Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-08-27


was as follows:
Beneath my cottage roof at ease,
Nor care nor honor for a guest,
The softly signing ev'ning breeze
Brought whispers only of sweet rest;
When lol the silent missive came
Which urged this slight request:
Wisconsin scribes, a genial throng,
Knights-errant of the quill,
Whose wond'rous wit and wisdom sway
The minds of men at will,
Who fearless walk their onward way,
Straight in the path of duty,
Whose glowing rhetoric can clOthe
Fen politics with beauty;
Convention hold few weeks hence
1t may be that you know it
To carry out their plars in full,
They only lack a poet.
Try thou the task, with fitting rhyme
Attuned to flowing measure,
To aid these knights, their joy bells chime.
And give moments pleasure.
1 sought the Muse with eager plea,
That she would deign to look on me,
Would smile my suit upon;
Would take my prOsy pointed pen
And dip it once and once again,
In sparkling Helicon.
On proud Parnassus' snowy mount,
Beside Castalia's crystal fount
dare not ask to stray;
Too bleak those azure heights and far,
Too chill those cleaning waters are
Beneath the suns clear ray.
But where with quick impatient stroke
The winged horse the mountain broke,
And forth the waters ran;
In Swallowed nook I'd lie and dream,
And catch the music of the stream,
And list the pipe of Pan.
Or like Bellerophon, the youth,
By fair Pyrene's fount of truth,
I'd watch and wait indeed.
If once beside the fountains brink,
The winged horse might pause to drink,
And I might catch the steed.
All unavailing seemed my prayer,
No lightest whisper stirred the air,
No sound of rustling wing;
Yet there upon my homely mat,
Beside me yelled Polymnia sat,
AS stood wondering.
And thus she spake with graceful air,
While meath her veil marked her fair:
Canst thou obey my will?
The muse of memory and truth,
May touch again the springs OF youth,
And please with little skill.
Sigh then no more for distant hills,
Nor seek beside the classic rills
TO learn thy humble song.
No Esore indeed the muses. nine,
Upon those sunny slopes recline,
But to the world belong.
Canst thou not find mid hill and dale
Some spot as fair as Temples vale,
Beside the sylvan spring?
If thou wilt seek with earnest mind,
Some glossy plume thou yet shall find
From Poesy's bright wing.
Look round thee in thy Western home;
Behold above the vaulted dome,
How fair this summer sky;
About thy feet what verdure grows,
Around thy sky what splendor glows,
When sunset greets thine eye!
When Clio placed amid the stars
Her captive horse, for want of bars
She left his wings behind.
Swift downy pinions, white as snow,
On truths stern errands still they go,
As.thou shalt surely find.
When Westward hies the weary bird,
The rustic of these wings is heard
Beside each glowing hearth;
The tragic muse hath room and state
And comedy is borne elate,
And gods of war and mirth.
They futter near the grandsire's hand,
By them the infant child is famed,
=
And womanhood is lifted high,
Nor like the youth who sought the sky,
Hurled back from upper air.
Beneath the shadow of these wings
The waySide streams and mountain spring!
Are hauntS for muse and grace;
And everywhere some rustic maid,
In sweet simplicity arrayed,
Is goddess of the place.
Behold on ev'ry hillside grand,
The temples of Minerva stand,
The oracles of truth.
Not ail before her shrine may kneel;
These wings her living words reveal
To the inquiring youth.
Chimeras fierce the world assail:
Borne by these wings truth shall prevail
And heW the monsters down.
Though sent as was the youth of old
To seeming death, by these made bold,
Twill win and wear the crown.
These snowy wings which never tire
Shall many lofty song inspire
And true heroic deed.
They form the patriots holy fire,
And wake in man new desire
To serve the worlds great need.
They SOW the blessed seeds of peace,
The glory of the Lord;
When men with single heart and aim,
To lift the world from sin and shame,
Unite with one accord.
Beneath their broad. protecting light
Might everywhere shall yield TO right.
Dost thou the riddle guess?
These trusty wings of God and muse
Are wings which carry all the news,
THE WHITE WINGS OF THE PRESS.
No poet e'er with facile pen,
Who sang the wars of gods and men,
Had such theme as thou.
Sing, then, the new home of the muse,
Sing, then, the white wings of the news,
To which the world shall bow.
Gen. Ginty followed with an eul
on Maj. Lu. Fl. Drury and Gen. Atw
read memorial address on the Iif
James Ross. Then an adjournment
taken until 8 o'clock the next morn
The attendance at the morning sesl
on Wednesday, wec not uoru lorno 4