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Show MOUNTAIN LILY. A LOCAL POEM. WRITTEN FOR TIIK SALT LAKE HERALD IN tlio valley of Uintah, In tbo lofty liocky Mountains, Where tho prairie and the forest Echo to tho feathery wurblore, And tho sparkling Bnow-fed stroamlet Dances to its silvery music Aa it foams and skips and tumbles O'or the boulder in tho basin, Bubbling in its stony chasm WhoncB Lho crystal spray is flashing Moots tho sunbnuins on the margin Of ft miniature Niag'ra, On tho summit of & caecade, Whoro tho colored bow of Iris Forms a crescent o'or the entrance To a grotto in the hilleido, lly the home of Mountain Lily. Here onco dwelt an Indian maiden: Lived alone, within this cavern, While the ever splashing waters, Falling, dropping on tho pebbles, Sang ber dazzling eyes to sleeping, Whispered to her inttae morning, Alwayf talking, over dropping; Was suo flopping or just waking Did tbif silver stream address her. Milod away in yonder woodland, By tho ever-flowing river, Kunning through the rich Uintah, Camped tho tribo of tbo Pah-Utes. Mountain Lily was the daughter, Offspring of tho mighty hunter Of the noble pale faced hunter Who had come trom distant country To pursue tho elk and big horn "When tho daughter of the chieftain Of tho mighty hunter, Black Hawk, "Won his heart by her caresses; In tho valley of Uintah She enticed him to her wigwam Fairest daughter of the Pah-Utes. In the tribo he was adopted, Son of noted Black Hawk was he ; He had wed the gentle Lulu, Dwelt he in her shaded wigwam. Many moons had come and faded : One big snow had passed, and springtime spring-time . Came with grass and leaves and flowers, Came with antelope and bison, With returning hunting season, When he left his soft eyed Lulu, Joined the warrior hunting party. Up and down the mountain gorges Toiled the hunter till the evening, Searching for the mountain grizzly, Pushing on until exhausted, When by crackling in the busho3 He espies a monster grizzly Coming from his place of sleeping; Now his jaws are wide extending And his eyeballs shine with anger A t the sight of tho white hunter. Both the grizzly and the pale face Brace themselves for coming conflict; Stands the bear erect for fighting, , "When the hunter points his weapon, Firing at the monster's vitals; But fatigued and much exhausted, Weak his arm and nerve unsteady, Only stuns but does not kill him. "With a growl most agonizing, Springs with open mouti upon him, Bruin graspB him in his fore-paws; To the earth they fall together. Rolling down the sloping hillside, To the precipice approaching, Struggling for each other'8 life, Thinking nothing of tho danger They are rapidly approaching, When the hunter, like a giant, In his right band grasps his bowie, "Witn a plunge he sends it downward Through the flesh in bruin's vital?, But his horny claws contracting With expiring effort graping, Holds the hunter's form against him, Rolling o'er the lofty ledges, Headlong through tho air now plunging O'er the rocks into the chasm; Bruised and torn and dashed to piaco3, Was tho hunter of the mountains. Wailing, weeping and lamenting, Through the tribe of the Pah-Utes; .None wept like the Black Hawk's daughter, For she lovod the noble white man; She would gladly die to save him ; Hp, tho father of her papoose, Of hor lit'.lo dark-eyed baby. Nvf- more will Indian Lulu Wflcomo home her pale face lover. To her wigwam in the forest She will take her little dnughter And her skins of bear and bison, With tho peltries of the white man She will live within tho presence Of the spirit of her hunter, On tho rocks above the cascade, In the grotto o'er tho chasm. Here, heart-broken, Lulurestad; Here the little Mountain Lily Was protected, fed and nurtured By her widowed Indian mother, Till as tail as mouth of cavern, Straight as pino tree in the ferest, Nimble as tho Kooky lion, Grew the form of Mountain Lily. Chiefs of many tribes did woo bar, AVii.-h:ikie, thobmvo Shoshone, Arapoi.'n,lbo groat Poll-Utah, Ciuue to win this fair-eyed mnidon, ' Brought her tender kid to live on, " Prairie chicken and choico venison, Beads and rings and looking-glasses, Fawn pki'i worked with quills to robo , her. . ' Still this lonely Indian maidon Gave her heart to no young chieftain. White blood in her veins was coursiDg; She could love no Indian hunter. Long hT nut liar had been sleeping, 'Neath tho shadow of a white pino, . Growing on the verdant summit ( If ilio rolling hill beforo her. There the great white hunter rested Side by side with Black Hawk's daughter. Mountain Lily thought of Lulu A d lli mouvifiil tale she told her O 'the love r In ! bore, tho palo face, Till tho heart of her young daughter Was impressed with adoration For tho great white man, her father. Then she prayed to tho Great Spirit, While she knei'l.