LIBRARY ^^ University of California Irvine LAND OF OUR DREAMS AND OTHER VERSE BY J. A. PEEHL BOSTON SHERMAN, FRENCH & COMPANY 1912 V COPYRIGHT, 1912 SHERMAK, FRENCH 6" COMPANY CONTENTS PAGE LAND OF OUR DREAMS 1 THE CROSS 2 EVENING THOUGHTS 4 EDGE OF THE FOREST 5 THE MOUNTAIN LAKE 1 ON EAGLE S WINGS 9 TO THE WORLD 12 THE STORM . 14 NIGHT 17 MORNING 19 COURAGE 21 GLOOM 22 THE OCEAN 24 FROM THE BALTIC 25 THE PAINTER 27 THE SIGHT OF LAND 29 DAWN 30 ADVENT HYMN 32 SPRING 34 WHEN? 35 THE ISLAND OF BORNHOLM ...... 37 IN AFFLICTION 38 MEDITATION 39 MY SPARROW 40 TWILIGHT .41 WHAT IS BEYOND? 43 FROM THE DANISH 45 THEN 46 CONTENTS PAGE THE TRAMP 47 OX THE BALTIC 49 EVENING ON THE OCEAN 53 CONSIDER THE LILIES OF THE FIELD . . 54 TO A POND LILY 56 THOUGHTS SUGGESTED IN THE GEOLOGY CLASS 57 REFUGE 60 PRAYER OF THE DYING 61 REST 62 AFTER SUNSET 63 THE HOUR OF PRAYER 64 BORNHOLM 66 I SAW HIM . 68 WE LINGER A MOMENT 70 WELL OF LIVING WATER ~2 BY THE RAILROAD 74 BY THE OCEAN 76 IMPATIENCE 87 TO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 88 FAITH 90 TO MY FELLOW WORKMEN 91 ALWAYS JOYFUL ON THE WAY .... 92 LOST IN THE WOODS ........ 93 TO MY BIRD . 95 LAND OF OUR DREAMS AND OTHER VERSE LAND OF OUR DREAMS (From the Danish) BIRDIES their eyes are closing, Perching with peace and rest; Dream while the wind is tossing Spray round their lofty nest. Flowers with heads low bending, Gently to mother earth Dream while the waves are sending Foam from the rocky firth. Tired is your eyelid? Close it Safe as the birds in nest. Is aching your head? Then drop it As gently the flowers rest. Storm winds, though they be frightful ; Billows, though white they bleach, Land of our dreams delightful Surely they shall never reach. [1] THE CROSS I PLAYED with creation when life was beginning To dawn like the morning; I knew not of sin ning; I knew not the weal or the woes of existence. The cross was yet hid in the gloom of the dis tance. I feared when the pleasures of childhood were waning; I reasoned on life, but knew not its meaning; I groped in the darkness till life reached its middle ; The cross was enwrapped in redemption s deep riddle. At last when in doubt and in darkness I trembled, To meet where all slumbering souls have as sembled, I found as the theme of the sacred old story The cross and its meaning, its gloom and its glory. I saw it more clearly unveiled in its beauty When meekness was nature and peace was a duty; Then felt I the charm of its power divine. I longed to unravel its deepest design. Sometimes when my heart shall grow faint, and its beating Shall cease and the glow of mine eyes shall be fleeting, I fear not, nor dread I, for sealed is my par don: The cross stands unveiled in the Paradise Gar den. [3] EVENING THOUGHTS Now am I tired; the dew of slumber Is gently falling on my eye. Now shades of darkness deep as umber Surround my couch, and round me lie. Bid angel servants, ever brooding O er Thy frail image stamped in clay, To sooth my heart, my pillow smoothing, And by my side through darkness stay. Thy everlasting arms are round me; Soft whisper now my quivering lip ; My eyes from earth are turned towards Thee, And worldly scenes from memory slip. [4] EDGE OF THE FOREST I SAT in the edge of the forest, And watched the departure of day ; The dimness was crowding around me, And daylight was fleeing away. The western horizon was burnished With red and with yellow and green ; Its mountains of crimson and purple Had crossbars of ultra marine. And over the sky at the zenith The cirrus was fading away ; Their fleecy immaculate whiteness Was changing to gossamer gray. The moon looked so pale and so lonesome So slowly it came into view; It probably never had cherished The course it was doomed to pursue. And I too sat lone and despondent ; And weary with the work of the day, While conscious that powers eternal Were withering and wasting away. [5] I lingered, and all things grew dimmer, And masses in umber and blue Were grouping around me and heaven Had lost all its color and glow. I sat in the edge of the forest Till evening had changed into night, And nature s own mantle of vapor Had hid all its details from sight. [6] THE MOUNTAIN LAKE AMIDST the ravage of a mountain scene There lingers couched below the hills a lake, Its surface shining and its depth serene, Where sunbeams sparkle, glow and gently