Verses and Rhymes By the Way Part 20

And when he closed his eyes and fell asleep, Loosening his baby grasp away from mine, Turning from me that had no power to keep, The glory of a placidness divine Beamed on his face, I took it for a sign, And bowed my head to say, Thy will is mine.

I weep for him in silence of the night, I see him where the holy angels are, His radiant eyes have lost their mournful light And beam with happy glory like a star, I weep with mournful joy to think that, where The Master is, my little babe is there.

GONE

Mournfully, mournfully All around me are crying, For my dark-eyed baby boy Is dying, dying

Tenderly, tenderly To him I am clinging, But he slips from my fond arms, Death bells are ringing

Joyfully, joyfully Angels are receiving My babe--by the empty cot I must sit grieving.

WHAT WENT YE OUT FOR TO SEE?

On Jordan's banks gathered an eager crowd, The Royal city poured its dwellers out; The vintage was untouched in Ephraim; No fisher's boat from Magdala put out.

Up from Engedi's fountain, down the slope Of terraced Olivet, an eager throng, Filled with one purpose, one absorbing hope, Unto the Jordan take their way along.

The priestly robe, the saintly Pharisee, The publican, the sinner, all were there, The doubting, sneering, questioning Sadducee, Just risen from his seat, the scorner's chair.

All carried there the consciousness of sin; A wish for some one having power to save; Ready to do some great thing peace to win; So came they to the ford by Jordan's wave.

What did they see? not one in purple vest, Who lives deliciously, abides by choice In palaces, and he in hair doth drest, And leathern girdled is--Is what? a voice.

In poor array, the greatest prophet stood Beside the waters where the banks are green.

"Art thou the looked-for one? Will Jordan's flood Touched by thy hand have power to make us clean?"

"The Jordan will not wash your guilt and shame; Sin must be washed away in sinless blood."

And looking upon Jesus as he came, He said to them, "Behold the Lamb of G.o.d."

THE IROQUOIS SIDE OF THE STORY.

I, an Iroquois brave, Speak from my forest grave, Where by Utawa's wave I sleep in glory.

Listen, pale faces, then, Let years roll back again, While of Iroquois men I tell the story,

We were the foremost race, That roamed the forest s.p.a.ce; None stood before our face, Rousing our fierce wrath; By Stadacona's steep, Where Santee's waters sleep, Prairie broad, valley deep, Have been our war path.

Eries by inland seas, Mountain bred Cherokees, Of us, Hodenosaunees, With fear grew frantic; Feared us who made their home, Under the pinetrees lone, Where the winds lash to foam, The wild Atlantic.

Tribute from east and west, Of what we loved the best, Wampum belt, necklace drest Gladly they grant us.

White men can wisely tell, How we fought, how we fell; None could our glory quell, No tribe could daunt us.

Eagles for swiftness we, Panthers for subtlety, Wise when in counsel free, We took our stations.

Where was the tribe so brave, Whose war craft could them save From being conquered, slave Of the Six Nations!

Wah! we all heard the news, Of the winged war canoes, Swift as the wild sea mews, Objects of wonder; Spreading their white wings wide, Breasting the mighty tide, Black lips from out their side, Spoke lofty thunder.

Upward their way they steer, Swifter than swimming deer, Furled they their white wings near Green Hochelaga.

We heard their name and fame, Sweeping like forest flame, To our great lodge it came, In fair Onondaga.

Shy on their native strand, The mild Algonquins stand And gave the heart's right hand To the white stranger.

With speech and gesture fair, Gave a free welcome there, Proud they to spare and share, Fearing no danger.

Pale face and red man met, Smoked they the Calumet, And the peace feast was set For the pale faces; All of sweet wild wood cheer, Fish from the river clear.

Haunch of the antlered deer, Feast the two races.

If peace and trust were slain, Whose the loss? Whose the blame?

Let the white scribes explain, Our foes be our judges.

They sat down as conquerors, Took the land, took the furs, Let the braves starve like curs Outside their lodges.

Vanished the hunter strong, Stilled was the husking song; No corn fields stretched along In green Hochelaga.

Like to the forest flame, Devouring the white man came; Soon spread their evil fame To far Onondaga.

Should we be pale face prey, Fade like the mist away?

Fiercely we turned to bay Not like the others.

The mild Algonquin race, Melted before their face, Leaving a roomy place For their white brothers.

But we from sea to lake Had made the wide earth shake, And braves like women quake As they were drunken.

We give our hunting grounds!

Give up our burial mounds!

Whimper like beaten hounds Like the Algonquin!

We of the forest free, Born into liberty, We, lords of all we see In our own valleys.

Their chief across the waves, Asked for Iroquois braves, To be the chained slaves, Of his war galleys?

Should we the mighty, then, We, the Iroquois men, Smoke the peace pipe with them With these marauders!

No! we, the feared in strife, Hunted the precious life, With the red scalping knife, Through all our borders.

If the fierce war-whoop rung, In the Iroquois tongue, And the red warriors sprung On the pale faces; Let, then, the guilt accursed, Fall heaviest and worst, On who raised the hatchet first Of the two races.

In the sweet moon of leaves, When birds the soft nest weaves, And the free water heaves Beneath the blue heavens.

Upwards the white braves go, Vowed to meet us foe to foe, Landed at the wild Long Sault, In the calm spring even.

Danlac, their biggest brave, Gathered a band to save, The rest from a b.l.o.o.d.y grave, From our revenges.

Not for their own land they Fought as they did that day; But to take ours away And to have vengeance.

We vowed, in warrior pride, To rise, a rus.h.i.+ng tide, And sweep the country wide, With a death riddance.

To burn their palisades, And to the forest glades, In change for Indian maids, Bear their white maidens.