days long gone by, stand mourning by its side, there dawns in my heart
the hope that the half formed purpose now talked of, for making it the
centre of a park for the delight of the two cities between which it
stands, may be perfected, thus saving it from destruction and making
this bright jewel in its setting of green, the very queen of all the
many attractions of this part of our State. Surely no spot in ours or
any other State offers such beauty or so many inducements for such a
purpose, and coming generations will forever bless the men who shall
carry it out, thus preserving our lovely Minnehaha and the charming
surroundings for their own delight and the enjoyment of those who
shall come after them. And we went strawberrying too, children and
mothers and fathers, and young men and maidens, and often now, when
passing through the crowded streets of our great city, I feel that I
am walking over our old strawberry patch. How sweet those berries
were, and how delicious the fish which we caught in the pretty Lakes
Calhoun and Harriet, the one named for the great statesman, the other
for Mrs. Leavenworth. We generally carried our treasures from field
and lake to the "old Government Mill" at the "Big Falls" St. Anthony
and had our feast prepared and set in order by the miller's wife. And
then we had games, not croquet or any of those inventions which were
then in the far future, but "hide and seek;" "blind man's buff;" "hide
the handkerchief;" "hunt the slipper," and such old-fashioned sports
which all enjoyed most heartily, till warned by the lengthening
shadows that it was time to go home, which we generally reached in
time to see the flag lowered to the roll of the sunset drum. Writing
poetry is beyond me, but there was an inspiration in that beautiful
banner, as each day it flung out its stars and stripes over my first
and dearly loved home, which thrills my frame even now, and since the
terrible days when precious blood was poured out so freely to maintain
it in its proud position, it has become indeed a holy thing. May God
protect and bless it, keep it unsullied and speed the day when it
shall float over a nation whose rulers and law-givers shall lay
judgment to the line and righteousness to the plummet, and forever
purge from it everything that in any way dims the brightness or
retards the progress of this beloved "land of the free and home of the
brave."

It must have been difficult to find amusements and recreati