break. The headlands fade along the circling shore Until their dismal blue is only seen; The glaring sun seems lingering to pour Its wealth of gold upon its glassy sheen. The waves that ripple on its rocky breast So softly chant their fairest melody, And lull the wildest mountain scene to rest, And charm the heart of nature and of me. The pines that grace the margin of the deep Are mirrored in the glassy chasm below; And thousands trembling leaflets daily peep To see how fast and charmingly they grow. Thou notest every rush and broken reed ; Each stunted flower in thy clefted rock Is mirrored in thy bosom, and their need Is written in the pages of thy book. Lake, thou canst capture heaven s azure blue And hold the twinkling stars in thy embrace, And charm the flitting scuds that come and go And veil with clouds the brightness of thy face. Whene er I walk the mountains, vale and hill And see the broken, scarred and wounded earth, I tremble for a moment, for I feel The mighty forces laboring at its birth. Then bursts upon my weary tiresome eye Thou, lake, so deep, so still below my feet, And noticed only by the watchful sky That bathes beneath thy blue transparent sheet. O lake, couched in this rugged mountain scene Of titled masses torn by nature s hand, Thy waves so blue, thy stillness so serene, A soul within a desolate land. [8] ON EAGLE S WINGS ON eagle s wings I fain would rise Above this spinning orb of clay To some still nook within the sky, And linger for a brief delay; Far from the constant din and roar That greets upon my wakeful ears, Far from the faces of the poor Furrowed by want and bleached by tears. Nor would I there be j agged and torn By thousands who my course pursue Nor be the constant theme of scorn By those who differ from my view. There would I see the noisy earth As Him, who sits upon the throne, With lofty mountain ranges girt, And wrapped in never changing zones. The scenes below my feet would change, As sea and land would heave to view ; And here and there a mountain range Would pierce the canopy of dew. [9] The rivers in meandering course That curve among the many hills Are seen to bring to distant shores The waters from a thousand rills. The velvet depth of forest green With meadows emerald would blend ; The ocean with its sunlit sheen Its wealth of golden glory lend. But here and there a spot is seen Like ant hills on the grassy lawn, As if some gophers there had been At work, to dig and heap their mounds. Such seem the cities built by man To one who views them from the sky : Mere heaps of stone and brick and sand That scattered on earth s surface lie. Then would I with dismay behold Man s devastation on the ground How in his mad ning search for gold He tears the very mountain down. And when I saw the earth revolve As if to show its ghastly wounds, Then I would make a quick resolve To leave again for lower zones. [10] There would I mingle in the throng That work and sleep and come and go, And look upon their deeds ere long As deeds of man are seen below. [11] TO THE WORLD CAN the pomp of earth bereave me Of my sweetest morning dream ; Can all earthly powers save me If I lose this priceless gem? Can the mighty men of science Change the tide wave in its course ; Can they in their blind reliance Rob the windstorm of its force? No, till death s cold hand has caught me, And my heart has ceased to beat: And my guardian angel brought me To the solemn mercy seat; Shall my somber thoughts remind me Of a newborn Christian s love, And each silent hour will find me Longing like a mourning dove. Let a thousand critics cavil At the meaning of a word ; Better can the saints unravel All the secrets of the Lord ; Trust when storms are o er them breaking, And their faltering leaders gone; Build, where earth itself is quaking, On a sure foundation stone. [12] Storm and stillness have their season, Rain and sunshine have their day. Sometimes in the realms of reason All our faith is swept away; But a star of hope will beckon To us from a far off coast, And within our hearts awaken Longings for the faith we lost. [13] THE STORM DIMNESS has shrouded the vaults of the heaven Within its veil; Storm-clouds like patches of bunting are driven Before the gale ; Soon shall be shattered the ominous stillness, Calm of a threatening storm ; Nature is waiting expectant, and chillness Marks her in