The Messenger, Vol. 16, No. 1

Page 1

VOL. XVI.

NO. 1.

OCTOB~R, 1889. · EDITORS:

A. s. H. BRISTOW, Mn Sigma Rho, { R. L. MOTLEY, w. B. LOVING.

· { W. B. McGARI+Y, Philologian, 0. T. TAYLOR,

R. M.

PENICK.

Bnsiness Manager- W. Ow~N CARVER. Assistant Business Manager- vV.E. FARRAR. "TIIe

Legend

To

oC lite MADGE.

I sat, one day, 'neath a poplar tree, Th~t had lifted · its head so high, For :i;norethan a hundred and fifty years Towards the clouds and the clear, blue sky.

But the maiden's father was chief of a tribe, And many had sought her hand; For a maiden more winsome and fair than ehe, Dwelt not in all the land.

So stately and strong, the last of its race, 'Twas the tallest tree in the grove; Deep were the wrinkles of age on its bark, And ·gnarled were the braI1ches above.

.A'nd he liked not the lorer the maiden had chose, So he said that they shonld not wed, And swore, if her lover left not the camp, Ere the sunrise he should be dead.

I sat on the roots at its foot, Madge, and dreamt Of your curls, and your dark, lovt\lit eyes; And I whispered and told the old tree of my love, And the wind-tossed leaves echoed my sighs.And a voice from the tree called my name and did say, "0 youth, I've a story tp tell! Thou art happy and young and tme is thy love; Bnt others h1J,veloved just as well. Long years ago, ere the pale face came From his home far across the deep sea, When the red man hunted and fished at his will Over every wild valley and lea, ' '

Poplar,"

An Indian maiden came here and stood, With her ~er, beneath my boughs ; And here, as th .; summer snn went down, They lovingly 'i>Jedged their vows.

\,

]

So, sad at heart, they parted; but oft, As the sun o'er the hills did bend, They secretly met 'neath my boughs and did vow, That each would be true till the end . But a rival found out and bore word to the chief, And his anger was great, as he so.ught The place where they met, and an arrow he held, Fitted close to his bow-string taut. Wildly I shook my boughs over their beads, BL1tthey heard not my vain alarms; And the chieftain strode on and disco\·ered the pair, Fast clasped in each other's arms. Then quickly the bow was bent and the shaft Aimed straight at her lover's -breast,


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