Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-12-03
THE FIRST THANKSGIVING DAY.

The waves beat drearily: the shingle keen.
impeIied by each retreating wave, gave forth
"A harsher sound, than when soft breezes blow
Across the main
Within the harbor deep,
"A vessel lay. safe moored: yet mast and spar,
Ard heavy sail, encrusted were with snow;
And as she dipped her PROV beneath each
It came forth with beard of gittr ice.
The yesseis name was one that tod OF
Soft breath. and messy clump and shaded
dell.
And all that speaks of earths awakening.
But none of these were here. but only cold.
And winter S biting frost and chilling blasts.
Within the cabin sat n wondrous group
OF men and women and of ma dens fair:
And in the midst. man of reve rend mien.
A covenant took they all. and then went forth,
Beneath the cold gray of northern sky.
A home to make them. where in peace and
Where none should them modest nor make
afraid,
As conscience babe them, they might worship
God.
But little rocked they of the mastering woe;
From out the vision of their coming days,
The tint of roses faded swift away:
A black pail fell and clouded all their skies
With gathering gloom.
A quest unwelcome came
And cross their cherries threshold forced
Even grim Death: and with his sickle keen
He reaped u dreadful harvest. On their
hearth
The waning freight quavered fitfully
For lack of one to rouse it. On the hill
Beside the sounding sec, the graves grew
thick.
The man OF reverend mien and silver locks,
The maiden, with her tresses. light with gold:
Strong men and mothers, too, Law buried here,
Where wind and wave, storm gusts and VOLTS
gruf howl
Their reCOjpmS were
But all this passed at length
Then came the music of the blue-birds song,
And glittering pearls dripped from the bud
Forth through the mold. peeped the arbutus
sweet:
The shy deer bounded thro' the murky wood:
The cleaning fish in swelling waters swain,
While hidden in the grove and tangled cOpse
The quail and partridge lurked. with covering
young.
Abundant food was in the wood and sea,
While sunshine gave them warmth and babe
them live.
The moaning sea took on a cheerful tone.
The ripping brooks in pleasant cadence sang,
and all was joyful.
And so the blssful summer passed away,
And autumn, with its rad ant LEAKAGE. came,
When, loi the harvest had, with generous
Responded to the glow of natures touch.
With ripened grain. the sumptuous fields we've
gilt,
And copious wealth and plenty crowned the
land.
Then each to each said men and women too:
Hath not our gracious Father ever said,
u never will you leave. nor you fOrSake?'
And hath He not full well His promise kept?
Come. then, and let us render unto Him
The grateful homage from His children due"
And SO I'm costume now so quaint and queer,
With peak crowned hat and belt with buckle
bright
And fustian gown, and cap of somber hue,
They gathered all together.
Praises to Heaven they sang, and grateful
prayers
Arose to HIM who blest as well as scourged.
Then came the feast: venison from out the
wood.
The notified grouse, black ducks shot at the
pool.
The gardens treasures. cranberries from the
marsh,
The food at sea and shore most freely gave,
Crowded the fcstal board.
Then JOY and mirth
Chased care and sorrow fast and far away,
Far back across the drearr waste of pain.
Their jaded footsteps plainly they discerned,
But saw that through the clouds they deemed
so black
The cleaning star of hope had never paed.
And well thes pordered DER the lesson true
That heavenly guidance rules our destiny;
For trials deep and woes unspeakabe
Fall not beyond our Heavenly Fathers eye;
His sympathy so vast, so wonderful
Encompasses us all, and he who feels
By all forsaken, deSolate. forlOrn,
May yet discover. mid the darkness drear.
Some cause for thankfulnesS.
Boston Globa