Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-11-29
Poetry.
Mary Buffers Ride.
OR rsENIzeR EASTMAN. OF GILMANToN.


BY b. +. TAYLOR.
Ebenezer Eastman. of Gimanton. Is dead
At least they had him buried ful my years
The gray White Mountain granite they set
above his head.
With some craven words upon it, to let the
praciseIr What il was that made the grasses
So wondrous rank and strong. How they rip
pied in the wind.
As if nobody ever died, and nobody ever sin-
To that old Bible name of his what eloquence
When its owner marched to battle, not ration
not tent. ,,,
Nor a nromise nor a sign of Continental cent
Ho Ebenezer Eastman. Wen cai the ron
Ho, dead and gone Lieutenant of the ol'l-time
Minute Men.
Flowing land for turnips. with awkward Buck
and Bright,
in June; "a.
He "hawed'' them to the left, anu ne ge'n
them to the right.
And they slowly came about IN the lazy SUM
H.. htmming TO himself the fragment of a
Which he would Groom at night TO the baby-boy
who lay
In Eastwood trough DEGRADED first. week
ago that day
count The times the Blush-rose bloomcd
Exactly ninety-eight , :,
Since Eastmans fingers planted II beside the
garden gate
rather late
To muster in the furloughed man and make
him march again
But smell the old Blush-ro-e>. They are just ~
sweet a. then,
All at Il ilving gallopa rider swings in sight.
Pulls no beside the fallow and gives the view
hallo,-
His horses tlank> are black. hi> neck i Ioa'hi
white 500
Turn out, Lieutenant Eastman. There
something else to do:
The rad-roats are a->warming. Your summer
plowing'S through. -
No other worl-aw ay And the rafting OF the
hoof-
Was like the rain from trav'lin clouds along
the cabin roofs. 80
The plowman turned hi cattle out ne >''lni'u
up the bay.
And he rallied out the wilderness upon that
summer day.
And the Minute Men of Glmanton |" Boston
marched away.
About the Mother: Well. she watched beside
the cabin door.
And rocked the baby Eastwood boat upon the
puncheon floor.
pav> grew long III Gmanton. and weeds
among the corn;
The quoiting-gTound WAS grassy. anu l"hl'r
ran the rill:
The wrestling match was OVERTIME >hlithN
fororn.
The spiders in the empty door had swung Their
webs at will
The champion, had gone 10 Bunker'> smoky |
Hill
To try the quaint, od-fa>hioned ''lcck' they !
practiSed on the Green:
And such a game OF tough ">quare hold III"
world had seldom seen
About the Father: Only this He fou2ht III
>tark'> brigade.
ON Charlc>town Neck. that dusty day \
splendid mark he made
He never flinchcd a single inch when Brltl>h
cannon played.
But foddered up an old rail fene" Win MASH
chu>ctt> hay.
stood out the battle al the rack. and >toutly
blaZed away,
Through all the smoky glory, now let me ill.,
The -ray-cyel Mary Butler. Lieutenant East
mans wife:
Her pallid cheek and brow Ike holy flag OF
truce.
Her heart sweet and red a. rose inner
life.
No nlurmur on her lips, nor sign OF any strife
Four DAYS before the fight. Has the little wo-
man heard
From ANYBODY Boston way. Nobody-not a
word.
The maple woods which round her >tahd 80
solemn in the calm.
Up and down are swaying slowly. like sing
ing-masters palm.
All together beating time.-not soul TO sing
psalm,
There been dreadful battle ,''-That'- what
the neighbor said
But when or where cannot tell nor who i
hurt or dead.
Then up ro-r Mary Butler and sci her wheel at
She swept the pun neon floor, she washed the
cottage pride
The cottage pride OF three weeks old and
dressed him in his best
She wound the clock that told the time her
mother was a bride.
And porringcr and spoon she denly laid aside;
She strung clean white apron across the Win
der panes.
And swung the kettle from the crane. for fear
Of ruSting rains:
Then tossed the saddle on the bay and donned
her linen gown.
And took the baby bcforr-no looking
round or down,
Full severity miles . Cambridge town. Bring
out YOUR civic crown,
| think twill fit tina. brow of hers who sadly
"We'll Enotr about YOUR father. boy. and who
is hurt or dead"
Rugged naples broke their ranks to lei the ri
der by.
Fell in behind her noiseesS a> fall, the stealthy
dew;
Such heavy folds Of starle<s dark in double
shadow lie.
The slender brde-path she threads can only
just show through
And buried in the leafy miles was all the world
she knew
BY muffied drum OF partridge and jaunty jay
birds fife
That mother made her lonely march,-that
Continental wife.
She never drew the bridle-rein till forty miles
And on her ended journey shone the second
setting sun.
And round the Bay. like bartle-cock. tolled out
the evening qua.
Talk not 81 pomps and tournaments: Ii YOU
had only seen
ne royal ride from GilmantOn. the halt at
Cambridge Green.
VIII.
Du.t-bedimned and weary. with look as if
She smiled,
She melted through the haze of the summers
smoky gold,
Some Masters faded picture of Madonna and
the Child.
Born full thousand years ago, and never
growing old,
She heard old Putnam's kennel arowl the
bells of Charlestown tolled:
She saw the golden day turn gray within an
ashen shroud.
That showed the scarlet Regulars like lightning
through cloud,
Forth from the furnace and the fire Lieutenant
Eastman came
The smell of powder in his clothes and fra
GRANGE in his fame
And met her bravely waiting there. who bore
his boy and name.-
She from the bowling wilderness-he from the
hell Of men.
The little woman called the roll he called il
back again.