 | [Poems by Smith in] The Bowdoin poets |  |
25
THE MOTHER
PERISHING IN A SNOW-STORM.
[_]
“In the year 1821, a Mrs. Blake perished in a snow-storm in the night time, while traveling over a spur of the Green Mountains in Vermont. She had an infant with her, which was found alive and well in the morning, being carefully wrapped in the mother's clothing.”
The cold wind swept the mountain's height,
And pathless was the dreary wild,
And 'mid the cheerless hours of night
A mother wandered with her child.
As through the drifting snow she pressed,
The babe was sleeping on her breast.
And pathless was the dreary wild,
And 'mid the cheerless hours of night
A mother wandered with her child.
As through the drifting snow she pressed,
The babe was sleeping on her breast.
26
And colder still the winds did blow,
And darker hours of night came on,
And deeper grew the drifting snow;
Her limbs were chilled her strength was gone.
‘Oh, God!’ she cried, in accents wild,
‘If I must perish, save my child!’
And darker hours of night came on,
And deeper grew the drifting snow;
Her limbs were chilled her strength was gone.
‘Oh, God!’ she cried, in accents wild,
‘If I must perish, save my child!’
She stripped her mantle from her breast,
And bared her bosom to the storm,
And round the child she wrapped the vest,
And smiled to think her babe was warm.
With one cold kiss one tear she shed,
And sunk upon her snowy bed.
And bared her bosom to the storm,
And round the child she wrapped the vest,
And smiled to think her babe was warm.
With one cold kiss one tear she shed,
And sunk upon her snowy bed.
At dawn a traveler passed by,
And saw her 'neath a snowy veil;
The frost of death was in her eye,
Her cheek was cold, and hard, and pale;—
He moved the robe from off the child,
The babe looked up and sweetly smiled!
And saw her 'neath a snowy veil;
The frost of death was in her eye,
Her cheek was cold, and hard, and pale;—
He moved the robe from off the child,
The babe looked up and sweetly smiled!
| [Poems by Smith in] The Bowdoin poets | |