Narrative and Legendary Poems: Mabel Martin, a Harvest Idyl - From Volume I., the Works of Whittier
Whittier, John Greenleaf, 1807-1892
English
We will print you a perfectly bound paperback of your selected title and send it to you at your nominated address
Below is a summary of Narrative and Legendary Poems: Mabel Martin, a Harvest Idyl - From Volume I., the Works of Whittier
This eBook was produced by David Widger [widger@cecomet.net]
NARRATIVE AND LEGENDARY
POEMS
BY
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER
CONTENTS:
MABEL MARTIN: A HARVEST IDYL
PROEM
I. THE RIVER VALLEY
II. THE HUSKING
III. THE WITCH'S DAUGHTER
IV. THE CHAMPION
V. IN THE SHADOW
VI. THE BETROTHAL
THE PROPHECY OF SAMUEL SEWALL
THE RED RIVER VOYAGEUR
THE PREACHER
THE TRUCE OF PISCATAQUA
MY PLAYMATE
COBBLER KEEZAR'S VISION
AMY WENTWORTH
THE COUNTESS
MABEL MARTIN.
A HARVEST IDYL.
Susanna Martin, an aged woman of Amesbury, Mass., was tried and executed
for the alleged crime of witchcraft. Her home was in what is now known
as Pleasant Valley on the Merrimac, a little above the old Ferry way,
where, tradition says, an attempt was made to assassinate Sir Edmund
Andros on his way to Falmouth (afterward Portland) and Pemaquid, which
was frustrated by a warning timely given. Goody Martin was the only
woman hanged on the north side of the Merrimac during the dreadful
delusion. The aged wife of Judge Bradbury who lived on the other side of
the Powow River was imprisoned and would have been put to death but for
the collapse of the hideous persecution.
The substance of the poem which follows was published under the name of
The Witch's Daughter, in The National Era in 1857. In 1875 my publishers
desired to issue it with illustrations, and I then enlarged it and
otherwise altered it to its present form. The principal addition was in
the verses which constitute Part I.
PROEM.
I CALL the old time back: I bring my lay
in tender memory of the summer day
When, where our native river lapsed away,
We dreamed it over, while the thrushes made
Songs of their own, and the great pine-trees laid
On warm noonlights the masses of their shade.
And she was with us, living o'er again
Her life in ours, despite of years and pain,--
The Autumn's brightness after latter rain.
Beautiful in her holy peace as one
Who stands, at evening, when the work is done,
Glorified in the setting of the sun!
Her memory makes our common landscape seem
Fairer than any of which painters dream;
Lights the brown hills and sings in every stream;
For she whose speech was always truth's pure gold
Heard, not unpleased, its simple legends told,
And loved with us the beautiful and old.
I. THE RIVER VALLEY.
Across the level tableland,
A grassy, rarely trodden way,
With thinnest skirt of birchen spray
Back