-l at mouth of grotto, For ft hunter from the white m9 To come o'er the lolly mountain, Dwell with her in stony wigwam, Here above the spla-limg water, In tho cavern of her n olVr. While her prayer wa going upward, Dark clouds, charged with rain and thunder, thun-der, , 1 Rolled above the mighty rive-, Courjing through the green Uintah, Till tho heavens spread with darkiis. Thunder clouds now roared and rattled, . . . a'. . Streaks of light on high are (laming, From tho clouds tho rain ispouriiitf. In one constant torrent streaming. la the entrance of the Cavern, Seated on the tkins of heaver, Mountain Lily, lost in wonder, Worshipped at this war of nature, Till tho earth was hid in darkness, Lighted only by the flashes Of tho lightning from the heavens. Hark! sh1) hears a cry oftorror, Then as if a body rolling O'er tho jagged rueka, waa falling, Then a plunge into tho streamlet Now increased to mountain torrent Then a cry of mortal anguish. Flying o'er the ruggod pathway, Down tho staop clifl to tho water, Whoro above tho roar nr.d lashing, Lily henrs a distant moaning; Guided by a flaming fireball, She espies a youthful hunter, Bleeding on tho sands, exhausted ; Broken limbs arelimp-nnd helpless, And his life was near departed When tho Lily of tho Mountain Reached the llgure of tho hunter. With thought only for his safety , Indian maiden did not not scream, Or, like white girl, fainting, falling On tho bosom of the hunter; But, the maiden raised him lightly, Bore him up the sloping hillside To tho cavern o'er tho cascade, Laid him on her bed of peltries, Skins of grizzly, boar and bison, Of the antelope and beaver; Then with furs of the coyoto Covered she his mangled ligure; Placed his head upon her pillow, Soft and silky from tho snow-bird-Still the elements wero raging, Wild winds whistled in the crevice, Lightnings Hashed and thunders bellowed, Foamed and frothed tho mountain rivulet, Jumping, tumbling o'er the boulders To the boiling, seething chasm. Mountain Lily never sleeping, From the wild herbs in tho cabin Forms a subtle Indian lotion. To the Hps of the young hunter She applies the warm deepction, When her labors are rewarded With the signs of life returning. Now a moan escapes his bosom And his eyelids slowly open, Vacantly his wandering vision Through tho mellow light proceeding From the lamp of Indian maiden, Made from skull-bone of coyoto, Filled with oil from mountain grizzly, Views the objects in the grotto. When his blue eyes peering upward. Light upou the agile figure On tho face of Mountain Lily, Whose dark eyes and silken lashes, Droop before the wounded hunter. Cowers sho before the pale face Only for a moment, shrinking. Then by helping hand most gentle She attempts to raise the hunter With the jeweled arm around him Raise him to a sitting posture. But the hunter's limb is broken, And his frame is sore with bruises, Till tho pain is agonizing. Whon the tender-hearted maiden Sees the hunter in groat anguish, Sho with action soft and gontla To his bed of skins restores him. Then together they contrive it To restore the limb to soundnoss j And to heal the dreadful bruises. From the sego of tho valley, Growing here in much profusion, Lily feeds the wounded stranger, Nurses "him with pure dovotion. Daily goes the Indian maiden To the forest in the valley, Where tho ruffled grouse and pheasant Live and rear their dainty broods. With an eagle eye and cunning With tho mighty Black Hawk's vision Death is carriod with her arrow. Laden with the choicest pieces Of the game that she has slaughtered Mountain Lily comes at evening With such food for tho young hunter As the very gods might envy. Daintily the food preparing For the blue-eyed hunter's suppor. With a modesty most winning Sho now bathos with cooling lotion Every bruise and place of aching, " And the broken limb redressing, Till great teiirs of joy are springing From tho oyes of the young white man. In his hand h takes her fingers Tiny hand of Indian maiden PrflPHna on it trrateful kkfifs. When bis tears like diamonds Bhining Drop upon her taper lingers. Her warm bosom clothed with fawn skin, Throbs and springs with groat omotion. Lily feels that tho GroatSpiiit Hoard her earnest prayer from childhood; child-hood; le had sent hor the white hunter 'cut him for the Indian maiden. With the wiles of her warm nature, Sue nnw sought to make him happy; Dark and silkoa hanging downward, O'er his forehead fell her tresses, Like a veil of finest texture, Drying up his grateful tear marks. Mountain Lily's heart grew fonder, Sho now lovod tho bluo-oyed hunter With a passion strong as Venus Cherished for tho fuiT Adonis. To bo near him to protect him, Feed him on tho mountain borries, To console him with her prosonce Was the joy of Mountain Lily. Thus together they wero passing ... -Days of pleasuro in the grotto. On the stones at cavern's onlranco When doclining sun was shining, She would