The Crowing Sacrifice

The Crowing Sacrifice

"Died, at Rochester, Tuesday, March 13, 1860, Annie, youngest daughter of Frederick and Anna Douglass, aged 10 years, 11 months, and 21 days. Smitten with grief at the absence of her father, she pined away and died, her mind having become impressed with the idea that he would never return, or that if he did, it would only be to share the fate of the martyrs of Harper's Ferry."

Oppression stern, with blighting breath,
Which breathes around its blasts of death—
To ail that's pure a deadly bane—
Another victim now has slain,
With mercy less than tigers show,
And sateless hate they never know.

Not one whose glowing pen or tongue
Aloud the crimes of slavery rung,
Nor yet whose manly arm might smite
The deadly wrong with vengeful night;
But one whose heart had learned to pray,
"O God! remove the curse away!"

The youngest, dearest, brightest child—
A lovely flower, blooming mild;
But wrong did flower from stem divide—
Before its breath she wasted—died!
How heavy will the tidings roll
Across the exiled father's soul!

Immortal child! henceforth thy name
Shall lustrons shine, a star of fame:
Of all who wear a martyr's crown—
The nearest to the sainted BROWN—
Most bright among the sainted band,
Shall ANNIE DOUGLASS graceful stand!

A.P. Smith

1:39, p. 1

4.14.1860