Merrimack County NH Archives History .....Polly Eastman's Poem July 30, 1886
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Judy Bergeron justjudeb@yahoo.com July 4, 2008, 8:48 am

JULY 30th

1794-1886

A POEM
Written on the occasion of Mrs. Polly Eastman
attaining the rare old age of

92 years_4 score
And 12



DEAR GRANDMA, WE HAVE GATHERED HOME TO-DAY


COMPOSED BY: Herbert D. Smart


Within a small and quiet town,
	Some ninety years ago;
Within this good, though rocky state
	Where hemlock forests grow
Was reared a child with eyes of blue,
	And dimples in her chin;
Who used to roam about the farm,
	And play with kith and kin
But ‘twasn’t many years, before
	This forest bud had grown
And blossomed into womanhood:
	A flower not left alone,
For one so fair, so good and true,
	Was born to share the lot
Of him who now in silence sleeps
	Where greensward marks the spot,
And, tiring of her childhood’s home
	Whose joys she shared alone
She went with him, who won her heart
	To make one of her own.
And heaven smiled upon that home,
	And gave to it a child;
And Laura was the Christian name
	Of her so fair, so mild
Others also came to bless.
	But accidents there often are
You share their hopes and woes
	As everybody knows,_
So George and Mary, Scott and Tim
	Soon blossomed like the rose.
But that made one more boy than girl,
	So just to even up,
Eleanor now was sent to them
	And Lizzie filled the cup.
And all of them are living now,
	And each have homes,_their own,_
Excepting him who lost his life
	(A stranger all alone)
Above Niagara’s awful falls,
“Murdered For Wealth”, the papers said,_
	(Perhaps ‘twere better so;)
And one who lives with grandma, now,
	Within that humble home,
Where George and Rachel care for both,
	Nor do they wish to roam.

Dear Grandma, we have gathered home,
	To-day we’re home once more;
To where, beneath the old roof-tree,
	We played in days of yore.
But voices that we miss to-day,
	And sunny smiles as well,
They make a pain within our hearts,
	For forms we loved so well.
Yet glad are we to meet to-day,
	And all will say amen;_
Dear Grandma, we have gathered home,
	But shall we meet again?
For time is short to all of us,
	Tomorrow’ll find us gone,
From happy haunts of childhood’s days,
	To battle with life’s storm:
Farewell dear grandma, fare thee well,
	May God protect your door;
In heaven above we’ll meet again
	We’ll gather home once more.

Additional Comments:
From the hand-written original in my possession.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nh/merrimack/history/other/pollyeas3gms.txt

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