Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-03-05
A BALLAD OF ITS.
By Julia C.. r. Dorr. I

! -.
Qdle II stood, and Its master away;
Blacksmith and armorer stout was he,
FIRST in the fight and first in the breach,
ana tirst in work where n man should be.
I'm borrow your tools, my friend" he said
and temper III sse blades If lose my headl''
So he wrought away till the sun went down.
And silence tell on the turbulent town;
And the flames of the forge through the dark.
ness glOwed,
A square OF light on the sandy road
Ihen over the threshold a shadow tell,
ANA ne heard voice that he knew right well.
II was Ethan Aliens. He cried. al knew
Where the forge fire blazed | must look for
you
But listen more arduous work than this,
Lying In wait tor someone Isl
And tempering blades is only plav
10 the task set tor him this day
or this night, rather" grim smile played
ger the armorers face as his hand he stayed.
SAY on. never have shirked," slid he:
"What may this wonderful task. work bey"
"To go by the light of the evening star
On an urgent errand swift and tar
from town to town and from farm to farm
10 carry the warning and sound the alarm!
wake Rutland and Pittstord Rouse Nesho.
be, too,
And all the fair valley the otter runs through
For we need more men Make no DELAY.
But hasten, hasten, upon your wavl''
lie DOTTED his apron, he frightened his belt
To iasten the straps OF his leggings he knelt
Ere me CLOCK strikes nine" said Gershom
"Frend Allen, will be ont OF reach;
Ana pledge you my word, ere dawn of day
Guns and men shall he under way.
But where shall | send these minute men ~
"Do you know Hands Cove?" said Allen then,
ION the shores OF Champlain? Let them
meet me there
By tomorro night, be it foul or falrl"
Goodbye I'm or" Then down the road
As il on seyen.le tgue boots he strobe,
While Allen watched from the forge's door
TIL the stalwart form he could see no more.
Into the woods passed Gershom Beach;
a q 10 xt-ua ff,f, oh,
But sun, as his VII his steps Outran,
lie said to himself, with laugh, "Old man,
Never minute have YOU to lose,
Never minute t . pick or choose:
FOR sixty miles in twenty four hours
Is surrey enough to try youl powers.
so square your shoulders and speed away
With never Il halt by night or day"
Twas moonless night; but over his head
The stars tremuOus uster shed,
Ana the breath OF the woods grew STRANGELY
sweet,
As he crushed the wild ferns under his feet
And tramplcd the shy arbutus blooms
with their boarded wealth OF rare perfumes.
He smiled as he went. at seems to me
There are May.tlowers here, but cannot see
I'VE read OF the hush OF the silent night;
Now bark there's wolf on yonder height;
There's Il snarling catamount proving round !;
Every inch OF the silence is full OF sound;
The night birds cry; the whip poor wills
Call to each other from all the hills;
A scream comes down from the eagles nest:
The bark of Il fox from the cliffs tall crest;
Have something to say to every breeze"
The paths were few and the ways were rude
In the depths OF that virgin solitude.
The Indians trail ana the hunters tracks,
The trees SCARED deep by the settlers axe,
o. cow'path leading TO the creek
These were the signs he had to seek;
save where, ii may be, he Glanced to hit
me crown Point road and could follow it
The road by the British troops hewn out
Under General Amherst I'm hity-nlne,
IA oh IA, ,I.I
doubt,
NOT waited to give the countersignl
The streams we're many and swift and clear;
But there was no bridge, or tar or near.
II was midnight when he paused to hear
Al Rutland the roar OF the waterfall,
And found Il canoe by the rivers edge,
IN a tangled thicHet OF reeds and sedgo.
with shout and cheer, ON the rushing tide
ne launched IT and flew to the other side;
TIL II giving his message, on he sped,
BY the light of the pale stars overhead;
Past the leg church below Pine HIN,
AND the graveyard opposite. All was still,
And the one lone sleeper lying there
stirred not either Tor cry or prayer.
Only pausIng TO give the aIaIm
Al rude log cabin and lonely farm,
From hamlet to hamlet he hurries along,
Borne on by purpose deep and strong.
LOOK LOOK there's a eer in the forest glade,
Stealing along like a silent shauei
Hank 0 the loon that cries and means
WIN living gl1ei in its uman toncsl
At Plttsiord the light begins To grow
In the Weakening east; and drifting slow,
from valley ana river and wildwood rise,
Like the smoke OF morning sacrifice,
Clouds OF translucent silver mist,
Flushing TO rose ana amethyst;
W htle thrush and robin and bluebird sing
Till the woods with jubilant music ring
II was day at last He looked around.
With firmer tread ON the -priuging ground;
NOW the men will be all a.ticld," sal he,
AND that W save many step for me.
"a Ia IN INIT
! must confess, il IA had my will,
IA have waited till after p antingtime,
For now the season is in its prime.
The young green leaves of the oak tree here
are lust lhe size of a squirrels ear;
ANA I'VE known no rule, since | was born,
SAFER than that for planting corn"
lie threaded the valleys, he climbed the nils,
ne iorded the rivers, he leaped the rills,
nile still to his call, like minute.men
1ooteu ana spurred, IRON mount and glen,
The settlers rallied. But on he went
Like an arrow shot from bow, unspent,
Down the long vale OF the otter to where
The might OF the waterfall Numbered in air:
Then across to he lake, six leagues and more,
w Where lianc's Cove lay in the bending shore.
me goal was reached. He dropped TO the
In a deep rayine, without word or sound;
Ana sleep, the restOrcr, babe him rest
Like weary child, on the earth's brown
breast.
At midnight he woke with quick heart beat,
tect;-
for armed men swarmCd in the dim ravine,
ana hlhan Allen, rs proud of mien
A. king on his TIN one, smiled down ON him,
w ME he stretched and stra ghtened each
siinened limb.
az Y, nay" said the Colonel, lake your rest,
As knight Who has done his chiefs behestr'
mot YETI cried the armorer. "Wheres my
gun?
A knight fights on till the field is wont"
Ana into Fort III, ere dawn of day,
lie stormed with his comrades to share the
fray
Dean Rheumatic pills absolutely cur
Rheumatism q Neuralgia. Entirely veg
table. Safe 81