SONG OF THE CROAKER.
[Written for “ Our Daily Fare.”}
BY HORATIO ALG KB, JR.
An old fro" lived in a dismal swamp,
In a dismal kind of way;
Ami all that he did, whatever befell,
Was tu croak the livcloii" day.
Croak, emak, croak,
When darkness filled the air,
Ami croak, croak, croak
When the skies were bright and fair.
“Good Master Frojr, a battle is fouirhf,
And the loeman's power is broke/’
Ihit lie only turned a greener hue,
Ami answered with a croak.
Croak, croak, croak,
When the clouds are dark and dun;
And croak, croak, croak
In the Maze of the noontide sun.
“Good Master Fro", the forces of l\i"ht
Are driving the* hosts of Wrong,"’
But he gives his head an ominous shako
And croaks out “ Sous verrons ! ”
Croak, croak, croak,
Till the heart is full of gloom,
And croak, croak, croak,
Till the world seems hut a tomb.
To poison the cup of life
By always dreading the worst,
Is to make of the earth a dungeon damp
Ami the happiest life accursed.
Croak, croak, cr« ak,
When the noontide sun rides high,
Ami croak, croak, croak,
Lest the night come by ami bye.
Farewell to the dismal frog,
Let him croak as loud as he may,
lie cannot blot the sun from heaveu
Nor hinder the march of day.
Though he croak, croak, croak,
Till the heart is ful! of gloom,
And emak, croak, croak
Till the world seems but a tomb.
Very apropos indeed to this poem, though
different in “treatment” is the following,
translated from Goethe by the Reverend Pro
fessor F. 11. lledoe, who contributes it to Our
Daily Fare:
THE CROAKERS,
[From Gccthc. |
The pond in the meadow was frozen tight,
The frogs beneath, in a doleful plight,
Could no more leap as they had done, —
Their gambols stopped, and all their fuu.
Half numb, they murmured dreamily
What they would do when they were free.
Once clear of winter’s icy yoke,
They promised never more to croak;
No more in concert would they rail,
But each should sing like a nightingale.
The south wind blew, the ice gave way,
The frogs once more could frisk and play.
They stretched their limbs, they leaped ashore,
And they—-croaked as drearily as before.
THE FAIR AT EIGHT.
After the brilliant assemblage of last eve
ning, no person can doubt the success of our
great Fair. The crowd was immense, and
established clearly that few persons were
affected by the senseless rumors set afloat so
industriously by indisposed persons.
Otib IDjvi ly Pare.
HUB 01 SEMI CENTRAL FAIR
The William Penn Parlor and the De
partment of Facts, Fancy, and Gossip.
rnriE temporary closing of our Great Fair,
on Wednesday afternooon, enabled tlie
mechanics to finish up their work, and the
various Committees to perfect their arrange
ments ; and everything having been put in
order, the Fair opened yesterday morning,
with everything in “apple-pie order,” and
with no fear of any further hitch in the
working of the newly-fledged “institution.”
Vesterday morning at the appointed hour
(ten o'clock) the doors were thrown open to
the public, and that, “many-headed,” sensible
noun of multitude took prompt and general
advantage of the opportunity afforded it. to
witness the grandest scene that Philadelphia
ever offered for exhibition cr patronage.
As the Fair is principally of Pennsylvania
growth, we have thought it proper to give an
early description of the
WILLIAM PENS PARLOR.
Winn the idea of getting up a parlor in the
style of the days of the great founder of the
State, and the storing it with relics of William
I’e.nn and his time, was suggested, the carry
ing out of the plan was entrusted to the fol
lowing named ladies and gentlemen, who were
appointed a Committee on the Penn Parlor:
Committee of Men. —Eli K. Price, Chairman;
11. R. Warriner, Secretary; William Garrett,
Treasurer; Edward Hopper, Henry C. Town
send, William Garrett, Henry M. Laing, Jesse
Garrett, Isaac Serrill, William R. Wister, N.
