FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   >>  
no, These sights are for the earth and open sky, And your loud wheels unheeded rattle by. THE GLADNESS OF NATURE. Is this a time to be cloudy and sad, When our mother Nature laughs around; When even the deep blue heavens look glad, And gladness breathes from the blossoming ground? There are notes of joy from the hang-bird and wren, And the gossip of swallows through all the sky; The ground-squirrel gayly chirps by his den, And the wilding bee hums merrily by. The clouds are at play in the azure space, And their shadows at play on the bright green vale, And here they stretch to the frolic chase, And there they roll on the easy gale. There's a dance of leaves in that aspen bower, There's a titter of winds in that beechen tree, There's a smile on the fruit, and a smile on the flower, And a laugh from the brook that runs to the sea. And look at the broad-faced sun, how he smiles On the dewy earth that smiles in his ray, On the leaping waters and gay young isles; Ay, look, and he'll smile thy gloom away. THE DISINTERRED WARRIOR. Gather him to his grave again, And solemnly and softly lay, Beneath the verdure of the plain, The warrior's scattered bones away. Pay the deep reverence, taught of old, The homage of man's heart to death; Nor dare to trifle with the mould Once hallowed by the Almighty's breath. The soul hath quickened every part-- That remnant of a martial brow, Those ribs that held the mighty heart, That strong arm--strong no longer now. Spare them, each mouldering relic spare, Of God's own image; let them rest, Till not a trace shall speak of where The awful likeness was impressed. For he was fresher from the hand That formed of earth the human face, And to the elements did stand In nearer kindred, than our race. In many a flood to madness tossed, In many a storm has been his path; He hid him not from heat or frost, But met them, and defied their wrath. Then they were kind--the forests here, Rivers, and stiller waters, paid A tribute to the net and spear Of the red ruler of the shade. Fruits on the woodland branches lay, Roots in the shaded soil below, The stars looked forth to teach his way, The still earth warned him of the foe. A noble race! but they are gone, With their old forests wide and deep, And we have built our homes upon Fields where their generations sleep. Their fountains slake our
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   >>  



Top keywords:

forests

 

smiles

 
waters
 
ground
 

strong

 

fresher

 
martial
 

impressed

 

remnant

 
quickened

nearer
 

formed

 

elements

 

mouldering

 

kindred

 

likeness

 

mighty

 

longer

 

warned

 

looked


branches

 
shaded
 
generations
 

Fields

 

fountains

 
woodland
 

Fruits

 

breath

 

madness

 
tossed

defied
 
tribute
 

stiller

 
Rivers
 

verdure

 

squirrel

 
chirps
 

swallows

 

gossip

 

wilding


stretch

 

frolic

 
bright
 

shadows

 

merrily

 

clouds

 

blossoming

 
breathes
 

rattle

 

unheeded