motion and form. Out on the ocean the billows are raging Without abate; Forced by the winds they are helplessly wag ing War with their fate; Stirred is the depth to its lowest foundation : Neptune has marshalled his host ; Tramped under foot are the laws of creation ; Hopeless and vain is their boast. ,1 Heaved on the billows a vessel is battered, Reeling and tossed ; Torn is the rigging by windstorm and tattered, Helpless and lost. See, she is caught in the gurgling eddy: Swept by the surges her deck ; Cleaving to cordage, the sailors are ready Quickly to part with the wreck. [14] Glorious brig, shall the elements power Vanquish thy pride? White crested surges defiantly tower High o er thy side? Or shall this ocean avalanche bury Deep in oblivion s grave, Stout-hearted sailors we lately saw hurry Over the glittering wave? No, she has conquered; though frightfully riven, Flutters the sail; Lifting the tottering masts toward heaven, She braves the gale ; True to the helmsman she veers to the wind ward, Splitting the scalloping main, Floating her colors and hastening onward; Neptune is raging in vain. Vanquished and calmed is the wind and the ocean : Wasted their force ; Proudly the brig with a steadier motion Resumes her course. See how the frolicsome waters are tilted, Furrowed and tossed by her breast, Only again to be mingled and melted, Never to slumber or rest. [15] Changed has the tempest to radiant splendor Its cruel scene; Soft on the wavelet the sun rays now tender Their golden sheen. Fleet fleeing daylight a host shall awaken r Lighting the night with their sport ; Brightly the Pole star shall twinkle and beckon, Guiding the vessel to port. [16] NIGHT GOD S peace rests over land and town ; His spirit with the blest. From heaven s dome the moon looks down To share the earthly rest. The glassy river in its flow Reflects the distant sky ; The twinkling stars in holy blue Beneath the waters lie. A cloak of darkness softly shrouds The forests and the hills ; A whitening veil of dewdrops clouds The meadows and the rills. There is a calmness brooding o er The landscape far and near. It is within the midnight hour ; All nature joins in prayer. And while her majesty at rest Is spreading o er the sod, There comes a feeling in our breast Of nearness to a God. The fox can slumber in his hole ; The bird can build a nest. O Father, mark each erring soul Who has no place to rest; And let the stillness of the night Give sweet refreshing sleep ; And let the power of thy might Our hearts forever keep. [18] MORNING FAINT light of dawn creeps slowly o er The prairies and the rills, And beams of light will sometimes pour Its glory on the hills. All earth seems wrapped in solitude ; All nature s fast asleep; By one eternal law subdued To sacred order keep. A gossamer cloud of morning mist Half veils each scattered farm, And gives the scene a dreamy rest And certain mystic charm. No breezes sweep across the field, Nor stir the rows of corn Which, armed with helmet, spear and shield, Wait for the coming morn. The birds are slumbering in their nests ; No rising carol s heard; For all enjoy a morning rest: Both man and beast and bird. [19] How welcome is the nightly truce The darkened hours decree To sooth: restore a day s abuse To nature and to me. Now breaks the sun the bars of night Far off in dreamy east, And pours a radiant stream of light O er the defenseless mist. How quick the change from night to day From sleep to restless force. No hitch nor tampering nor delay In nature s onward course ; And night flees off to her retreat And vanished are the stars. But men and beasts awake repeat Their savagery and wars. [20] COURAGE ONWARD, every day and hour; Onward, ever onward heed, Will a foe thee overpower? Onward, then, with double speed. Bid each coming foe defiance, Never fear a human face ; Buckle on thy self reliance Though thou art in death s embrace. Onward ; never stay to reason, About current, depth, or breeze; Only cowards, fit for treason, Set their sails to fear and ease. When deep sorrows overtake you, And like arrows pierce thy soul, When the nearest friends forsake you Onward, onward, to the goal. At the cradle leave thy folly ; At the tomb thy form of clay; But, O soul, keep pure and holy, Onward, to the realms of day. [21] GLOOM WHEN fate has spent its wrath in vain, When strife is past