Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-05
FORTY YEARS AGO.
A THANKSGIVING RIMIEIscENoE


THANKSGIVING REMIEIscESoK
Twas forty years ago and more. my dear. good
wife and I,
Gnly sweet year wedded-how fast the wear.
go by
Decided after many prayers that it would be the
To leave our old New England home and seek
the wondrous West.
And after we made up our minds, t really
That every stone on the old farm looked up re.
prDachfuily
Our loving and our crieving. one little crave
in tender eyes. the friendships Of the long and
happy years.
Mountain and stream and valley seemed "a
stretch OBTAINING hands
Striving 70 hold us there upon the rocky barren
lands;
life had but begun,
so we turned our ewes right bravery out towards
the setting sun.
twas a long and weary journey, bat we'd been
drought up to take
Trouble with a patient spirit, and know we
did not make
Half the idle, weak complaining that they do
to-day, who are
Whiried around the world reclining in a special
palace car
We reached the little clearing where the low log
cabin stood
In the early days of April when the year WAS II,
lonely looking place it was, but yet we tried
Through ali its dreary wildness the beauty yet
10 be.
We took our work up gladly, there is no need TO
There is no early settler but knows the story
well
And while worked in wood and field through
the long summer days.
VIE did her part inside the house and YOU
know Womens ways.
Not satisfied with duty done around the little
home.
She planted with her tired hands the tiny seeds
Of bloom,
And in the summer ended the say nasturtums
grew,
And morning glories shook their bells of purple,
pink and blue.
Twas Just a SIGHT to feed the soul, for any man
As man. of any earthly good can't live by bread
And MARY in the doorway in the early morning
light
With the posies shining round her was a heart
uplifting sight.
The Indians; they were plenty. We saw them
A trail ran right across our field, not sixty rods
away.
And often at the open door some bead bedizened
brave
Would stop ana ask for bread or meat, which
esA"e~y SetfN-
The winter set in early we had heard such
pretty stories
OF the fair Wisconsin autumns with the Indian
summer gluries:
But this year by october every single leaf had
flown,
The snow lay white upon the ground and the
ground was like stone.
And trouble never singly comes, it only opens
wide
The door for others that, 'twould seem, were
waiting Just outside.
lis said they come TO US sometimes in sweet de
ceptive guises,
But ours came quite boldly-an sorts and shapes
and sizes
The crops were just failure we'd lost some
~ stock. and then
WYne ague came down on us ike troop of armed
men
1t acted just as though it had a claim upon the
fam:
Il shook the courage from my heart, the yigor
from my arm
And when Thanksgiving came to US. the day
we'd held so dear.
The storm was raging through the woods, the
world was deadly dreAr.
There was leauness i'll the lurder the wood pile
sadly low
Pain held me in its strong embrace and would
not let me 60
And like the poor weak soul I was, prayed
that | might die:
But she said. Nay, not so. dear heart this
storm viii soon pass by
said, Let US forget the day She said, Let
us remember
Shall we give thanks for sunny May and not for
bleak November
Yet, with her heart I knew she heard the old
home church bells ring:
She heard again the l.tle choir in which she
used 20 sing
She heard the parsons ferveut PRAYER. so long
and rounds bout
That went from home to heathendom, and not
sOul LEFT out.
/ knew. although her loving e-es looked into
Inine with smiles,
Her spirits vision looked across the separating
miles.
She saw the glad rejoicing as 10 their childhood
home,
Again the Joys and children, and the children :
children come.
knew above the winds wild moan she heard
her father voice,
Saying. &c Let all our souls give thanks let all
our hearts rejoice
Beyond the wild, unbrOken woods although no
sign she gave.
/ knew she saw the faded bloom above our
babys grave.
just then sound of stealthy steps fell soft upon
the ear
dusky face peered through the door. the
antlers of deer
Came into sight above the face, and then, with
slow, grave tread
A friendly Winnebagn stood close beside nv
bed.
t'NAN /
brought him good deer meat
The paleaee Squaw shall cook for him, twill
make him wei to eat
Quick gladneSs beat with every pulse. Thank
God = murmured low
While Mary looked up with a smile that said
Il told you So ~
I've sat at many feast since then, where all
good things were spread:
With the rich the wise, the witty since then
I've broken bread
Meath church spires pointing heayenward, with
pioUS happy throngs
I've Joined in prayeriul service, and sung
thanksgiving songs
But never have tasted, in this or in any other
land,
such meat as that took that day from our red
brothers. hand
And never. over any good that biest our LIES
long way.
Have offered any truer thanks than some that
Iose that day.
Il seemed as though that year LIE dealt its hard
est blows 10 us
And then, though skies were not all clear. still
We were prosperous
And fortune smiled. The years sped on. 'twixt
labor and reuOSe
Til We saw our forest home grow fair and hlos
SON as the rose
And through it all Or storm, or sun, my Mary's
Not for single moment tr:iled It's banner in the
dust
Always her eyes looked upward. always she saw
afar,
Through the clouds that darzeued around her
some brightly beaming star.
However dark to-day might be, she trusted in
tomorrow:
Always some pearl OF peace she brought from
every sea of sorrow.
Aad all her dear long liic-bless God for its rost
gracious length
The coursge of her brave, true soul was strength
unto my strength.
The white frosts came upon her head and made
silver crown,
Above her placid brow out of her locks of
brown
But though upon her face time wrote with Ger
tain, subtle art
No wrinkles gathered on her goul no frost r1r,on
her heart
know
That the roses vanished fn,rn bsr ,bssl, o- tho.