San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-02-13


have been placed there by the man,
visitors, Her pen name, "I. H.,
cut on pine tree standing at tn
head of tho grave, and that is al
there is to tell OF the gentle sleeper
'whose place of worship is her burio
ground"
Kinnikinnick, n beautiful little vim,
(IndiOns evergreen) which she par
ticplarly loved, twinos itself among
the stones on tho grave and cover
the mountain top. We bent will
feelings of reverence to read tn,
many inscribed cards which had beel
left amoug the stones aud flowers b,
visitors.
Helen Maria Fisk WAS the daugh
ter of Prof Nathan Fisk, of Amhers
College, Mass. at the age of twenty
one years she became the wife o
Capt Edward 3. Hunt, en- officer o
the U. S Army, who was killed il
1868, at Brooklyn, while experiment
ing with an invention of his own con
struction.
Soon afterward her boy died snt
she gave expression to her grief il
Gifted Over touching poem O.
fourteen lines--her first effort---ant
one Of tho most beautiful gems in
our language:
Gas tender mothers guiding baby steps
| When places come ut which the tiny feet
Would trip, lift up the little ones in arms
Of love, and set thein down beyond the
harm.
So did Our Father watch the precious boy,
Led DER the stones by me who stumbled off
Myself, but strove to keep my darling on.
lie saw the sweet limbs fGlterug, and saw
Rough ways before u.s. where my arms
would fell
So reaching down from heaven, and lifting
the dear Ghill
Who smiled in leaving me, He put him down
Beyond all hurt, beyond my sight, and bnde
Him wait for me! Shall not then be glad
And thanking God, pass on to overtake?"
The mothers anguish poured out
in this expression Of wounded heart
at once found many sYmpathizers
among the mothers of the land who
alone knew the grief she endured.
She afterwards wrote many books.
Ramona is the best OF her novels.
In 1873 she visited Colorado in
search of health and soon madeit her
home. It was there she met Col w
S. jackson and in 1875 became his
wife. During her residence in Col
orado her attention was first drawn
to The "systematlc robbing and kill
ing Of Indians" and she rallied all
the eloquenco OF her pen and gave to
the world hey "a Century of Dis
honor"
President Arthur appointed her as
a Especial Indian commissioner" and
she made report to the government
of the condition OF affairs in regard
to the Mission Indians of California,
that would have done much credit to
n statesman.
Her last poem, written after the
hand Of death was upon her, and
only four hours before her death, is
"a fitting death song of this the
sweetest singer of our, or any, age:
Last Prayer
Father, l scarcely dare to pray.
So clear see, now it il done
That have wasted balf my day,
and left my work but jnat begnn;
30 clear see that things thought
Were right or harmless were q sin;
20 cleGr see that have sought,
Unconscious, selfish aims to win;
70 clear sec that have burt
The souls / might have helped TO save;
That have slothful been, inert,
Deaf to tho calls The leaders gave.
n the outskirts Of Thy Kingdoms vast,
Father the humblest spot give me;
lei me the lowliest task Thou hast,
Let me, rapentant, work for Thee.
She died August 18th, 1856, in
whore she had gone in
.opes Of improving her health. 4
writer iH speaking Of her death says.
It was in the month OF November
hat the frst funeral train with it,
tile band Of six mournors moved up
hroUgh the precipitous pathway Of
.heyenne Canon, and with loving
ands lsid'in her final resting place
Z tint was mortal Of The gifted go-
ian. whose last request was ihst Der Q
.st sleep Flpld be IN 5his beautiful
,radlo O. Peace.
And Esi sas nai Lis.I bc81-s .C
Tte hillside f1r her psu. T.
b lie IN state vhiis angels -aii