Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-04-20

And many strange and ftful sights
Ofpeople going and returning.
Two babes were born on single night;
Two mothers and one babe lay dead;
The one that lived, a batsard blight,
Was nourished in the others stead.
One mother was my fathers wife;
And one his ruined quadroon slave;
I was the babe that chung to life,
And whom my father birth-right gave.
Two servants and my father knew,
And they alone my sulied birth;
And so deceived lived and grew,
A thing accursed upon the earth.
They laid the dead babe on the breast
OF her, the wronged, and ruined slave;
And to this day they humbly rest,
Within one long and narrow grave.
This was to hide the looks of scorn,
Which like cyclones are never mild,
And show that was nobly born,
Although his own unlawful child.
Some told to me in after years
This story as I've told it you;
And though it sometimes reused my fears,
could not think the tale was true,
My early life was full of bliss,
My friends like stars around me shone;
o Christ! and now die like this,
Deserted, save by thee alone
As troubled winds will often cease,
And for moment rest in peace
Before they roar and rave again,
So for time did he remain;
And had the priest not felt his breath,
He might have thought that calm was death.
But like some wave that beats the shore,
And then recedes to gather strength
To strike as it had struck before,
So he returned to life at length;
And with his waning strength renewed,
Once more his bitter tale pursued:
Father! although my looks appear
As adamant as Guy De We're,
Oh, do not think my heart is cold;
For only whisper Lena's name,
And fierce as Etna's breast of flame
1t burns as in the days of old
She was the idol of my heart;
My hope, my joy, my pride, my life,
My love-but never welded wife
In that the fates doomed US to part.
loved her, priest, o God! how well
These lips have not the power to tell,
loved her, but not for her face,
Though Thisbia's charms I there might trace
1t was her mind, her gentle soul,
Her heart which harmonized the whole,
Her love as fixed through peace and war
As that white cleaning polar star,
That chained me to her loving side,
Till death those links had severed wide.
Ills strange-but still my fancy roves
Among those lovely orange groves;
Where last roamed with her at will,
fMethinks l scent those blossoms stilD
1t was our only night alone;
The next, my love would be my own.
The bridal robes were made, and all
The guests asked to her fathers hall.
L clasped her to my throbbing breast,
Her brow, her cheeks, her lips caressed
l felt her warm breath on my cheek
Like evening zephyrs come and go;
The beating of her heart below
Spoke language that no tongue could speak.
saw her blue eyes softly shine
As they were upward turned to mine
The moon could hardly hide their charms
One fond embrace, one parting kiss,
One whisper of that morrow's bliss,
One last fond pressure in my arms,
And she was gone. o, sad my fate!
For from that hour SO calm and bright,
That saw her vanish from my sight,
My life all men might wisely hate;
For bowed with constant grief and sorrow,
I've waited for that bright Tomorrow
Confessor quick as thou couldst see
The liyid levin
Descend from heaven
And rend in twain the strongest tree,
As quickly did my father writhe,
And fall before Deaths scorching scythe.'
left my love to find him dead
With servants thronging round his bed
When arrived. o God! the start,
The fearful pangs that pierced my heart,
My brain that whired-methnks feel
Those same sensations o'er me steal.
saw him placed within the tomb;
Then with the rest sat in his room
And heard them read my fearful doom;
That doom, which many years before,
Was born on old Virginia's shores
My uncle like some craving brute,
That longs to battle its teeth in blood.
But fiercely gazed, sedate and mute,
While bristling foes around it stood,
Regarded me with evil eye
That told, too well, my distiny.
Still-still 1 see his look of hate,
When first he heard them read my fate.
For know, o priest! my father died
Without thought of me-his son.
And papers which he did not hide
Or even sign-left me undone.
Enough was found to show my shame;
Birth-age! but not my fathers name.
Freedom was found, could but trace
His name upon the vacant place.
That name was last, and so they gave
To me the hellsh name of-slauc.
Scarce had his requiem been sung,
And broken sods together grown,
When that uncle with naughty tongue,
Pronounced me slave, and claimed his own.
Vain was the form that to him knelt;
He heard he saw-methought he felt
twinge shoot through his stubborn heart.
Methought-but like the sudden start
Ofmeteors bursting into light,
To fade quickly from the sight.
So did that lambent luster die
Within my uncle's flaming eye.
must be sold-the morning came,
And scarcely had bright Phebus flame
The orient streaked with damask bloom,
Before they dragged me to my doom.
I went, but not willing slave,
For all the strength my muscles gave
Was hurled against the bastard foes
Who sought to drag me to my woes.
Irebelled, force against force was used.
They crushed me down; my form abused;
And then amidst jeering throng,
By my two feet dragged me along.
Oh! then cursed the race of men;
And strengthened with the strength of ten
Outgrown from burning rage and hate,
Dashed them aside sprang to my feet,
And with a rush-a dagger's gleam-
plunge a single crimson stream
left that uncle in his gore,
And fled from that ill-fated shore.
| fled, but not until prest
Ny love, heart broken, to my breast.
1t was quick, fond embrace;
One hurried kiss-it was my last
| Ipressed npon her tear-wet face,
| Then rushed from that enchanted place,
A fugitive, and lone outcast
| Through brush and brake, and tangled grass,
! And dismal swamp and wet morass,
| Where human feet could hardly pass;
And rivers wide, and sunken bogs,
fed, pursued by men and dogs.
Like Acteon knew that pack
! Ofthirsty blood hounds on my track
| Were those that once obeyed my call