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

FEWER AND FAMINE.
The following deeply y-touching picture 9
9th and desolation is taken from Henry w
poem, : sHiawatha ana POI
lys in many respects the condition or IN
orkingman to-day, or rather what 1T Will g
8 short time IL bloated monopolists are
we'd to continue their present systemat
hiding down OF the workingmen.l
o the famine and the fever
y o the wasting Of the famine
Othe BLASTING of the fever?
@ the Wailing Of the children!
o the, anguish Of the women!
All the 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 at the doorway,
Sat there without q word of welcome
In the seat of Laughing Water:
Looked with haggard eyes and hollow
AT the face of Laughing Water.
And the foremost said Behold me
lam Famine, Bukadawin y
And the other said "Rehold me!
1 am Fever, .Ahkosewin r
And the lovely Minnehaha
Shuddered as they looked upon her.
Shuddered as the words they uttered,
Lay down on ber 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 naddened Hiawatha;
In his heart was deadly sorrow,
In his face stony firmness
On his brow the sweat of anguish
Started, but it froze and fell not.
"Gitche Manito, the Mighty T.
Cried he with his face uplifted
In that bitter hour Of anguish,
.sGive your children food, Q father!
2. Give IOOl, OE We luQSt pcA4SA
Give me food for Minnehaha,
For my dying Minnehahal'
Through the far-resounding forest.
Through the forest vast and vacant,
Rang that cry of desolation,
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,
s.Hiawatha HiawathaY'
Over snow-felds waste and painless,
Under rsnow-encumbered branches,
Homeward hurried Hiawatha,
Empty handed, heayy-hearted,
Heard Nokomis moaning, wailing:
sWahonowin! Wahonowin!
Would that had persisted for you,
Would that / were dead as you are!
Wahonowin! Wahonowin!'
As he rushed into the WtgWam,
Saw the old Nokomis slowly
Rocking to and fro and moaning;
Saw his lovely cMinnehaha
Lying dead and cold before him,
And his bursting heart within him
Uttered such cry Of anguish
That the forest moaned and shuddered,
j. That the very stars in heaven
Shook and trembled with his anguish.
Then he sat down, still and speechless,
On the bed of Minnehaha,
AT the feet of Laughing Water,
At those willing feet that never
More would lightly run to meet him.
Never more would lightly follow.
And at night a 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 Minnehaha,
Stood and watched it at the doorway,
That it might not be extinguished.
Might not leave herin the darkness.
ssFarewell!'' said he. 'Minnehahav T.
Farewell, O my Laughing Water!
All my heart is buried with your
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,
To the Kingdom of Ponemah,
To the Land of the Hereafter!''
NJ. En,Ma;lra Arh;4ra4;on. R;ll