The Washington critic., 1886-04-20
MANHATTAN ARMING-usGD.


(BY WALT wiHTMAN.
First. o songs, for prelude
Lightly strike on the stretched tympanum,
Jride and Joy In my city,
How she led the rest TO arms-how she gave
the cue
How at once with 1.-THE limbs unwaiting a
moment, she sprang;
O superb o Mathattan my own, my peerless!
Ostiongest you In the hour of danger, in crisisl
q truer than STEEL
How you sprang how you drcw of the cos
tunes of peace with Indifferent hand;
How your soft opera-music changed, and the
drum and hfcs were heard IN their stead:
How you led 10 the war that shall serve for
our prelude, songs Of soldiers;
low Manhattan drum taps led.
Forty years had in my city seen soldiers
parpding;
Forty years as q pageant-til unawares the
Lady of this tceming and turbulent city,
sleerlcss amid her ships, her houses, her in.
calculable wealth.
With her million children around hcr--sud-
denly,
At dead Of night, at nows from the South,
lnoensed, struck with clenched hand the
pavement.
a shock eectric--thc night sustained IL:
TIL, with ominous hum. our hives at daybreak
poured out its myrads.
From the houses then and the workshops,
and through all the doorways
Leaped thy tumultuous, and lo-Mauhattan
Aiming.
III,
Tattoo drumtaps prompt.
The young men falling In and arming:
The mechanics arming, the trowel, the Jack
plane, the backsmith's hammer. tossed
aside with precipitation.
The lawyer leaving his Office and armng-
the Judge leaving the court:
The driver deserting his wagon In the street,
jumping down. throwing the rcins alb.
ruptly down on the horses back
The salesman leaving the store tho boss,
book keeper. porter all leaving,
Squads gathering everywhere by common
consent and arnng;
The new recruits, even boys-the old men
shov mem how to Wear their accoutro.
meats; they buckle the straps carefully.
Outdoors, arming. indoors arinng-tno fash
OF the musket r'cls;
The white tents cluster In camp-the armed
sentrles around, tine sunrise cannon and
again at sunset
Armed regiments arrive every day, pass
through the city and embark from the
wharves.
How good they look, rs they tramp down to
the river, sweaty, with their guns on
How love them How could hug them.
with their brown FACES and their clothes
and knapsacks covered with dust
The blood of the city up-armed armed (!
The flags flung out from the steeples of
churches, and from all the public build
The fearful parting the mother kisses her
son-the son kisses his mother.
10th Is the mother TO part, yet not word
does she speak to detan him.
The tumultuous escort the ranks of police
men preceding, clearing the way.
The uDpent enthusiasm-thc wild cheers of
the crowd for their favori'es.
The artillery-the silent can IONS, BRIGHT as
gold, drawn along, rumbling lightly
over the stones;
Silent cannons--soon to cease your silence,
Soon unlimbered to begin tn = / business
All the nutter of preparatip 8, d. ~
mined arming;
The hospital service, the liH .;as and
medicines;
The women volunteering forr ... tho W TX
begun for, In earnest, Il paratdg
now,
War An armed race Is adv. t.: the vel
come for battle-no turning away;
War be IL weeks months or years. an araled
race is advancing to welcome 1t.
Manhattan a.march--and its o to sing 1t
Its for manly life in the camp
And the sturdy artillery,
The guns, bright as gold, the work for giants,
to serve well the guns;
Unlimber them no more, as the past forty
years, for salutes. for courtcsies merely;
and wadding.
VI.
And you Lady of Ships! You, Mannahatta!
Old matron of the city! this proud, friendly,
turbulent city
Often in peace and wealth you were pensiye,
dren;
But now You smile with joy, exulting old
Mannahatta.