The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-11-20
THE tlRsT THANKSGIVING DAY.


So bitter was the cold Upon the sand
The waves beat drearily; the shingle keen,
Impelled by each retreating wave, gave forth
A harsher sound, than when soft breezes blow
Within the harbor deep,
A vessel lay, safe moored; yet mast and spar,
And heavy sail, encrusJed were with snow;
And as she dipped her PROV beneath each
wave
1t came forth with a beard of glittring ice.
The vessels name was one that tod OF
springs
Soft breath, and messy clump and shaded
dell,
And all that speaks of earth's awakening.
But none of these were here, but only cold,
And winter's biting frost and chilling blasts.
Within the cabin sat a wondrous group
OF men and women and of maidens fair;
and in the midst, a 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
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:
q black pail fell and elouded all their skies
With gathering gloom.
And cross their cherries threshold forced
Even grim Death: and with his sickle keen
He reaped dreadful harvest. On their
hearth
The waning freight quavered ftfully
For.lack of one to rouse It, On the hill
Beside the sounding sea, 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, lay buried here
Where wind and wave, storm gusts and wolf
grutf howl
Their requiems were.
But all this passed at length.
Then came the music of the blue-bird's song,
And glittering pearls dripped from the bud
ding bough;
Forth through the mold, peeped the arbutus
sweet;
The shy deer bounded thro' the murky wood ;
The cleaning fish in swelling waters swan,
While hidden in the grove and tangled copse
The quail and partridge lurked, with covering
Abundant food was in the wood and sea,
While sunshine gave them warmth and babe
them live.
The moaning sea took on cheerful tone,
The ripping brooks in pleasant cadence sang,
And all was joyful.
And so the blissful summer passed away.
And autumn, with it's radiant LEAKAGE, came,
When, 10! the harvest had, with generous
hand,
Responded to the glow of natures touch.
gilt,
And copfous wealth and plenty crowned the
land.
Then each to each said men and women. too:
q Hath not our gracious Father ever said,
A never Will you Leave nor you forsakeP
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 in costume now so quaint and queer,
With peak-crowned hat and belt with buckle
bright,
land 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 festal board.
Then joy and mirth
CHASED care and sorrow fast and far away,
Far back across the dreary 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 paled.
And well they pondered DER the lesson true
That heavenly guidance rules our destiny;
FOR trials deep and woes unspeakable
Fall not beyond our Heavenly Fathers eye;
His sympathy so vast, so wonderful
Encompasses us ALL and he who feels
by all forsakcn, desolate, fororn,
May yet discover, mid the darkness drear,
Some cause for thankfulness.
Boston Globe