The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-10-07

JNU. ELUhER.
OH SETTLERS.
The following poem was resd by Mrs
O. N. SteTrs a. the rtunion OF old settlers
on SatuIdsy les, ard wss received with
much applause;
The years behind as are stretching
Into the shAdoWy land.
Each year. with its pain and blessing.
cord IA q golden band.
A band that is flashing and glowing
In retrospective light.
Untarnlshed and uncoroded,
With memory's jewels bright.
a band that will hold us together
And bind us TO the past,
TIL the Angel of Death shall the pressnt
Seal 20 the past. with his clasp.
You bid me sing q song to-day,
And Q n not utter word
For my thoughts wing back TO the pregnant
past
And my heart is too deeply stirIS
But have of pictures not few.
Crude but yet clear and plain.
Vi inc Oluon tlLuoo anu Tue SA4Ou Things
Photographed on my brain.
And II you viii look with lenIent eyes
Nor scorn what u dear to me
I will bring some of the things prize
To-day for you TO SEQ.
1885.
A sky bounded prairie ocean.
With pillows OF changing green,
Tossed into endless commotions
By currents of wind unseen.
Across it, Ike tides outrunning
Marrow timberlands are seen,
That mark the serpentine coming
OF = hidden, sluggish stream.
Upon this unsxplored ocean,
Unfurled TO fortunes gales,
With uncertain laggard motion
Drift numberless white sails.
The prairie schooners are freight01
With human hope and need,
And hearts that are soIely Weighted
Out-run the ships in speed.
And ind some quiet harbor
In the haven of the west
Whom life must yield to labor
And the labOrer be blest.
1885.
Opulent cities and fertile fields
Cover the dreAry waste of plains;
The barren, desolate desert yields
Wealth of fruit and golden grains:
2no roar OF traInc - brave and loud
Through these railroad girded lands,
And Kansas. smiling. secure and proud
In generous beauty stands.
Right royalty has She redeemed
Those carly pledges given,
Nor Vainly were those visions dreamed
In nfty-six and seven.
For abe has been q harbor calm
To countless struggling mon,
Has shielded truth from hurt and harm
And helped the world since then.
And she Is rich n thought and deed
As fruit and golden grain.
Nor Liberty. nor Truth shall plead
To her. aad plead IN vain
RiRhs in the vanguard does she stand
Pushing forward to the light,
BraYest OF Ali the sister band
In battling tor the right.
The OLD PLACE.
One long. straight ath like village street.
Stretching out under the bend ng trees.
Haunted by Per umes subtle and sweet.
Ana vocal with birds ana honey bees.
And wandering away where-so-ever they
viii
Narrower by-paths twist and turn,
In and out through carawav, mint and din
Through lATkspurs blue ana peoples that
burn.
Down the long main path on either side
Arc roses and roses, red and white,
And ranks of tall scarlet London pride
And purple pansies with faces bright.
Half way up the mulberry trSes
Honey -suck!es have rankly climbed.
And over q trellis are pink SWEEP peas
And blue-eyed morning glories twined.
Under the gllstening cottonwood trees.
Nesting there like a brown neld me use,
Humble and homely as you please
Stands an implanted storm stained house.
Yet that little house so humble and mean,
L. q temple now in memory's fame.
And IL builded over in many q dream
AsIwAnder through the past again.
YESTERDAY.
Yesterday the sun shone brightly
From q clear and azure sky,
Yesterday our feet tripped lightly
With the glad hours dancing by.
And the pt Aries were unbounded
Save by the horizon line.
And IN sweet, wild flowers abounded
In the early morning tune.
An, the very winds blew softly.
Like the WhisperiDgs of hope.
All our thoughts were daring. lofty.
On that eastern hillside slope.
Lear Ol0 LrlonOb Wo cllLnbOO COROLAOr
Up the hill. on yesterday,
In the glorious morning weather,
And our hearts were blythe and gay.
And our songs were ringing. ringing
Through those hours so fresh and fair,
Hope ana Lie ana Love were spinning
RAinbows round us in the air.
Yesterday the SON shone bris htly
From . clear and azure Gky;
Yesterday our feet tripped lightly
With the glad hours dancing by.
A KANSAS IDYL.
Low down in the glowing west
Swings the tsrvid molten sun,
Sending crimson heralds out
To proclaim that day - done.
ElingIng gaily to the south
Banners all emblazoned with gold;
white clouds lying in the east
Touched with pink Within each fold.
Prairies level. bare aud brown.
Stretching out from sky to sky.
Long grass waving like the sea
As the evening breeze goes by.
Cottonwood and quivering poplar
Leaning DER a sluggish stream,
Ger whose placid tide tie willow,
OlAging closely bends 70 dream.
sunaowers covering the iowIa- d
Like = web of cloth -of-Eold.
Turning toward the setting sun
All their faces bright and bold.
sound OF cowbells' rythmIc Thrilling,
And the locust's strident buzz,
Sweet tones of the lisplng wind,
Cooling of the mourning doves.
Going hand In hand together
Through that sunset sea. waist deep,
Two young girls. q wAding slowly
Through that tide with bare brown feet.
One with hair like fiood of sunshine
Flowing long aud straight and bright,
One with short brown wind tossed cutIs;
One blue eyed -one black as Kight.
Souls uplifted by the va tuess.
Faces bright with sunse1s gleaD.
with voices whispering from the future,
These barefoot maidens walk and dream
Bells through the twlighr sing 20 thSE
softly,
Doves COO to them soft and low.
Winds in their blowing. linger . momer