The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1884-05-14

Not even Heavens light TO cheer
Their prisons dull monotony.
They were not of that swarthy race,
Each kindling eye and ruddy face
Bespoke northern birth.
Their naughty heads and flashing eyes
Told even there Of freedoms skies
Their home the queen OF earth.
Twas years and years ago, before
The iron horse with rush and roar
Had drawn three nations into one
And linked the lands OF snow and sun {;
Before the lightning had been brought
Down from the realms Ii lorded DER,
To be the messenger of thought
From man to man. from shore to shore.
Twas of the coast of Vera Cruz,
The good ship Norma carried down
Into the sea her precious weight.
Twas a goodly sum for the world to
lose
For of jewels and gold had been her
freight
But, thanks to God, no man WINS
drowned,
No soul was lost, and a shout arose
Ofpraise and thanks as they reached the
shore.
All! better for them had the oceans
roar
Their requiems sung and they had gone
Down with the good ship to her grave,
With not helping hand to save.
Northward they slowly made their way,
On to the city Of Monterey.
Shaded their path by leafy trees,
Their cheeks famed by the fragrant
breeze
That floated like breath from Heaven,
Unto that favored city given.
Methinks If ever earthly spot
Bore likeness to the Summer land,
1t must be this an angel band
Might envy well mortal's lot
| Cast mid such scenes as these. Alas?
That such place, SO richly blest.
Should hold the spirits of unrest,
Which shake the ages. In the past,
| As well as now, great Aryan's sons
Have hated with all the heat that runs
Through their Spanish veins, our fairer
race
They seek our banner to deface!
And so, when they entered the city,
That beautiful, mountain-orowned city,
The paradise spot Of the earth,
They seized them and cast them In
prison, f.' D. 40 10
A gloomy and dreary, dark prison.
These men of American worth.
Oh the sorrow and the anguish
OF those brave, true-hearted men
Far away from home and kindred,
Crowded In loathsome den.
Months dragged on till time was lost
In the duh routine of life
Day by day, each like the other.
On bloody field Of strife, a.
For their country and their home
Men will fight and men will conquer,
Or they die meath freedoms dome.
But as captives, waiting, hoping,
For the help that never came.
Mornings dawning brought no tidings,
Evenings sunset was the same.
They sank down at length despairing,
Waiting for the time to come =
That should grant release and give them
Freedom In their spirits home.
Then pestilence among them
Carried many to their rest, .. ,
And Death always from number
Takes the noblest and the hest.
no at last three years had slowly
Rolled into eternity,
When their prison doors were opened
And q guard said; "You are free
II you pave this street and bridge
From yOn mountains that you see,
Ninety days, no more, we give you;
If you fail, on yonder plaza
You'll be shot down to man
Liberty or death we give you,
Win your lives now If you cam
If within the time allotted
You shall worthy prove to be,
We will take you to the borders
OF our land and set you free"
Was 1t n chance for their lives or not?
But then 'twere better to be shot
Than slowly starve their lives away,
BESIDES there was 0 tiny ray
0fhope. 1t might be done,
And life Is dear. And so with one
Accord they answered back with pride
"We're starving and our best have die,
Within your dreary prison here,
4 And Wen attempt the task severe.
'Twere better for us all to lie
!, Dead beneath the plying sky
Than pine here In this loathsome den
" Perchance we may succeed, aud then
p oh, then! GOD grant It 50 may be,
For then we will again be free."
A hundred men they'd been In all,
When first that gloomy prison wall
Surrounded them, But there We're lei
scarce more than half; the seal of deaf
Was set on most Of these, but Hope,
That goddess fair, with power TO ope
p The gates of Paradise, made strong
Again the shrunken limbs, which Ion
4 Captivity had weakened, Day,
o BY day the long and weary way
: Grew less. Stone after stone
4 Was laid, but each a weary moan
! Cost some poor creature. In thei
+, hands
I Was carried every stone that stands
q Upon that street. And still they t0ile,
Is Barofooted, every step was soiled
e With blood. Half naked AID ha
!. starved, = -" y w "
Q ReneAth q tropio sun they carved
Their way to life and liberty.
10 The work Is done. the trials are past,
And after weary years, at last