 | Poems |  |
THE WISCONSIN MOON.
'T was in a wild and far-off land,
Where Nature's savage realms expand,
Arrayed by her primeval hand
In ancient dress,
Decking in robes sublimely grand
The wilderness;
Where Nature's savage realms expand,
Arrayed by her primeval hand
In ancient dress,
Decking in robes sublimely grand
The wilderness;
Beyond the bouuds of our frontier,
Where Indian tribes pursue the deer,
And light the council-fire in fear
Of whiteman's face,
Who prowls for them and plunder near—
Black-hearted, base!
Where Indian tribes pursue the deer,
And light the council-fire in fear
Of whiteman's face,
Who prowls for them and plunder near—
Black-hearted, base!
It was a chill December night;
The ice had shut the streamlets tight,
And o'er the earth a mantle white
Of snow was spread;
And Nature seemed all lifeless quite—
So drear and dead!
The ice had shut the streamlets tight,
And o'er the earth a mantle white
Of snow was spread;
And Nature seemed all lifeless quite—
So drear and dead!
By fickle, adverse fortune led,
Half-clad, half-frozen, illy fed,
I sought my cold and cheerless bed,
But not to rest;
For gentle sleep my eyelids fled—
A stranger guest.
Half-clad, half-frozen, illy fed,
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But not to rest;
For gentle sleep my eyelids fled—
A stranger guest.
Beneath an open roof I lay;
And thro' the chinky wall of clay
I heard old Boreas whistling play
The whole night long,
Without the power to bid him stay
His mournful song.
And thro' the chinky wall of clay
I heard old Boreas whistling play
The whole night long,
Without the power to bid him stay
His mournful song.
I turned my restless, wakeful eye
And saw the full moon sailing high,
Slow thro' the midnight frosty sky,
When in my mind
Sad thoughts arose, and pensively
I thus repined:
And saw the full moon sailing high,
Slow thro' the midnight frosty sky,
When in my mind
Sad thoughts arose, and pensively
I thus repined:
Thou cheerful orb of silver light
That shines upon this cheerless night,
What space reflects thy blaze!
What dif'rent forms of mankind, too,
Inhabit planet earth below
Thy penetrating rays!
Thou shinest on the rich and poor;
And on my distant home;
Thy light is on the cottage door,
And on the gilded dome.
That shines upon this cheerless night,
What space reflects thy blaze!
What dif'rent forms of mankind, too,
Inhabit planet earth below
Thy penetrating rays!
Thou shinest on the rich and poor;
And on my distant home;
Thy light is on the cottage door,
And on the gilded dome.
Yea, wealthy ones beneath thee roll
In every comfort which the soul
Can ask to gather here;
Of their abundance well might spare
A portion for the poor to share,
Their meagre lot to cheer.
But ah, the selfish creature man!
Tho' filled with plenty now,
He strives and labors while he can
To make it overflow.
In every comfort which the soul
Can ask to gather here;
Of their abundance well might spare
A portion for the poor to share,
Their meagre lot to cheer.
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Tho' filled with plenty now,
He strives and labors while he can
To make it overflow.
Thou seeest the lowly cottage roof
Where avarice may find reproof;
Its inmates lack for show;
And yet with sweet contentment blest
Perhaps this hour they calmly rest
Without a cause for wo.
What tho' they never can afford
The luxuries of wealth—
Contentment crowns their humble board,
And heaven gives them health.
Where avarice may find reproof;
Its inmates lack for show;
And yet with sweet contentment blest
Perhaps this hour they calmly rest
Without a cause for wo.
What tho' they never can afford
The luxuries of wealth—
Contentment crowns their humble board,
And heaven gives them health.
My distant happy home—ah, me!
On fairer earthly home than thee
That planet never shone;
While I, an outcast from the pale
Of social ties and friendship hale,
Must wander here alone!
Deprived of comforts once I knew,
How can I but repine,
When I reflect that but a few
Feel wo akin to mine!
On fairer earthly home than thee
That planet never shone;
While I, an outcast from the pale
Of social ties and friendship hale,
Must wander here alone!
Deprived of comforts once I knew,
How can I but repine,
When I reflect that but a few
Feel wo akin to mine!
I paused to muse upon my grief,
Scarce hoping to obtain relief,
But deemed myself the very chief
Of all forlorn;
While Time, the busy, silent thief,
Crept towards morn.
Scarce hoping to obtain relief,
But deemed myself the very chief
Of all forlorn;
While Time, the busy, silent thief,
Crept towards morn.
The waning moon went coursing on
To leave me soon in dark alone;
When Boreas in a plaintive tone
Spoke thro' the wall;
I listened in the solemn moan
An answering call:
To leave me soon in dark alone;
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Spoke thro' the wall;
I listened in the solemn moan
An answering call:
“Compare thy case, sad tho' it be,
To other forms of misery;
See the poor beggar shivering lie
As stretched beside the way to die.
He has not e'en thy humble bed
Whereon to rest his aching head;
Spurned from in hospitable door,
Lean, hungered famine gnaws him sore!
To other forms of misery;
See the poor beggar shivering lie
As stretched beside the way to die.
He has not e'en thy humble bed
Whereon to rest his aching head;
Spurned from in hospitable door,
Lean, hungered famine gnaws him sore!
“List the lone seaman's drowning cry
Beneath the frowning wintry sky;
See the wild waves above him roll,
Freezing to ice his very soul!
Think how with joy his feet would tread
The flooring of thy humble shed.
Beneath the frowning wintry sky;
See the wild waves above him roll,
Freezing to ice his very soul!
Think how with joy his feet would tread
The flooring of thy humble shed.
“Think of the prisoner's wretched doom,
Pining within a dungeon's gloom;
What groans bespeak his inward pains!
How doleful sound his clanking chains!
Perhaps he counts the winged flight
Of hours that measure out the night,
And knows that death awaits his prey,
Whene'er the sun shall bring the day.
Pining within a dungeon's gloom;
What groans bespeak his inward pains!
How doleful sound his clanking chains!
Perhaps he counts the winged flight
Of hours that measure out the night,
And knows that death awaits his prey,
Whene'er the sun shall bring the day.
“Think of the bondman's hopeless wo!
Can you his life of sorrows know?
Canst feel his galling fetters weigh
Upon thy limbs so heavily?
Art thou compelled to breathe his sigh
In vain for blessed liberty?
Can you his life of sorrows know?
Canst feel his galling fetters weigh
Upon thy limbs so heavily?
Art thou compelled to breathe his sigh
In vain for blessed liberty?
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“Hearest thou the maniac shrieking wild,
From reason, hope, and home exiled;
Who to the chilling nightly air
Mutters the incoherent prayer?
From reason, hope, and home exiled;
Who to the chilling nightly air
Mutters the incoherent prayer?
“Dost mind the countless pallid train
This night are racked on beds of pain?
Where sickness trims the feeble light
That glimmers thro' the weary night?
Compare their hapless lot with thine,
And no more in dejection pine.”
This night are racked on beds of pain?
Where sickness trims the feeble light
That glimmers thro' the weary night?
Compare their hapless lot with thine,
And no more in dejection pine.”
I heard, and felt reproof—resolved
All sad complaint to rest;
My heart in thankfulness dissolved
That I so much was blest.
All sad complaint to rest;
My heart in thankfulness dissolved
That I so much was blest.
And then the same instructive strain
Sung me a lullaby;
And when from sleep awaked again,
The sun was in the sky.
Sung me a lullaby;
And when from sleep awaked again,
The sun was in the sky.
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