 | The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") |  |
231
THE LOGAN GRAZIER.
At dawn to where the herbage grows,
Up yonder hill the grazier goes.
Up yonder hill the grazier goes.
Obedient to his every word,
Before him stalk the sullen herd,
Before him stalk the sullen herd,
Reluctant in the misty morn,
With stamping hoof and tossing horn,
With stamping hoof and tossing horn,
With lengthened low and angry moan,
Go black and dappled, red and roan.
Go black and dappled, red and roan.
Through drain and hollow, up the hill
They pass, obedient to his will.
They pass, obedient to his will.
The slender ox and mighty bull,
The grazier thinks them beautiful.
The grazier thinks them beautiful.
You see less beauty in the herd
Than in yon orange-tinted bird;
Than in yon orange-tinted bird;
You fix your better-pleasèd gaze
On yon broad sweep of emerald maize,
On yon broad sweep of emerald maize,
Yon maples on the hill-side high,
Or on yon field of waving rye:
Or on yon field of waving rye:
More pleased with bird, or grain, or trees—
The grazier's sight is set on these.
The grazier's sight is set on these.
He sees a netted purse of gold
In every bellowing three-year-old,
In every bellowing three-year-old,
He sees new comforts round his home,
When buyers down from Tazewell roam;
When buyers down from Tazewell roam;
232
He sees his cabin nigh the creek,
Its mud-daubed chimney changed to brick;
Its mud-daubed chimney changed to brick;
Its rude logs hid by clapboards sawed,
New shingles on its roof so broad,
New shingles on its roof so broad,
New puncheons on the worn-out floor;
A picket fence before the door,
A picket fence before the door,
While cups of tin and plates of delf
And pewter spoons adorn the shelf.
And pewter spoons adorn the shelf.
Close where the rifle hangs on hooks,
On cupboard top are rows of books—
On cupboard top are rows of books—
The Pilgrim of the dreaming John,
And Weems's Life of Marion;
And Weems's Life of Marion;
The well-thumbed speeches of Calhoun;
The pictured life of Daniel Boone;
The pictured life of Daniel Boone;
D'Aubignè's story, told so well,
How Luther fought and Cranmer fell;
How Luther fought and Cranmer fell;
To please his wife a yellow gown,
And beads to deck his daughters brown;
And beads to deck his daughters brown;
A jack-knife for his youngest son,
A rifle for his eldest one.
A rifle for his eldest one.
All these to him the cattle low
As up the hill they slowly go.
As up the hill they slowly go.
He fears no ravage of disease
'Mong brutes as strong and fat as these.
'Mong brutes as strong and fat as these.
There's salt enough for them in store,
Brought from Kanawha's muddy shore;
Brought from Kanawha's muddy shore;
233
The herbage on the hill is good;
The fern is thick within the wood;
The fern is thick within the wood;
There's tender grass in yonder drain,
And pea-vine on the summit plain.
And pea-vine on the summit plain.
High thought of gain that moment thrills
The herdsman of the Logan hills.
The herdsman of the Logan hills.
He envies not the hero bold;
He cares not who may office hold;
He cares not who may office hold;
The statesman's toil, the stout man's limb,
The lover's hopes, are nought to him.
The lover's hopes, are nought to him.
His mind three things alone receives—
His wife, his children, and his beeves.
His wife, his children, and his beeves.
So these may flourish and grow fair,
All else to him is smoke and air.
All else to him is smoke and air.
O Logan grazier, stout and strong,
Despising fraud, defying wrong,
Despising fraud, defying wrong,
Brave as forefathers stern who bore
The stress of combat long and sore,
The stress of combat long and sore,
And fearless met in battle shock,
The wild and painted Shawanock;
The wild and painted Shawanock;
True as the rifle in thy hand,
And generous as thy fertile land—
And generous as thy fertile land—
Full oft I've eaten at thy side
The maizen cakes and venison fried;
The maizen cakes and venison fried;
Oft in thy cabin as thy guest
Have stretched my wearied limbs to rest;
Have stretched my wearied limbs to rest;
234
I love to note thy honest brow,
Warm friend and true companion thou;
Warm friend and true companion thou;
And know no manlier form is seen
Than that within thy coat of jean.
Than that within thy coat of jean.
Truth fills those eyes so keenly set
Beneath thy fox-skin cap; and yet
Beneath thy fox-skin cap; and yet
I would not that thy lot were mine;
I would not that my lot were thine.
I would not that my lot were thine.
Guard thou thy beeves and count thy gold;
Be glad when those great herds are sold.
Be glad when those great herds are sold.
For me, by midnight lamp I pore
My manuscript in silence o'er.
My manuscript in silence o'er.
Each to the path that suits his feet;
Each toil, for time is moving fleet,
Each toil, for time is moving fleet,
And soon, in woollen shroud arrayed,
Both in our narrow coffins laid,
Both in our narrow coffins laid,
It matters not if cattle fair,
Or making lays has been our care.
Or making lays has been our care.
The poet's and the herdsman's form
Shall feed alike the greedy worm;
Shall feed alike the greedy worm;
Shall pass the poet's glowing words,
Shall pass the herdsman's lowing herds,
Shall pass the herdsman's lowing herds,
And from man's memory fade away
Both herdsman's shout and poet's lay.
Both herdsman's shout and poet's lay.
| The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") | |