The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-05-03
RHoDA EARRAND.

In the last Of these Centennial DAYS.
Let me sing a song to a womans praise:
How she proved herself In that time Of strife
Worthy OF being a patriots wife.
little woman she was-not young,
But really of wit and quick of tongue;
One of the kind Of which Solomon told;
Setting their price above rubies and gold.
A memory brave clings around her name;
Twas Rhoda Farrand, and.worfhy Of fame.
Though scarce she dreamed 'twould he woven
In fhese-her grand-daughter's daughters
times.
Just out of the clamor of wars alarms,
Lay In tranquil quiet the Jersey farms:
And ali of the produce in barn and shed
BY the lads and girls was harvested.
For the winds Of winter with storm and chill
Swept bitterly over each field and hill.
Her husband was with the army, and she
Was left on the farm at Parsippany.
Wien she heard the sound OF horses feet,
And Marshal Doty rode up the street;
He paused but q moment, and handed down
A letter for Rhoda from Morristown,
In her husbands hand--how she seized the
sheet;
The children came running with eager feet (:
There were Nate and Betty, Hannah and Dan,
To list TO the letter, and thus it ran.
After best greeting to children and wife:
Heart OF his neart, and the life Of his life, -
read from the paper. wrinkled and brown,
1--WE are here for the winter in Morristown,
And sorry sight are our men to-day,
In tatters and rags with no sign of pay.
As we marched to camp. IL man looked
BY the dropping blood he could trace our
For scarcely man has decent shoe,
And there's not stocking the army through;
80 send us stockings as quick as you can,
My company needs them, every man,
And every man is neighbor lad.
bad
Then, 4 never before, beat Rhoda's heart.
~. a x<xr a a .urf
She turned to her daughters, Hannah and
Bet:
.'.Girls, each on your needles stocking set,
Get my CLOAK and mood; as for you, son Dan,
Yoke up the steers just as quick as you CAM
Put CHAIR in the wagon, as you're alive,
J viii sit and knit. while you go and drive"
She kssn~ ssy oil b pd I gosa
At Whippany village she stopped to call
On the SISTERS Prudence and Mary Ball.
She would not go in, she sat In her chair
And read TO the girls her letter from there.
.fhat was enough, for their brothers three
Were In Lieutenant Faltand's company.
Then on Rboda went, stopping here and
To rouse the neighbors from her old chair.
Still while she was riding her fingers flew,
And minute by minute the stocking grew.
Across the country, SO withered and brown,
They drove till they came to Hanover town.
There, mellow and rich, lay the Smiths broad
with them she took dinner and warmed her
Next toward Hanover Neck Dan turned the
steers,
Where her cousins, the Kitchels, had lived for
with the Kitchels she supped. when home
ward turned
While above her the stars like lanterns
burned.
And she stepped from her chair. helped by her
With her first days work and her stockings
done.
On Rockaway River, SO bright and clear,
The brown leaf skins In the fall of the year.
Around through the hills it curves like an
And holds in its clasp more than one bright
Through Rockaway valley next day drove
Boy though he was, yet he worked IKE a man.
His mother behind him sat in her chair,
stu knitting, bat knitting another pair,
They reused the valley, then drove through
And stopped for minute at Compton's forge.
Then on to Boonton, and there they were fed,
while the letter was passed around and read.
Knit, said khoda to all, las fast as you can;
The first of next week will drive me down,
And III take the stockings to M0rristown"
Then from Boonton home and at set of sun
she entered her house icah her stockings done.
On Thursday they knit from the morn till
She and the girls, with all their might.
When the yarn gave out they carded and
spun.
And every day more stockings were done.
wnen the wool was gone, then they killed a
A cossct-but nobody stopped to weep.
Ihey pulled the fleece, and they cartfed away
Ann spun and knitted from night until day
In all the country no woman could rest,
Hut they knitted on like people .spOssessed':
And Parson Condit expounded his views
On the sabbath day unto empty pews,
Except for few stray lads who came
AND sat In the gallery, to save the name.
On Monday morn at an early hour
Inc stockings came In O perfect shower
a shower that lasted until the night:
Black, brown and gray ones and mixed blue
and white,
There were pairs one hundred and thirty
three,
Long ones, remember, up to the knee:
And the next day Rhoda carried them down
N the old ox-wagou to Morristown.
hear Ike an echo the soldiers cheers
For khoda and Dan. the wagon and steers.
s1,rowing wilder yet for the chief In command.
Whiie up at salute" to the brow flies each
As Washington passes. desiring then
TO thank Mistress Farrand in name of his
men.
But the words that her husbands Inns LET fan.
II knew you would do IT," were best of all
Aud think In these Centennial DAYS
mat sue should be given her need of praise:
And while we are singing OF "Auld Lang
Her name with the others deserves to shine.
-Elednor a. Hunter. IN the Continent.
HOW THE APPLEBY'S WENT TO