and anger gone, The shafts have pricked, the lances stained, The heart that bore its pain alone; When pride condemns life s only love And seeks from agony relief, The vaulted sky grows cold above The heart stung with remorseless grief. The one who sees far from the earth The outline of an unknown shore His friends and foes alike desert, And he is lonelier than before. If you have seen new truths and try For faults and errors to atone, And seek them with a longing eye: Remember you must walk alone. When weights of doubt are sinking fast, The faithless, helpless form below, When petty spirits first and last Our only anchor overthrow; [22] When we are forced by subtle mind To climb life s straight and pathless slope; We leave then faith and love behind, But keep in store eternal hope. [23] THE OCEAN LOVELY indeed is the whiff from the ocean, Deep and inspiring to me ; Strong and majestic the sweep of its motion, Frolicsome, reckless and free. There is no boundary line to repel us Upon the scalloping main ; There is no milestone or signboard to tell us Compass and highway and lane. Wave after wave without rest or cessation Rolls on the wave beaten sand, Showing the sign of a mighty creation Curbed by invisible hand. [24] FROM THE BALTIC FAINT and feeble now the isle is fading In the maze of gently rolling waves ; In the firmament a star is sinking, Smiling on a lonely craft and linking Heaven with the deepest Baltic caves. Far away the Swedish coast is lifting A lone and dismal storm begotten steep; And among the clouds the moon is soaring, Looking down upon the sea, and pouring Out its gold upon the restless deep. We are speechless in the gloom of evening; Somber thoughts have vanquished every boast. In the distance where the clouds are seeming To depart a feeble light is gleaming From a lighthouse on the Danish coast. Searchlights on the vessel s stem are pouring Streams of light out o er this solemn scene ; Flickering lanterns from the yards are send ing Ghostlike shadows to the deck and blending Phantoms with the undulating sheen. [25] Out upon these calm and gentle waters When the angry billows go to rest, In the holy hush of midnight hour Nature shows her majesty of power, Calls forth adoration from our breast. Pole star, be a lighthouse in the heaven ; Magnet, show a path across the deep ; While we to an unknown port are driven By the winds, to their mercy given, Let us softly on our anchor sleep. [26] THE PAINTER HE spread the canvas quickly o er with azure blue And tinged the fleeting clouds above with golden glow ; Then drew the mountains bluish-green, that background make For noble and inspiring scenes beside the lake. An artist drew upon this ground the forest trees That wave their high and noble crowns before the breeze ; And tried his skill as best he might upon the beach, That lined the distant curving bay with colors rich. i And as he thus pursued his art, the evening fell And bade him from his labors part at vesper bell; He dropped his palette and his brush and sighed relief, And gave the sun in evening blush a parting brief. [27] There lingered he ; before his gaze were scenes of rest ; A gentle smile upon his face said he was blest. A vision of his found ideal had passed his eyes ; He went to seek the true and real beyond the skies. [28] THE SIGHT OF LAND ALL hail the outline in the west! Traced on horizon s somber gray, So dreamlike in the dawn of day, New England s coasts appear. The vaulted sky descends to meet The ocean crouching at thy feet. The Pilgrims landed here. While we our westward course pursue The rising sun is lifting now The wreaths of vapor from the brow Of our New England hills. Behold that scene so wondrous fair, The land, the sea, the morning air, So deep our conscience thrills ! As into Boston Bay we glide, The roaring sea begins to chime ; The throbbing engine beats the time; It is their first good day. Our souls from solitude set free Are joining in the melody Of our America. [29] DAWN WAKE up, O earth, put off the slumber That charmed thee in the dead of night ; The stars of heaven without number Are fading for the coming light. But first thee speed a gentle greeting Unto the blushing rays of morn, And where these ruling lights are meeting There dies the night ; there day is born. Soon flits away the gloomy shadows And darkness from its nightly haunts ; While wreaths of vapors from the meadows Are lingering round the distant mount. The glow that tints the eastern heaven Is gaining on the dusky west; And birds to nightly slumber given With morning praises leave their rest. The dawn is wrapped in morning glory; The foliage tinged with golden red ; But man awakes to work and worry, To daily toil for daily bread. [30] Father, wake not Thou our sorrow; Each day has enough of pain and strife. Help us begin on each to-morrow A nobler and a better life. And let each morning sunrise quicken Thy image in this form of clay ; No passing cloud forever weaken Our faith in Thee, we humbly pray. [31] ADVENT HYMN O HERO, how soon shall the weight of thy glory Astonish the nations from pole unto pole ; How long shall all people discredit the story Of peace upon earth, as the angels have told. All nations shall see what has never been told them: The Prince in his beauty that conquers the day; All nations in concert so humbly adore him: Delivered from bondage ; His glory display. O Thou, who hath spoken and laid earth s foundation And fashioned and formed all its hills and its plains, And marked off a limit for tribe and for nation And planted the forest, the flowers and grain, How long shall the garden be poor and neg lected ; How long shall the thorns and the thistle out grow. Oh, break Thou the silence ; come down and protect it. Let darkness be vanquished by morning sun s glow. [3*] "Oh, come," is the voice of the spirit now pleading With groans that forever unuttered must be; "Come quickly," the cry of the saints who are heeding The signs of the time and are longing for Thee. The storms and the billows grow fiercer and rougher ; Each sound is so sad and so tinted with pain. Shall the beast and the birds live only to suffer ; All nature forever in bondage remain? O Zion, arise and go forth in thy beauty; Blow loud in the trumpet the day is at hand; Let each one who heareth do bravely his duty. Resound it aloud, over sea, over land. He cometh! The armies of heaven surround Him. He cometh! The Prince who is faithful and true. Now hushed are all nations ; they cannot ignore Him. He comes with His Kingdom the earth to renew. [33] SPRING Now spring with its gentle whisper Is waking the slumbering earth, And a thousand young voices whisper Their thanks for their life and birth ; And restless the little river Its stream through the meadows pour, Because it is young; it never Was running this way before. Now flows so freely the fountain Once fettered by ice and snow, And yonder the snow-capped mountain Is changing to purple blue; And all that was chained and stagnant By winter s deadly cold hand Is buoyant with life, and fragrant; Charming on sea and land. And leaflets so soft and tender Unfold in the balmy breeze ; And tendrils so fresh and slender Give grace to the sturdy trees ; And flowers are daily springing To sight with their lovely hue; Above them the birds are singing God s mercy is always new. WHEN (A Song) WHEN morning is breaking at dawn of the day, When birdies awake in their nests mongst the spray, When plants of all orders with leaflets out spread, Give thanks for the dew drops that baptize their head; Then comes there a voice from the unknown above And whispers so gently : "Our Father is love." i When storm winds have swept o er the land and the main, When foliage is studded with drops of the rain, When sunbeams are bursting with luster un told And changing the rain drops to diamonds and gold, We see through the rain-bow encircling our view Our Father above, who is faithful and true! [35] When dimness is veiling all nature for rest, The blush of the evening is tinting the W r est, When darkness is breathing the calmness of night, And shadows are chasing the sun in his flight; Then whispers a voice: "All is fleeting and vain On earth, but the mansions above shall re main." [36] THE ISLAND OF BORNHOLM THERE lingers an island far out in the sea; The Baltic is rolling around it; Its hills and its meadows are precious to me ; By reefs and by rocks it is bounded. There is rustling a river and purling a brook; Above them bend gently the willows. The roar of the waves when they strike gainst the rock, The chime of the frolicsome billows. There memories linger that never can die, Nor fade from my mind forever. Oh, cradle, oh, cottage, oh, hamlet so