The Frankfort roundabout., 1886-10-09

The forests they ventured, where NOON
light ne'er made
a dapple of silver in darkness Of shade,
Are overgrown fallows Of tasseling corn,
Now white with harvest, still waving un.
shorn.
The river they roamed with the Indians
canoe).
Here stretched round the cliffs like a rib
bon Of blue
Now, furrowed and wrinkled, winds on
thro' the vale;
And threading its waters are steamer and
sail.
Fair Frankfort leans out on her rock pali-
sades,
Her homes OH the hll.tops, her spires in
the glades,
One hundred years old ! a ver'rable queen,
With snowy crown veiled in her emerald
green.
Here only we sit by the waters and sing,
Now weaving the song Of the arrow and
sling;
OF brave hearts that bled, and fond eyes
that wept,
Right hands that clasped over vows that
they kept.
These are dust Of the years, but the blood,
tear and vow,
|
us now.
Thus for the valor that gave US this spot
We crown them forever, 'who answer us
not.
As time, that brings unto its blossom and
The daisy concealed in the earth's silent
| gloom,
This bourgeon of nature in Transforming
Now brought woman forth to appear at her
best.
| In peace, as in war, now the daughters all
bore
The breast-pIate OF faith that their good
mothers wore;
More refined and enlightened, more cul.
tured in taste,
| They shed rare charm over mansions they
graced.
Like clustering gems on sheath Of re-
Some names shine out now onlthe books of
the town;
Good women who searched by the Scrip
lures to know
The life they must live, heart above, heart
below;
Here Sabbath.schools forming, their chill
dren to bring
To Him who had sheltered them under His
wing;
They built for their Lord the first church
on Nis sod.
And walked by the light of their pure
faith in God.
Instructors ins Christ, they preached ser.
mons in stones,
"Were living epistles" this century owns,
Tho each has long gone to her rest and
her crown,
The palms are awarded to Love and to
Brown:
Mrs. Love there now rises at this famous
name
Such beautiful picture Of grace in
dame
Whose house was the Mecca in that early
day.
OF the wise and distinguished who jour-
neyed this way.
1t sounds like an idyl or dainty romance,
The visit Of Louis, exiled King of France;
The fair widow Love, blushing proud al
his call,
How the minuet danced with the King at
the ball;
Twas in her quaint home that the strange
Aaron Burr
Assembled his friends of his schemes to
confer;
Marquis Lafayette and President Monroe,
In turn were her guests in that sweet long |
ago.
Frankfort holds other names in all honor |
to-day;
Few cities can boast Of such women as
they;
Mrs. Thomas, Price, Bibb, Todd, Talbot,
Lafon,
Dudley, Scott, Weisiger, Julian, Innes,
Breckinridge, Brown;
There was bright Mrs. Mills, whose sweet I
music rhymes
Were the pleasure and pride of the dear
old times;
Mrs. Crittenden (nee Lnne9, whose bril-.
liant face shone
Later on in the circle, the star Of this zone,
In the broad space Of years thus spreading
between
The old and new times there were fair
women seen.
Descendants of Mobiles, of Dukes, and of
Earls,
Whose presence was queenly without royal
pearls;
Their ornaments were of fine spirit and
mind
In which rarest virtues and wit were com.
bined
With dignity bearing some heroic name,
And dwelling in homes of historical fame,
80 clothed in rich raiment, like honey.fed
bees,
Their years gliding brightly in elegant ease,
Attended by servants obeying the beck
)f hands softly nodded to soothe or direct,