The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-05-07

On tho records OF all time.
Have you seen that stree and bride?
Aud lis history would you know?
Twill tel to you The story
AZ twas told me .ong age:
Be'i1e the river Monterey,
Within pfjsnu old aud gray.
A band OF captives dag byday,
with scarce hope oft enough - pray.
Eked out theirlyeI In misery.
shut Ia rom all that makes lie dear
Not even Heavens Ugh, TO cheer
Their priton's du.l mOnolony.
Tiey were not OF that swaI thy race
Each kindly eye and ri dy face
Bespoke n northern birth.
Their hanghy heads.snd le!shing ey-l
Their home the qu en- OF tarth.
Twas years and years ago. before
The iron lose with rush and roar
Had drawn three nat.Ous into one
Had linked tho lands Il suow and sun:
Eefore the lightning had been Brought
Down from the realms II lorded DER.
To be the messenger of thought
FiOm mau 10 man. nom shore 10 shore.
Twas of the coast OF Vera Cruz,
The good ship Norma carried down
Into the sea her precious weight.
Twas goooIy sun for the world 10 lose.
FOR o. Jewels and gold had been her freight
But. thanks TO God, no msH was drowned,
No soul was lost, and n shout arose
or praise and thanks rs they reached tho shore
Ali better for them had the OCEANS roar
| Their reauiems sung and they had gone
Town with the good ship II her grave,
With not helping baud to save.
Northward they slowly made their way,
| On to the city OF Monterey.
| Shaded their path b. leafv trees,
Their heeks famed by the fragrant breeze
| That Il dated like a breath from Heaven,
Unto taat favored city given.
Methinks n ever earthly spot
Bore likeness to the summer lane,
Ii must he this; nn angel baud
| Might envy well a moftaps lot
Cast mid tuch scenes Ms these. Alas!
| That such place. so richly best
Should hold the spirits OF unrest.
| which shake the ages. In the peT,
| As well as now. great Dry ans sons
Have hated with all the heat that runs
Through heir Spanish veins our fGirrf-.
| They seek our banner TO deface!
| And so, when they entered the city.
| That beautiful, mosntain Grow led city,
The paradise spot OF the earth,
! They SEIZED them and cast them Ia prison,
A gloomy and dreaIy, dark prison,
These men OF American WORTH
Oh, the soT row and the anguish
OF those brave, irue-helrted men!
Far away from home nj kindred.
Crowded IN n loaihsome den.
Months DRAG. Cd on 'ill time was lost
In the dull routine OF life:
Day by dsy, each like the other.
on a bloody field Of strife.
For Their oOuutry and their homo
Men will fight md mes W II conquer,
Or they die meath F,eedom's dome.
But al capiives. waiting hoping.
For the help that never come.
Mornings dswning brous ht no tdings,
Evenings sunset was the same.
They sank down at length despa ring,
Waiting Tor the time % come
That should grant release and give them
Freedom IA their spirits home.
Then pestilcnce among them
Carried many 10 their rest,
nh Death al WAYS fro n number
Takes the noblest aud the best.
So at last three years had slowly
Rolled Into eternity,
When their prison doors were opondd
And u guard said: you are FREQ
If You rave this street and bridge
From Won mountains that yo1see
Ninety days no more, we awe you;
II you fail, on yonder plaza
You il be shot down ~ man
Liberty or death we give you.
W your lives now IL yon CAM
II within the time allotted
You shall worthy prove TO be,
We Will take you % he borders
or GU. land aud set you ffee."
Was Il n chance for their lives or MOI?
rut ihen 'twere better to be shot
Than owly staTve their lives away.
Besides there was n iiny ray
or hope. 1t might b. done,
And life Is dear. And o with ono
Accord they an. wered back vi ride:
"We're starving AMI our best have-died
Within your dreary prison hore,
AMI we u attempt the task severe.
'TweTe better foi us AL TO lic
Dead beneath tue plying ky
Than pine here IN this loathsomc den.
Peichsuc, we may succeed aud then
Oh ihcul God grant IL so may be,
For then We will again be ire,l"
hundred men thew benin ALL
When frat hat gloomy prison wall
Surrounds d them But there were left
arce more than hall; the seal Of death
Was set on most OF these, but Rope,
That goddess fair, with power 10 ope
The pales OF Paradise made sTong
Again the shrunken limbs, which long
Captivity had weakened.
By day the long and weary way
Grew less. Stcpe at n stone
Wss laid, but each weary moan
Cost come poor creature. III their hands
Was carried every stone that stands
Upon IN al street. Ana Still they toi,ed,
ID refjotcd Every sep was sniled
With blood Iialf-naked and haf.starved,
Beneath n tropio sun they carved
Their way 10 life and liberty.
Tho work is done. the trials are past
Aud after many years, Mt last
rheirchnins are broken and they stand
As men once mole. That little band
Had done the work the tyrants thought
Could moi be done But dearly bought
Had been suc,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 DO
Taken 10 the nearest plaza
Aud there publicly set free.
Thus an officer addressed them:
''You have proven that you arc
Truly worthy OF your freedom.
Which / swes- by yonder s.ar
At the sunrise OF tomorrow
shall he given unto you,
With tho necessary passports
That will lake you safely through"
Have YOU note cd in the woodland,
On dark aud dismal day,
How sudden burst OF sunshine
Drives the shadows all away?
On those pinchea and pallid faces
shone tho light Of Joy intense.
Ard shout went up tmong them
That pierced cen that prison dense.
"Hl Hurah Tomorrow morning.
At the rising OF the sum-
All our woes will 10 forgotten
Ia, our ftc dom clearly woni
Shout men shout Tomorrow morning
At the sunrise well be free;
Soon again the glorious country
THAI we che rish we shall seti'
Though the night within the prison
silen @ reigned supreme and deep,
Bat s,arce any OF the prisoners
osed their eyes at all In sleep.
Radiant visions rose before them,
Even TO he rough AID stern.
or the mo hers. wives AMI sweethcsrts,
Who would greet their home return.
when tho f,rst streak Of the dawning
Softly unged the eastern sky,
Every man was up and rssdy,