The Project Gutenberg EBook of An Ode, by Madison J. Cawein

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: An Ode

Author: Madison J. Cawein

Release Date: August 25, 2009 [EBook #29795]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN ODE ***

Produced by David Garcia, Stephanie Eason, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Kentuckiana Digital Library.)

_An Ode_

READ AUGUST 15, 1907, AT THE DEDICATION
OF THE MONUMENT ERECTED
AT GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, IN
COMMEMORATION OF THE FOUNDING
OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY
IN THE YEAR SIXTEEN HUNDRED AND
TWENTY-THREE BY MADISON CAWEIN

JOHN P. MORTON & COMPANY, INCORPORATED.
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY MCMVIII

_An Ode_

_In Commemoration of the Founding of the
Massachusetts Bay Colony in the Year 1623._

I.

They who maintained their rights,
Through storm and stress,
And walked in all the ways
That God made known,
Led by no wandering lights,
And by no guess,
Through dark and desolate days
Of trial and moan:
Here let their monument
Rise, like a word
In rock commemorative
Of our Land's youth;
Of ways the Puritan went,
With soul love-spurred
To suffer, die, and live
For faith and truth.
Here they the corner-stone
Of Freedom laid;
Here in their hearts' distress
They lit the lights
Of Liberty alone;
Here, with God's aid,
Conquered the wilderness,
Secured their rights.
Not men, but giants, they,
Who wrought with toil
And sweat of brawn and brain
Their freehold here;
Who, with their blood, each day
Hallowed the soil.
And left it without stain
And without fear.

II.

Yea; here, from men like these,
Our country had its stanch beginning;
Hence sprang she with the ocean breeze
And pine scent in her hair;
Deep in her eyes the winning,
The far-off winning of the unmeasured West;
And in her heart the care,
The young unrest,
Of all that she must dare,
Ere as a mighty Nation she should stand
Towering from sea to