Poet's Corner.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 246, 18 January 1878, Page 3

Poet's Corner.

BROTHER JONATHAN'S LAMENT FOR HTSTJCR CAUOLfXi:.

BY OLIVER WKXDKLL HOLMEfci.

i-i' 1 TMVbsautifnl poem was wriiten upou the annonj icemen I of the -passawe~of~tlro""" Ordinance of Secession," on' the, '2tyh' December. 1860, by ,the Convention of South Carolina, the first' State which "attempted to secede. ,

1 - ' ' S^fE ihas-gone, — she ha* left Uh in passion arid pride— ' Our. 'stor^y-browed sister, so long at our side ! r ' SJieMitf^ torn, her! own Mnvfrow fur firmnminL'p ; r lovr, :: tt } ' ''And" turncVl on her lifulTirr the J.i.-o'uPu I'ne ! f± v->'. % >Wu . ( , ,- • , Mlll l. !«n 'OiCarolkre, Caroline, child of the mhi. X'iW We "can never- forget that our hearts have been oiiiy-j-£n i 'Out forehoads^bqth'^irinklejl, in Liberty's name, ■ " From thcifotmtnm pT'b]pod'wilh the finger of Imio ! You were always too ready to fire.at a touch :. But} we said, ll She is hasty. — she docs not mean much."' i > Wehave scowled. when you uttered some turbulent threat ; But friendship still whispered, ," Forgive aud forget ! '' „, Has our love all died out ?"" Have 'rfs altars grown cold ? '~ " , Jfas the eur*e come at last which the fathers foretold ? ' ' ' Then Nature must teach ns the strcngtlrotrthc cjiain That her petulant children woulrt'sevetiu vain. • ' ' They may fight till the buzzards arc gorged with their spoil. Till the harvest grows black' as it rots in the soil. Till the wolves and the catamounts troop from their caves, And the shark tracks the pirate, the lord of the waves : In vain is the strife ! When its fury is past. Their fortunes must flow in one channel at lasi. As the torrents that rush from the mountains of snow Rolled mingled in peace through the valleys below. Our Union is river, lake, ocean, and sky : Man breaks not the medal, when (iod cuts the die ! Though darkened with sulphur, though cloven with steel, The blue arch will brighten, the waters will heal ! O Caroline, Caroline, child of the sun, There are battles with fate that can never bo won ! The star-flowering banner must navcr be furled, For its blossoms of light are the hope of the world ! Go, then, our rash sister ! afar and aloof, — Run wild in the sunshine, away from our roof : But when your heart aches and your feet have grown sore. Remember the pathway that leads to our door !