W. ltulon, Charles C. Sellers, 11. Coulton Ha
vis, John Sellers, Alfred 1!. Just is, J. Sidney
Keen, Elliston Perot, J. Dickinson Sargeant,
J. Dickinson Logan, Charles Pickering, Geo.
M. Coates.
Committee of Women. —Miss Ellen M. Price,
Chairman ; Miss Elizabeth S. Garrett, Treasu
rer ; Miss Elizabeth l’ennock, Secretary ; Mrs.
Henry C. Townsend, Mrs. Henry C. Lea, Mrs.
Dr. Hughes, Mrs. Josephine Miller, Mrs. Sam
uel Jones, Miss Anna Matlack, Miss -Martha
Andrews, Mrs. William Janney, Miss M. L.
Taylor, Miss Julia Wiltberger, Miss Alice A.
Pearson, Miss Rebecca Judkins.
The “ Parlor” is located in a structure built
purposely for it, a little to the south of Union
Avenue, near its western extremity. There is
an anti-room where relics of the past, and
photographs of Penn localities and Penn
celebrities, are for sale, and where the visitor
has to run the gauntlet of a party of fair
young saleswomen, who do their best to look
becomingly demure; but whoso bright eyes
will twinkle W'ith fun and mischief, despite the
soberness of their calling as outer sentinels of
the treasured relics of the most illustrious of
Pennsylvania Friends.
Ten cents is the ridiculously insignificant
sum charged for admission to the rich antiqua
rian mine in this department—a collection of
Penn Relics more curious and valuable than
were ever before gathered together.
First, perhaps, in historical value, comes
the belt of wampum which was given to Penn
by the Indian Sachems when the Treaty was
made under the spreading branches of the
great, elm at Khackamuxon, in ltiSJ. This
belt was retained in the possession of the
I’enn family in England until within a few
years, when Mr. John Penn presented it, in
person, to the Historical’ Society of Pennsyl
vania.
Then come two original letters of Penn to
the Indians, before he came across the sea
to visit his magnificent province. One of
these letters is so characteristic that we can
not avoid the temptation of copying it liter
ally. It runs in this wise:
London, lMth Blh mo'th, 1081.
My ffreinds
There is one great God & Power that hath
made the world and all things therein, to whom
you and I and all people owe their being and
well being, and to whom you and I must one
Day give an account for all that wee Doe in the
world. Thi3 great God hath written his Law
in our hearts by which wee are taught &
Commanded to Love & help & Doe good to one
another & not to Doc llarme and mischeif one
unto another: Now this great. God bath been
pleased to make nice concerned in your Parts
of the world, and the King of the Country
where I live hath given unto mee a great Pro
vince therein, Rut I Desire to Enjoy it with
your Love & Consent, that wee may allwaves
Live together as neighbours and ffreinds. Else
what would the great God say to us; who
hath made us not to Devour and Destroy one
another but Live kindly and Soberly together
in the world? now I would have you well
observe, (hat. I am senceable of the unkind
ness and Injustice that hath been too much
Exercised towards you by the People of those
Parts of the world who have sought themselves,
& to make great advantages by you. Rather
than be examples of Justice and Goodness
vnto you, which I hear hath been matter of
troble to you. & Caused Great Grudgings &
Animositys Sometimes to the Shedding of
Wood, which hath made the Great God Angry.
But I am not such a Man, as is well known in
my own Country. 1 have great. Love and Re
gard towards you, and 1 desire to win and
gain your Love and ffreindship by a Kind Just
and Peaceable Life: & the People I send are
of tho same mind and shall in all things be
have themselves accordingly and if in anything
any shall offend you or your People you shall
have full and speedy satisfaction for the same
by an Equnll number of Just, men on both
sides that, by no means you may have Just, oc
casion of being offended against them. I
shall shortly Como to you myselfe at what,
time wee may more ffooly and largely Conferr
and Discourse of these matters; iu the mean
time I shall send my Commissioners to treat
with you about Land, and a form of League
of Peace. Let mee Desire you to be kind to
them & the People, & Receive those Presents
& tokens which I have sent to you as a testi
mony of my good good will to you & my Reso
lution to Live Justly Peaceably and Ifrcindly
with you. I am your Loveing ft'reind,
IVm. Penn.
ft'or the King or Kings of the Indians in Pcnn
silvania.