The Northwestern standard., 1886-04-10
TN BEHALF OF LABOR.
FEVER AND FAMINE. E.

1.-THE following deeply-touching picture
cath and desolation is taken from Henry '
poem, ''Hiawatha.' and Pc
ays in many respects the condition OF I
to-day. or rather what it wlll
, q short time IL hloated monopollsts are
wed to continue their present sysfena1
rinding down OF the workingmen.
o the famine and the fever
Q tire wasting of the famine
0 the blasting of the fever2
0 the wailing of the children!
o the anguish of the women!
All tine earth was sick and famished
Hungry was the air around them,
Hungry was the sky above them,
And the hungry stars in heaven
Like the eyes OF wolves glared at them.
Into Hiawatha's wigWam
Came two other guests, as silent
AS the ghosts were, and as gloomy
Waited not to be invited.
Did not parley att the doorway.
Sat there without word of welcome
In the seat Of Laughing Water;
Looked with baggard eyes and hollow
at the face of Laughing Water
And the foremost said "Behold me i!
am Famine, Bukadawin y
And the other said 'Rehold me !
am Fever, Ahkosewin y
And The lovely Minnehaha
Shuddered as they looked upon her.
Shuddered as the words they uttered,
Lay down on her bed in silence,
Hid her face, but made no answer
Lay there trembling, freezing, burning
At the looks they cast upon her,
At The fearful words they uttered.
Forth into the empty forest
Rushed the maddened HiaWatha;
In his heart was deadly sorrow,
In his face e stony tirnness
On his brow the sweat of anguish
Starred, but il trOZe and fell not.
''Gitche Manito, the Mighty r.
Cried he with his face uplifted
In that bitter hour Of anguish,
"'GiVe your children food, o fatherl
Give rs food, or we mustperish
Give me food for Minnehaha,
Tor my dying Minnehaha"
Through the far-resounding forest,
Through the forest vast and vacant,
Rang that cry of dasoIation,
But there came no other answer
Than the echo of his crying,
Than the echo Of the woodlands,
.Minnehaha! Minnehaha!"
And the desolate Hiawatha,
far away amid the forest,
Miles away among the mountains,
Heard that sudden cry Of anguish,
Hearo the voice OF Minnehaha,
Calling to him in the darkness,
''Hiawatha. HiawathaH'
Over snow-tields waste and pathless,
Under snow-encumbered branches,
Homeward hurried Hiawatha,
Empty-handed, heayy-hearted,
Heard Nokomis moaning, wailing:
"Wahonowin! Wahonowin!
Would that had perished for you,
Would that | were dead as you are!
wahonowin! Wahonowinr'
AS he rushed into the wigwam,
Saw the old Nokomis slowly
Rocking to and fro and moaning;
Saw his lovely fMinnehaha
Lying dead and cold before him,
And his bursting heart within him
Uttered such Cry OF anguish
That the forest mOaned and shuddered,
That the very stars i'll heaven
Shock and trembled with his anguish.
II ,4i n
On the bed of Minnehaha,
At the feet of Laughing Wafer,
At those willing feet that never
More would lightly run to meet him,
Never more would lightly follow.
And at night fire was lighted,
On her grave four times was kindled,
For her soul upon its journey
To the Islands Of the Blessed
From his doorway Hiawatha
Saw it burning in the forest.
Lighting up the gloomy hemiocks;
From his sleeping bed uprising,
From the bed of Minnehaba,
Stood and watched it at the doorway,
That it might not be extinguished.
Night not leave her in the darkness,
FAREWELL" said he. 'sMinnehahat
Farewell, @ my Laughing Water!
All my heart is buried with you?
All my thoughts go onward with you!
Come not back again to labor,
Come not back again to suffer.
Where the Famine and the Fever
Wear the heart and waste the body.
Soon my task will be completed,
Soon your footsteps shall follow
To the Islands of the Blessed,
no the Kingdom of Ponelnah,
TO the Land of the Hereafter