.
| To fire the passions and becloud the BRAIN
| Yet past this gloom the river laughed in sheen.
| A. ~ 49,
And there were pleasant inns, whose painted signs
| Swung to and fro, touched by the liEhtest breeze
| Past which the children trpped with arm entwined.
Beneath the shadows of the spreading trees,
No thought of fear to them that danger lay
| Hidden somewhere along the guarded street,
| \ fiery demon waiting for his prey
| In the quick pattor of the childish feet.
And they we're pattern mothers dwelling there.
| Hopes and ambitions conferred in the Joys
hat came 10 them through homes congonial cares,
| And the fair promise of the girls and boys.
And If, at times, they hudder to behold
roenz form npon tho simmer grass,
| Thrown by some oucast i'll his chains grown Old,
They sighed that snch woe should come to pass
The church bells rang their sweet, inspiring call
| On Sabbath morDs, and duly gathered there
| The groups from happy homes. the children small
The aged and the young. The house Of PRAYER.
|
| They did not see the awful shadow creep
| With steady pace behind them in the sun:
Or hear the mutterinE thuuders low and deep,
They heard, instead, the org tu's solemn tone:
| They might have heard at intervals trow
The tavern Signs go swinging to aud fro,
But somehow DER the fair Arcadlan scene
| The broodins shadow seemed to grow apace:
The cloud. no larger than the hand OF man,
| Outgrew the brightness of the holy place.
| The seats Rrew empty where the boys had heea:
The anthem and the prayer hal lost their chIrui.
| We missed the voices Of the stalSIrt m'n
| From shop and store, aud fair autayiut farm.
Who used to mingle with the worship there,
And for the sabbath held sacred care
The sEadow touched the mansion with its eloom.
| And hung its backncss over vuc-wrcathcd cot.
Few were the homes and few tho spots of hlnom
O'er which tins thing Of evil brooded not,
Mothers and wives, and sisters where werc they
No voice of theirs could reach this outer ill
Within the homes III tle hopeless they must stay.
And smile, and cover heart -achos, and he still
And lift M anyushed thoughts to God and pray
That, somehow the dark woe might pass away.
Fhey could not mike \ law to close tia strsln
Ofm)lteu misery 4 Owing from tue still,
Or keeD the honest delor from the ri6ht
To cast DER hearth aud home the chilling blight
Good citizens were theS who kept the inns,
Genial AMI courteous in their lawfultradc;
Though frnm it grew a leigou of dark sins
That b!dsta all tai lSS like the uias Sllli IL.
In darkest nj sd's tha via l,vs Olllal with cheet
Laughter aud sOus rang ont upon the street:
What wonder that the weary fingered near,
Or that the net shuu Id catch unwary feet
Or that fun many noble bark w"ut Iowa,
Dashed on the hidden rum reefs Of the toNu
This is no poets dream, or idle rhyme
With which to catch tu uigIt tie li3t9 IjA. rlT.
No town or hamlet in this land or tlna
But hath its history tray rictIred here
But this was long a@o, auI things have chau<si
From bad to worse with every passing year
The fiery demon hath unbroken range,
Working. unhindered, in his world wide sphere
No woman's voice or vote to say him nay,
Aud man seems Owerless neat the tyrauts sway
His rock ribbed throne oershadows church ani state.
His rooted power makes priest and ruler fear
His right to reign is bel d inviolate.
Though death aud ruin follow in his rear,
He holds his revels in the nations halls
And crowns the feasts where statemen sit secure
He lures the proudest to certain fall
And forses chains that makes his triumph sure:
An laughs i'll mockery as his victim tries
To lift once more his manhood toward the n leS
out of this dar kuess sprang one day lirh,
God said to wo man, this your holv and h,..'
Arise, and set your stars upon this nigG'
And give your hands to ring the mo rnuv r.l.I.
Go to the conflict with undaun ted will;
Lift prayer and warning 'sainst the mighty wrong.
Aud 10 my presence shall be with you still.
Go to the front with prayer and plea, and song,
And We shall see the pillar clear by night
And all the day be guided by my light.
SO, with your leave good sirs. we take up arms
Against this sea which would engulf all
And though preferring homes more genial charms,
We rise and follow at the Masters call:
Res olved, while life sha II last to do and dare
Iiil home and country shaIl uha