"He read of the bold lives they led, "And how the Indians, quaintly gay, Came down in wampum-belt and feather, To welcome them with courteous grace; How they and the free forest race Hunted and dwelt together. "And how they and their chosen mates Led lives so sweet and primitive: Oh! in such land, with one dear heart, What joy it were to live! "So thought he, and such life it were As suited well his turn of mind; "Four needy brothers, coarse and dull; "At twenty he had ta'en a mate, The forest-life to share. "She left an old white-headed sire; A mother loving, thoughtful, good; Out of their need, for many a want Else unforeseen; their daughter's dower In gifts of love, not scant. "His father with cold scorn received So dowered a daughter, without name; Nor could his purposed exile win Either assent or blame. "All was a chill of indifference; And from his father's gate he went, "And in the western world they dwelt; "All that his youth had dreamed he found In that life's freshness; peril strange; Adventure; freedom; sylvan wealth; And ceaseless, blameless change. "And there he, and his heart's true mate, Essay'd and found how sweet to live, 'Mid Nature's store, with health and love, That life so primitive! "But that sweet life came to an end.— As falls the golden-eared corn Before the sickle, earthly bliss In human hearts is shorn. Sickness-bereavement-widowhood Oh, these three awful words embrace A weight of mortal woe that fell Upon our sylvan dwelling-place! "It matters not to tell of pangs, Of the heart-broken, the bereft ; I will pass over death and tears, I will pass on to other years, When only two were left! "I and a sister; long had passed The anguish of that time, and we Were living in a home of love, Though in a stranger's family. "Still in the wilderness we dwelt, And were grown up towards womanhood; When our sweet life of peace was stirred By tales of civil feud. 64 By rumours of approaching war, Of battle done, of armed bands; Of horrid deeds of blood and fire, Achieved by Indian hands. "We heard it first with disbelief; And long time after, when had spread Wild war throughout the land, we dwelt All unassailed by dread. "For they with whom our lot was cast, Were people of that Christian creed Who will not fight, but trust in God For help in time of need. "The forest round was like a camp, "Through the green forest rose the smoke Of places burn'd the night before; And from their victims, the red scalp The excited Indian tore. "This was around us, yet we dwelt In peace upon the forest bound; Without defence, without annoy, The Indian camp'd all round. "The door was never barr'd by night, The door was never closed by day; And there the Indians came and went, As they had done alway. "The native Indian from his woods- "But he, to whom I pled, preferr'd Sweet pleading of another sort; "The Indian passed us in the wood, "At length the crisis of the war Ambush'd like tigers 'mid the trees: You know what death severe and dread The Indian to his foe decrees. "A death of torture and of fireProtracted death; I knew too well, Outraged and anger'd, as of late Had been the Indian spirit, fell Would be their vengeance, and, to him, Their hate implacable. "When first to me his fate was told, I stood amazed, confounded, dumb; Then wildly wept and wrung my hands, By anguish overcome. "Wait, wait!' the peaceful people said; 'Be still and wait, the Lord is good!' But when they bade me trust and wait, I went forth in my anguish great, To hide me in the wood. "I had no fear; the Indian race To me were as my early kin: "With me my fair, young sister went, Long journeying on through wood and swamp: Three long days' travel, ere we came To the great Indian camp. "We saw the Indians as we went, Hid 'mong the grass with tiger ken; The daughters of the peaceful men. "I turned me from that scene of war, 209 "Long looked she on the pictured face, Which from my neck I took and gave; And the great chief is in his grave! "Yet for the father Onas' sake→→ For their sakes who no blood have shed; We will not by his sons be blamed For taking life which they have claimed ;The red man can avenge his dead!' "So saying, with her broken heart She went forth to the council-stone; And when the captive was brought out, 'Mid savage war-cry, taunt and shout, She stepp'd into the fierce array, As the bereaved Indian may, And claim'd the victim for her own. "He was restored. What need of more With our good, peaceful