IN OLD NEWBURYPORT 133 



Only in the deep sea thunder of the waves on 

 Plum Island beach could he have heard such notes 

 as echoed in " The Tocsin " : 



"Ay — slaves of slaves. What, sleep ye yet, 

 And dream of freedom while ye sleep? 



Ay, dream while slavery's foot is set 

 So firmly on your necks, while deep 



The chain her quivering flesh endures 



Gnaws likes a cancer into yours! " 



It is easy to see him striding home from a ses- 

 sion with the Plum Island waves and pausing to 

 see the snow settle on and blot out the outlines 

 of the peaceful marshes, drawing from the sight 

 his best-remembered, most-quoted verse : 



"A weapon that comes down as still 

 As snowflakes fall upon the sod, 

 But executes the freeman's will 

 I As lightnings do the will of God; 

 And from its force nor doors nor locks 

 Can shield you; 't is the ballot box." 



I do not know if he wrote these lines here or later 

 when he had become one of Boston's famous 

 preachers, but I do know that he saw these things 

 in the years that he lived in the fine old town and 