nigh, The banks of the warbling river. [37] IN AFFLICTION BY sorrows and trials our spirit grows tender ; They spread o er our nature a mellowing rest ; They deepen and widen our feelings and render A warmth that can thaw the frost in our breast. They warn us, restrain us, and show us a limit To what our intrepid ambition can gain ; They ripen and season our life and redeem it From all that is wild and foolish and vain. Sorrows and trials have therefore a mission Unto the thoughtful not hard to define; Could we but spell out the future fruition ; Read in the spectrum they cast on our minds. Sorrows and trials, how gladly we flee them ; Flee from their presence both early and late, Until we rise to a height where we see them ; See what is now but apparent to faith. [38] MEDITATION How feeble is often the faith we confess ; How flickering, uncertain the hope we possess ; How oft we implore Thee when trouble comes on, How seldom adore Thee for what Thou hast done. How cold is the love that should ever abide; How quickly the fervent endeavors subside ; Yet graceful endurance revealed from above Gives joyful assurance of infinite love. So trust we Thy promise and lean on Thine arm ; In sunshine or storm we will not take alarm. For to whosoever for grace shall apply Thy mercy forever Thou will not deny. [39] MY SPARROW O SPARROW, thou hast twittered long Thy chirping ditty to thy mate ; Please change this ancient ragtime song To something new and up to date; Or wing thy flight away to where The meadow joins the woodland slope ; There feed upon the balmy air And mingle with the feathered troop ; And learn from woodthrush, lark and jay, Or whatsoever clan it be, Some new and joyful note that may Bid welcome thy return to me. [40] TWILIGHT THE sun is gently sinking down Behind the woody mountain ; The herdsmen slowly gather round The ever flowing fountain. The corn is tilting in the breeze, Dancing o er the meadows ; Drowsy nod the maple trees To the weeping willows. Restless waves the smaller grain, Heavy with its treasure; Like the depth of ocean s main Rolls the harvest measure. Louder murmurs now the brook ; Song birds faintly twitter. In the ripples long the rocks Sparkling diamonds glitter. It is evening. In God s hand We are safely resting. Chilly breezes lull the land, Rock the sleeping nestling. [41] Wreaths of vapor rise and spread Over town and prairie. Life is slumbering; light is fled Like a charming fairy. WHAT IS BEYOND? WHAT is beyond the hazy brim That lines the heaven s fiery hue Where sky and water mingle in A very dreary dismal blue? My tireless eyes have watched in vain To see the distant dimness riven, And pierce this dim horizon veil Like curtains hung from eaves of heaven. The stork, when autumn s chilly wind Sweeps o er this lonesome Baltic isle, Flies far away and stays within The sunny countries of the Nile. The swallow, too, can wing her flight Far from these haunts of ice and snow, And on the classic fields alight Where balmy breezes ever blow. But I, a shepherd, poor and born To tend the flocks from morn till late, Now feel of all the world forlorn, Chained here by a relentless fate. [43] How common are these childhood haunts ; These mossy stones from day to day Unchanged surround these graveyard mounds Of fathers long time passed away. I ve drawn these never changing lines Of hills that bound my native view, And reasoned on their deep design Till, sick of heart, I long for new. I will not stay ; I can not rest Upon this lonely island spot. Deep passions in my soul protest Against such God forsaken lot. The die is cast; a fierce resolve To know what is beyond the sea Has seized my being and I revolve What fate has yet in store for me. [44] FROM THE DANISH SUNLIGHT, with its golden glow Which across the sky is gleaming, Darkness, with its starry blue Of the infinite is dreaming; Both are servants of the Lord: Both created by His word. Lightning flashes in the night When the thunder clouds are shifting; Eagles from their lofty flight Proud and bold their wings are lifting; Ocean billows, storm and still, All are servants of His will. Are you sighing night and noon? Shows the world the only anger? Are you silent and alone With a desert wanderer s languor? Lift thine eyes to heaven s blue ; There thy sorrows shall forego. He who hears the crying deer That has wandered from