The Project Gutenberg EBook of An American Idyll, by Cornelia Stratton Parker

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Title: An American Idyll
The Life of Carleton H. Parker

Author: Cornelia Stratton Parker

Release Date: February 7, 2005 [EBook #14943]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: Carleton H. Parker]

AN AMERICAN IDYLL

THE LIFE OF
CARLETON H. PARKER

_By_

CORNELIA STRATTON PARKER

[Illustration]

BOSTON

THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS

1919

_The poem on the opposite page is here
reprinted with the express permission of
Messrs. Charles Scribner's Sons, publishers
of Robert Louis Stevenson's Works._

_Yet, O stricken heart, remember, O remember,
How of human days he lived the better part.
April came to bloom, and never dim December
Breathed its killing chill upon the head or heart.

Doomed to know not Winter, only Spring, a being
Trod the flowery April blithely for a while,
Took his fill of music, joy of thought and seeing,
Came and stayed and went, nor ever ceased to smile.

Came and stayed and went, and now when all is finished,
You alone have crossed the melancholy stream,
Yours the pang, but his, O his, the undiminished,
Undecaying gladness, undeparted dream.

All that life contains of torture, toil, and treason,
Shame, dishonor, death, to him were but a name.
Here, a boy, he dwelt through all the singing season
And ere the day of sorrow departed as he came._

_Written for our three children.

Dedicated to all those kindred souls, friends of
Carl Parker whether they knew him or not, who
are making the fight, without bitterness but with
all the understanding, patience, and enthusiasm
they possess, for a saner, kindlier, and more joyous
world.

And to those especially who love greatly along
the way._

PREFACE

It was a year ago to-day that Carl Parker d