Lycoming, A Sonnet by Katherine Purvis

 

Lycoming, A Sonnet For the 1895 Centennial

The Official report of the proceedings of the 1895 Centennial Anniversary of Lycoming County Pa, page 134, tells us that "To Katherine E. Purvis of Williamsport had been assigned the duty of writing a centennial sonnet, which was recited by Miss Augusta Helen Gilmore.  The sonnet, a beautiful and appropriate conception, is as follows:

LYCOMING. 

Beneath  the  arching  summer  skies 

Whose  mellow,  golden  glow 

Illumed  her  lowly  cabin  homes 

A  hundred  years  ago, 

Lycoming  stands  in  queenly  state 

And  fondly,  sweetly  calls 

Her  absent  children   back   again 

To  their  ancestral  halls. 

Her  lovely  features,  wreathed  in  smiles, 

Bear  not  a  trace  of  care, 

Nor  have  her  early  hardships  left 

The  faintest  impress  there. 

She  looks  upon  the  garnered  wealth 

Of  many  happy  years, 

The  countless  sheaves  of  ripened  grain 

Which   once  she  sowed   in   tears, 

And  points  with  pride  to  heirlooms  rare 

To  relics  quaint  and  old 

Of  ruder  times  and  simpler  tastes 

Before  this  age  of  gold. 

The  children  hear  their  mother's  call. 

From  east  and  west  and  north 

They  come,  in  loving  haste,  to  pay 

Their  tribute  to  her  worth. 

And  while  the  hills  and  valleys  ring 

With  songs  of  praise,  they  rear 

An  altar  to  commemorate 

Her  first  centennial  year. 

Oh,  happy  day  with  memories 

Of  richest  blessing  fraught, 

And  filled  with  tokens  of  the  change 

A  century  has  wrought. 

With  visions  grand  and  beautiful 

Of  cycles  yet  to  be, 

When  progress  shall  go  hand  in  hand 

With  world  wide  liberty. 

Thrice  welcome  all  who  come  to  share 

The  mother's  sacred  joy, 

And  claim  her  children's  heritage 

Of  peace  without  alloy. 

And  whether  they  who  bought  that  peace 

Sleep  on  our  holy  hill 

Or  rest  in  distant  unknown  graves, 

They  are  our  heroes  still. 

And  long  as  yonder  stately  shaft 

Reflects  the  light  of  heaven, 

To   heroes   living— heroes   dead 

All  honor  shall  be  given. 

— Katharine  E.  Purvis. 

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Katherine Purvis, along with Janes Black, wrote When The Saints Are Marching In

Which should not be confused with When The Saints GO Marching In, even though the two were  mistakenly recognized in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame for the latter.  Read more about that here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/06/when-saints-are-marching-in-katherine.html

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Katharine E. Purvis died October 23, 1907. Her obituary read: 

 Mrs. Katharine E. Purvis died at her home on Market Street, Wednesday morning. She was widely known as a hymn writer, and won more than passing reputation by the words of the hymn “Abide With Me,” arranged to music by Professor James M. Black. Mrs. Purvis was an earnest worker in the Mulberry Street Methodist Church. She had been an invalid for some time, but her condition was not regarded as serious until about three weeks ago. She was 66 years of age, and was the daughter of a Methodist minister in the Wyoming Conference. She was educated in Williamsport Dickinson Seminary, and taught music at the institution for a number of years. She was a sister of the late Charles Nash, a prominent accountant in this city, and of Miss Frances Nash, formerly of the Williamsport High School faculty, and one of the most accomplished and popular teachers ever in service in Williamsport. Funeral Services were conducted at the house, Friday afternoon, by the Rev. Oliver S. Metzler. Interment was made in Wildwood cemetery.