August Sirteenth Freighted with fruits, aflush with flowers,Oblations to offended powers, What fairy-like flotillas gleam At night on Brahma's sacred stream. Around each consecrated bark That sailed into the outer dark While, to and fro, like censers swayed, They made it luminous to glass Their fleeting splendors ere they pass! THEOPHILUS HUNTER HILL (A Ganges Dream) Battle of Camden, S. C., 1780 August Seventeenth My judgments were never appealed from, and if they had been, they would have stuck like wax, as I gave my decisions on the principles of common justice and honesty between man and man, and relied not on law learning; for I have never read a page in a law book in my life. DAVID CROCKETT David Crockett born, 1786 August Eighteenth Like a mist of the sea at morn it comes, The vision of a woman fair; And every eye beholds her there. Above the topmost dune, With fluttering robe and streaming hair, Seaward gazing in dumb despair, Like one who begs of the waves a boon. BENJAMIN SLEDD (The Wraith of Roanoke) Virginia Dare, the first child born in America of English parentage, 1587 August Nineteenth Hast thou perchance repented, Saracen Wilt warm the world with peace and lovedesire? Or wilt thou, ere this very day be done, SIDNEY LANIER August Twentieth "Well," says Uncle Remus, "de 'oman make 'umble 'pology ter de boy, but howsomever he can't keep from rubbin' hisse'f in de naberhood er de coat tails, whar she spank 'im. I bin livin' 'round here a mighty long time, but I ain't never see no polergy what wuz poultice er plaster nuff to swage er swellin' or kore a bruise. Now you jes keep dat in min' en git sorry fo' you hurt anybody." JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS August Twenty-First The radicals and negroes had, in the summer of 1867, refused to "co-operate" with the representative white citizens in restoring political and social order. The election of delegates to the constitutional convention was held in October, 1867. About 94,000 negroes voted. The radical majority included five foreign born, twenty-five negroes, twenty-eight Northerners, and fourteen Virginians. Never before in the history of the State had negroes sat in a law-making body. The former political leaders were absent. The State had been revolutionized. JOHN PRESTON MCCONNELL August Twenty-Second The moon has climbed her starry dome, Old waves of thought voluptuous swell, Oh! what were slumber's drowsy kiss, Through all the wakeful night? |