Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1883-12-27
THE CARRIER'S ADDRESS.


The Quiet charms OF tins our Valley home,
Whose walls are mountains, whose lofty dome
Blue n the azure of baby's eyes
And heckcd with cirrus cloud of creamy dye
Looks kindly down.
Fair Shenandoah Loveliest mong the wales
| Athwart whose nesting acres no angry gales
Sweep RUTHLESS by-for 10! or night or day
Yon soaring giant grizzly holds at bay
Thetemptest's frown.
Now CmARLEsrowN claims her briefpoctic rights
A need of praise dcmurcly invites.
Placid she sits. in gown Of silver gray,
Her small hands folded i'll q restful way.
Grave beyond her years-her quaint sweet face
| Bears yet the impress of its youthful grace.
Anon are raised the liquid eyes OF brown
To note lrer children striving for rcnown.
Then creeps adown the cheek diamond teal
| As twilight draws its maple curtain near
And westward turn, in Sorrows wistful guise
! To Edge Hills acres those maternal eyes,
Where dearest mounds look starward thro' the
night,
Till amber dawn assumes an orange light,
And mutely question purple skies afar
II ever they shall ope to Gates Ajar.
Fair CHARLEsrowKl Quaintcst village OF the
Vale
Whose silver river threads thy trimming dale
Whose paths of pleasantness and abiding peace
Are hecked with sunlight Shimmering thro the
fleece
OF cirrus cloud: while sifted starbeams fill
With radiance golden thy evenings calm ana
still
For thy dear brow an exiled lover weaves
I 1T -. IL. t.f Inf -
'' Thy throbbing Mother-hcart
Can nothing know ofjoy or grief apart.
The glad, sweet springtime finds our meadows
fair
All primrose starr'd-a clover here and there.
And. lilac laden. zephyrs soft aud light
Steal gently down from Shenandoahs height.
The vernal twilight gathers slowly round
While vet the mountains beetling brow is
drownd
In crimson glory, whose quivering fire,
Blending and paling. reaching far and higher,
Abates at length its scarlet-goden stream
And leaves the mount massive purple dream.
On higher planes the Summer sunlight spends
Its Gercer glow ere here its warmth deScends.
While tempering breezes linger thro the days
Till evening folds our Valley in It's haze
Sweet summer nights, when throbbing purple
skies
Stoop loving down to close the tired eyes,
And diamond sentinels twinkle calm aud clear
Till rn dawn in bluShing state Is near
While breath of lavender the heavy air distils
Is waited hitber from low lying bills.
With golden promise, see! the Autumn comes,
And now aiield the merry harvest huns,
The tasscl'd ears their ample fruitase yield,
And sturdy forms the saving scythage WELD
The orchards. laden with their luscious wealth,
Give rudy token of awaiting health
In dimpled spheres whose fragrance, subtly
sweet
Unconscious guide the steps Of straying feet.
Tho grotcfnl foliage dOnS garb and crown
OF cold and crimson, and sober russell brown,
While mead and mount, in heather cool ani
gray,
Calm biie the coming Of a winter day.
".
Not here. indeed, where sapphire skies have met
With glancing dew the thirsty plain to wet,
Hath. DER our homesteads ever boiling bent
Dark Glosters winter Of our discomfort
All. no! the heralds of the Icy King
Atfirst. TO Shenandoah's quiet Vale doth bring
But frosty sunlight-bracingev evening air,
And moonlight pale to gem themeads out there.
With magic crystals asltter in the mist,
Like Beauty's tears if ever she IS kist.
Vet doth her tearsth Beauty's charms enhance
And tempts the lover to a second chance
At.pouting lips. that were hut made 20 yield
And so the diamonds glimmerin the heid
Whose sweet brown bosom invites lovers
bliss
And tempts the slumbrous starlishts magic
kiss.
Now. later harbingers enter on the scene,
Cloth'd In the likencss Of cherries mien
Cr;sn searcliiifg air and drcary neutral skies
Whence como anon the Valleys snowy guise.
Sndcoldlv penetrating, steady falling rain.
sheer downward driyen-nOw slanting gainst
the pane.
These be the couriers that close preccde
The bearded winter. Need
Pen descriptv We longer here abide,
Since panoramic whitencss far and woe
The dazzled eyesight greets'
And To- it meets
Nv scrabby pen-right here and now
lis annual task: the when, the where, the now
To tell of worldly doings since glad and Tree,
Was ushered in CID Eighteen Eighty three.
Now by me faith good Masters ! will Try
To do il up right crisp and brown ana dry
IN
yer what they dub my sentimental drawls
~, suug sufficient the paeanS ofour Valley,
Al e the charming metre dOesn tally
With hard pan facts why, bless you, don you
No one vii, know It saving you and ne
Not far beyont the threshold Of the Year.
JyLsro E,rcirn n. agnates. rich in cOurtly gear,
Reforr our graciot. President slowly ble
r. rive a erecting ADD a lab0rcd smile,
10 + enters there. numbered IN, unseen,
4 nallid Guest. the CUES, 10 come between
A hearted thrust has stretched upon the moor
In deaths embrace the senior OF the OoIls
ninlonatiaue. . Thus Hawai- giitel SON
Pass'd from the feste ere scarce II had begun,
And rave TO ARTHUR whose arm was ieehhg
Tho blessed chance to have it shook no more
Tho Yankee 'soyereigns," a couple thousand
strong.
Had coold their heels the New Year morning
long
Within the ante-room. II was a shame
To turn 'em out lie did it all the same
In West and South the gentle Springtime thro
! Cyclonic forces quite destructive grew.
( Anon the daddy of our useful waters
/ And deep Ohio-cldest Of her daughters,
Together on the devil Of tare,
Wrought utter desolatiOn everywhere
Then rang across the country far and vide
DISTRESSED appeals-and ere the echo died
I The sheltering shadow of The Crimson cross
I Responsive feiI. Each heavy los
! The noble bard repair, and onward wend
Z Its rescuiDs stsps-an almoner, q ifieho-
Let Wreo1Ss next our sympathies enlist
/ A bold Kanlfck who something did insist
| That March should bring, 70 knock US out
time, Il.