the fountain, He thy longing soul will hear: Seek the lost one on the mountain. Hear His call, thy wandering cease ; He will meet thee with His grace. [45] THEN WHEN life is blighted day by day, And patience almost gone ; When we sow curses by the way, And reap what we have sown ; When we are beat by friend and foe In toil for daily bread ; When we have found that nettles grow Within the flower bed ; When we have learned the brightest skies Contain a thunderstorm, And seen the passions in the eyes Of the most noble form ; Then, life is but a present jest, A momentary ill, Which death can silence and arrest ; The grave its mission fill. [46] HE was a tramp unknown and feared, Without a home or place to stay, The door was slammed when he was heard ; It meant that he must go away. On him no human face had smiled, No ray of light had reached his soul; From day to day he was reviled, Was called a rascal and a fool. He roamed about from place to place; A fugitive upon the earth, Abused and menaced by his race, Till he forgot his human worth. His word was rough, his fist was hard; He only gave what he received; In him God s image was so marred That Heaven s angels all were grieved. He slept where fragrant flowers spring, And richly fume the morning air; Above his head the birdies sing, Around him voices chant their prayer. [47] But he was blind and deaf and dumb To all that charms in human life ; Within his heart was only gloom, Around him only pain and strife. A bud forever locked and sealed; A flower dead before it burst The calyx and its charms revealed, Whom nature s law had never nursed. Oh, woe to him whom fate has signed To bear the straggler s bitter lot, Who never heard a word so kind As woman s sweet "forget me not." Oh, shame to you who preach and pray About the value of a soul, Yet have not one kind word to say To one whose life is without goal. Oh, blot of shame to land and town Whose cursed greed has made it so That thousand helpless men are found Who have no home or place to go. Oh, tell me not of human right! I cannot bear your faith, hope, love, When spread before my very sight A world of human suffering moves. [48] ON THE BALTIC I SAT upon the Baltic beach When I was very little ; I had a jack-knife and a stick, For I had learned to whittle. I whittled out a cow and frog, And gave it to my neighbor; I carved a herring and a dog With very little labor. I traced upon the Baltic beach Some lovely mermaids dancing, And while I drew the form of each The surf kept on advancing. It flowed around me where I lay And blotted out my tracing, And when I rose to go away A mermaid I was facing. "What are you doing, little boy," She said, and fondly caught me; "You can my fancy well imply And therefore I have sought thee. [49] "You gave me just a splendid chance To help you with my teaching; I saw you almost in a trance Intent upon your etching. "I tell you, boy, your aim in life Can only but dismay thee; Twill only bring you toil and strife Unless you now obey me. "I tell you, boy, take life with ease; Choose happiness and leisure; Spread out your sail before the breeze And it will give you pleasure. "Oh, let not now thy tender heart Be swayed by moral teaching, And take not thou the slightest part In all this foolish preaching. "We live but once, and then we die, That s all we know for certain; Live while you live and do not try To lift fate s solemn curtain. "Feel how the lovely breezes blow, And watch the rolling billows ; Note how the ripples come and go, So limpid and so mellow. [50] "There is a charm about the sea Inspires to great adventure; If you would choose to go with me, You never would it censure." She stood and held me on the beach, For I was very little; I had a jack-knife and a stick, For I had learned to whittle. And thus she spoke in glowing terms About her royal splendor. She almost charmed me with her form, For I was young and tender. How many tempting pictures rose Before my childish vision; But duty bid me not to choose But quietly to listen. I said, "Fair maiden, I perceive Your home is one of beauty, But I must have my mother s leave ; You know it is my duty. "I must bring home this kindling wood I gathered by the water ; And when I bring a brimming load She gives me bread and butter. [51] "And if she gives me leave to go, I gladly follow with you ; But if she should