The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-05-08


THE PORN.
Miss Awana X Painter then read the
THE MASS ,CRE LA PURIssIMA.
To a quaint aud olden city far away,
In that mountain. guarded city, Monterey,
stands an old and &c ot-w ora bridge
Every day by thousands trod.
There the giddy check their Laughter.
There the sober worship God.
In the heart Of that great city
IT'S Stately monument
To as base deed as ever
Stained nation annals yet.
There shrine has been erected to remind
Man of Heavens greatest gift unto mspkinc;
Ther5 marble virgin c.asps
In her arms the holy child.
On o scene of great, r beauty
Heavens sunshine ne yer smiled,
And the dusky figures passing
Pause In alteration there;
Kncsl upon he stony pavement
And lift up their hearts N prayer.
But the floods Of golden sunshine falling DER
Cannot drive away the shadows; evermore
There win luger round tha, spot
Memories OF that Datioa's crime;
For no baser d, ed is craven
On the recorus OF al time.
Have you seen that STREET and bridre?
49, And 10 history would you know?
Twill tell 10 you the story
AS twas told me loog age:
Beside the river Monterey,
Within prison old aud gray,
A band OF clptlves day byday,
With scarce hope LETT enough ID pray,
Fixed out theirlives in misery.
Shutin from all tnat makes life dear,
Not even Helveu's Ugh. to cheer
Their prlson's dull monotony.
They were not of that swat thy race,
Each kindly eye and ru idy face
Bespoke northern birth.
Their naughty heads and flashing eyes
Told even here 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 natione into one
Had linked the lands Of siow and sun:
Before the lightning had been bought
Down from the realms it lorded DER,
To be the messenger OF thought
From man 10 msn. from shore to shore.
Twas off the coast of Vera Crus
The good ship Norma carried down
Into the sea her precious weight.
Twas goooly sum for the world 10 lose
For o Jewels and gold had been her freight
But thanks to God, no man was drOw ned,
No soul was lost, and a shout arose
Otpraise and thanks as they reached the shore.
All! better for them had the OCEANS roar
Their renuieus sung aud they had gone
nown W III 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 b. ,esfv trees,
Their haeas famed by The fragrant breeze
Unto tlar favored city given.
Methinks If ever earthly spot
Bore likeness 10 The summer land,
1t must he this; an angel band
Might envy well q mortaps lot
Cast mid such scenes as these: Alas!
That such place SO richy blest
Should hold the spirits OF unrest,
4 hich snake the ages In the past,
A mall ,ntu hrs q MI
Have hated wits all the heat that RUS
Through their Spanish veins our fair race;
They seek our banner to leface!
And so when they entered the city,
That beautiful, m. atain-crowned city,
The paradise spot of the earth,
They seized them and cast them In prison,
gloomy and dreary, dark prison
These men of American worth!
Oh! tine sorrow and the anguish
OF those brave, true-hearted men!
Far away from home and kindred.
Crowded in a loathsome den,
Months drag ed on ill time was lost.
In the dull routine of life;
Day by day, each ike the other
On 4 bloody fed of strife,
For tier ountiy and their home
Men will fight end men Will conquer.
Or they die meath Freedom s dome.
But as captives. waiting. hoping,
For the help that II svcr come.
Mornings dswning brought no tidings,
They sank down at length despairlng,
Waiting Tor the time to come
That should grant release and give them
Freedom In their spirits home.
Then O pestilcnce among them
Carried many TO their rest,
And Death always fro q number
Takes the nOblest aud the best.
So at last thrse years had slowly
Rolled into eternity,
When their prison doors were opened
nat "a
If you pave this street and bridge
From yon mountains that yOusee.
Ninety days, no more. we give you;
3 If you fail, on yonder plaza
You il be shot down to man
Liberty or death we give you.
Win your lives now II You can!
If within the time allotted
You shall worthy prove to be,
We will take you 10 The borders
OF our land aud set you free"
Was It chance for their lives or not?
But then 'twere better to be shot
Than owly starve their lives away.
Besides there was a tiny ray
OF hope. 1t might be done,
And life is dear. And 20 with one
Accord they answered back with ride:
Were starving and our best have.died
Within your dreary prison here,
And well attempt the task severe.
'Twere better for us all 10 lie
Dead beneath the plying sky
Than pine here in this loathsome den.
PeIchaucs we may succeed. and then
oh. then! God grant 1t SO may be,
For then we will again be tree!"
A hundred men they'd benin all,
When first that gloomy prison wall
them fut there were left
Scarce more than hall; the seal of death
Was set on most OF these but Hope,
The gates o. Paradise, made srong
Again the sbrunken limbs, which long
Captivity had weakened.
BY day The long and weary way
Grow less. Stone after stone
Was laid, but each weary moan
Cost some poor cteature. In their nands
Was carried every stone that stands
Upon that street. And still they toiled,
Barefooted Every sep was soiled
with blood Half-naked and half-starved,
s3eneath tropic sun they carved
Their way TO life and liberty.
The work is done. the trials are past
And after many years, at last
Their hains are broken and they stand
As men once more That little band
Had done the work the tyrants thought
Could not be done. But dearly bought
Had been suco sss. for many died
On duty. They only survived
Whose hope was strong enough to show
A dawn beyond their night Of woe.
Came an order from the council
That the prisoners should be e
Taken 20 the nearest plaza
And there publicly set free.
Thus an officer addressed them: =
lyon have proven that you are
Truly worthy Of your freedom.
Which swear BY yonder star,
At the sunrise u tomorrow X
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