friends abode. "But we, two plighted hearts, were wed; "But never more let it be said, The red man is of nature base; Nor let the crimes that have been taught, Be by the crafty teachers brought As blame against the Indian race!" 44 Back through the past my soul is urged; Back through each guilty stain; And every thought, and word, and deed, Unperished lives again! "For, as a leaf before the storm Is bowed and borne away, Though every word condemn my soul, "I see a white, low village-home; And a little child kneels at her knee, "It is the first-born of her love- 44 Mother, dear mother! by thy love, Thy sorrowings, and thy truth, Plead for me in my hour of need! Think on my sinless youth! Ah, no! thou canst not plead for me! Hath parted us, and death hath oped "I made thy nights a weary watch; "I was the eldest of our house; Beside me there were three; Doth cleave like leprosy! "I stood as in a father's place, As the sun before their sight, Beloved of all; and in their eyes Whate'er I did was right. "Alas! my heart was a cursed thing! I lured them on to sin, I lured them to a dark abyss, And plunged them headlong in! "Bodies and souls I ruined them; Yet in men's sight I kept My name unstained-on their's alone "They were my tools, and subtly "No, no! for me thou canst not plead ! "The first, he died a dreadful death, Of lingering, horrid pain; I saw him as a stealthy spy- "Therefore I gave him to a power More fell than death, and he Was racked for crime he had not wrought;And so died cruelly. "The second had a feebler soul; A gentle, timid thing; A child in spirit, to whose heart, "T was vain I crushed him, scorned him, spurn'd; His was a truth unchanged: Fallen as he was, his steadfast love 66 Kept with me unestranged! And, in my after misery, When evil days came down, He saved me; and my coward life "The third, a spirit like to mine; The nearest to my heart; "He sate with me at the board last night, And judgment will be thine! I sold them to work wickedness, Were mine; a soft and winning speech, "All, all were passion's vilest slaves;All ministered to crime; And now a dark eternity Doth make account with time. "I had a power, an awful power Over men's minds; I wove, Base as I was, around all hearts A chain, half fear, half love. "They were as clay; I moulded them With the light words of my tongue; Old men and wise alike obeyed: And thence ambition sprung. "The sin of angels was my sin; And, bold as was my thought, Men, weak and willing instruments, They gave me what I sought! On weak humanity. "Rapine and outrage, and despair, Over the land spread wide; And what was wrung from poverty My luxury supplied. "The little that the poor man had, In vain he guarded well; Mine eye was as the basilisk's, That withered where it fell. "My sceptre was an iron rod! The suffering people's groan, Like sullen thunders heard afar, Was echoed to the throne: "To me it was a mockery! I scoffed at wise men's lore; And to the madness of my power I gave myself still more. "Of seven dark and deadly sins, Like plague-spots on the past Of seven dark and deadly sins, I must recount the last : "There was a maid -a fair young thingHigh-born, and undefiled By thought of sin; so meek, so wise; "In the beauty of her innocence, "With subtle mockery of good, "This was the triumph of my art; "Vain was her passionate despair, My callous heart to wring; I left her to her misery — A lorn, heart-broken thing! "I took of her no further thought— My life was in its prime; And in a wild carouse I lived "And I and my companions saw, Amid our shameless mirth, Rushed through my drunken brain; "The dead! yes, on the dead I looked! Oh! sight of woe to me! The one I drew as down from heaven, And cast to infamy! "Not in her beauty was she laid, As for the high-born meet; The coarsest garb of poverty Was her poor winding-sheet! "The drunken frenzy of my brain Was gone- and through my soul A wild, remorseful agony, Like a fierce weapon stole! "From that night, life became a pang: "The gnawing sense of evil done, "I plunged into yet madder guilt, I matched my strength against remorse, "Vain, vain! through war, through civil strife; I loathed the sight of human eye, "It grew a cruel moodiness; "Thus I was hated, feared, and shunned; And hatred filled my mind For all my race; and long I lived In warfare with mankind. "The cup I drained was a poisoned cup – "T was red wine at the brim; I took it from my brother's hand I had no fear of him! |