place a shaggy boar skin Then supporting on hor shouldar Sho would bring tho pale face hunter; Here they sat while he would teach her Names of trees, of hills and water, All they saw is lengthened vision. Gentle Lulu, sleeping yondor, Often taught her little daughtor Language of the mighty hunter, Did tho warrior Black Hawk's daughter. daugh-ter. Dark-rynd Lily on the boar-akin Sat onchantod by tho music Flowing from tho lips of white man Wh'i addressed her in his language. ' She displayed tho love sho bore him, I Seeming happy only whon ho Smiled upon the Mountain Lily. Lontrthoned shadows from tho mountains moun-tains Fell like mantles o'er tho prairio, Shutting out the golden daylight, While the soft winds of tho evening Fanned the orow of youth and maidon ; An thoy restod on the hillside, ' At the entrance to tbo grotto. Indiau maidi n was doligil ed, At tho uvigic touch of wbiU iniit, Who within bis arms ombracing Moulded form of Mountain Lily. . Wt.iln the stars were poeping downward, Twinkling tu in approbalior , t Pale face clasped her to hi bosom, J Lovely form of youth and beauty i Dnughter of the mighty hunter Who had come across tho mountains, And the soft-oyed, gentle Lulu. Uor long hair was o'er him falling Her soft cheek his lips wore feeding, In tho twilight of tho springtime, When tho prairie- shone with blossoms: Then as darkness cui-laiuod o'er them, And tho mountain wind grew colder, They would w.-dk into thu slieiler Of tho grotto o'or the cascade. Sparkling waters gently falling, Sang their melting eyes to sleeping. As upon tho couch toge'.her Covered by tho robe of bison, Yellow locks of tho young hunter Mingling with tho dark-haired iu aidenV On the pillow from tho snow-bird Slept she sweetly on his strong arm- l ime restored to health and vigor The young hunter; strong and manly Nourished in the tent of maidon, Of tho dark-eyed Mountain Lily. Days together in tho forest, Indian girl and pale-face lover Hunted for their food and pleasure. Lily cvory day grew fonder. Oft tho white man found her sighing, Toars would linger in her eye-lids When tho hunter spoke of going To tho land whence he had cone. But with words of love and oouriige-He oouriige-He assured tho maid Pah-Utah, ' Nover would he prove ungrateful; She should be his dark-eyed maitiirr, He would bo her pale-face hunter. Thus ho spnko to Mountain Lily: "Far away in eastern country, Midst tho throng of pale-faced ma'idans " I havo often intermingled, Ever looking, over seeking For a loving hearted maiden j Who would love me with devotion, Love me with ft heart's a flection; But the sins of my forefathers Have polluted cvr-ry bosom; Naught but dress and wealth and grandeur, gran-deur, Pride ftnd show of sinful fashion, AVill Appease their inmost craving. All the heart's most pure emotions Springing from the Manitau, Are polluted, crushed, and tramp'e l Under foot-prints of corruption. Demon 3 of foul crimes possess them, Lustful passion feeds 'on virtue Scarcely ripened for the shambles. Honesty and pure uprightness Are like fossils from our fathers, Only here and there discovered. Therefore Lily, though thy features Wear a tinge of thy extraction, Yet I know within thy bosom, Swelling with each respiration There is love for me most constant, Therefore to mc doubly precious. In thy heart no guile is lurking. With deceit of pale-face maidens, And the selfish love they cberhh Thy warm bosom is untainted. . Here then, noble Mountain Lily AVill we live and love each other. With remorse. I've wandered west--ward To the mighty Rocky mountains; Left the haunts of busy white men For the great primeval forest; Sad at heart that nowhere virtue Dwelt amongst the pale-face nations. Therefore in the mountain wild-wood, I am come to ever linger, In the valley of Uintah; In the grotto by the cascade With thee, fairest Mountain Lily." Should the stranger of that country O'er the mountain ever wander, ; To the streamlet from the hillside In tho pasture of the Pah-Utes; Where the bison and the big horn Roam the plain in native freedom, Let him view the falling water With the colored bow of Iris, Falling o'or tho magic cavern, . Where the children of Lho pale face And the sleeping Lulu's daughter Play among tho trees ftnd ledges, Gathering blossoms from the seg -', . Plucking blue-bells from the hillside. ! Happy is the dark -eyed mother, As sho views the coming figure Of her husband from the forest, Who upon his shoulders bringing ' Antelope both young and tender; In her fondness runs to meethim i With her papoose on her bosom. In tho cottage of the white man, In the city of thcpftlc-fnco Is no wife more true-devoted Than this dark-eyed Indian maiden To the father of her children. Peace and plenty smile around them,-Happiness them,-Happiness dwells in tho wigwam Where the hunter of the pale-face ; Lives content with Mountain Lily. |