refuse me, so My last good-by I bid you." I never saw the maid again Beside the Baltic water, But oft I thought I heard her when The waters softly mutter. When I am worried and dismayed, And thousand things confound me, My thoughts go to the Baltic maid, Who threw her arms around me. [52] EVENING ON THE OCEAN North latitude 40 degrees 30 minutes. West longitude 64 degrees 56 minutes. NIGHT is falling on the ocean, And its solemn message bears ; Billows murmuring in their motion Call each human soul to prayers. While the ship ploughs through the darkness We can safe in slumber fall, For we know that in its stanchness Is the safety of us all. And we dream sweet dreams of beauty While night s chilly breezes blow, For we know we do our duty; God the father planned it so. [53] CONSIDER THE LILIES OF THE FIELD FAIR are the flowers growing in our garden, Fair the perfume and incense they yield ; How many sick and weary hearts they gladden. "Consider now the lilies of the field." They toil not, spin not, care not for to-morrow, Yet fairer robed than all the sons of men ; King Solomon himself could never borrow A robe so beautiful as one of them. They have not known the cares of cultivation, Nor trust their lives into a gardener s hands ; And therefore is their habit and their station So humble that they grow on desert lands. When burned by sunshine day by day till faded, They droop their shriveled heads to mother earth, They rise again when morning s dew has bathed Their tender forms in new and nobler birth. [54] How faithful, persevering is their nature Is seen when they are trodden under foot ; They grow again, sprout out with color richer: Unmindful of such insult, they take root. Think of the many pleasures they have brought us; The thoughts, the many lessons they may yield Were known to Him from Galilee who taught us, "Consider ye the lilies of the field." [55] TO A POND LILY SLEEPING in the winter season In the bosom of the deep; Bursting all the bars of prison When the spring disturbs its sleep ; Floating snow white, pure and dainty, On the surface of the pond ; How immaculate and saintly Are the colors thou hast donned. Lily, thou hast often trembled Like some strange unwelcome guest, When the stormswept pond resembled Passions raging in my breast. Lily, if I should transplant thee, Would thou promise to unfold, On my bosom, where I want thee As an emblem of my soul. [56] THOUGHTS SUGGESTED IN THE GEOLOGY CLASS ROLL, on in space unending, thou light-encir cled earth, Enwrapped in shrouds of secrets who labored at thy birth. The pulse beat of all nature is throbbing in thy breast, Until at last fruition shall give eternal rest. The humble corals toiling midst plaintive ocean s moan, So patiently are building the earth s founda tion stone ; And when above the billows their crested tombs arise An unseen hand is planting the trees of Para dise. ? The spirit yet is brooding above the trembling sphere, And little creatures answer his rollcall, "We are here"; And upward they are toiling, so cheerful in the strife, To see the unknown spirit that called them into life. [57] Both heat and cold are changing; each has alternate day, And life and death are meeting each other on the way. To fossils and to living are given different names, For form is always changing, but life itself the same. The mountain rock is crumbling and smold ering into sand, And with the river flowing to build another land; The smallest grain of matter on wildest ocean tossed Eternal law has labeled that nothing shall be lost. ( And where our feet are resting there perished in the strife A thousand smaller creatures to give us greater life. In endless evolution the breath of life reveals The infinite creator, whom form alone conceals. [58] My Soul, toil cheerful onward; dismiss thy anxious fret, For as thou art immortal so is there no more death. Though are there no fruitions, yet toil we gladly on Until we see the unknown in other worlds beyond. [59] REFUGE To the heart that is wounded and tender, To the soul that is conscious of grief, Only perfect assurance can render An efficient and speedy relief. All the fancies of witty invention, All the follies the world may possess, Are not worthy the slightest attention To the one who has tested God s grace. Was the wing of the morning me given ; Could I flee to the uttermost sea; Could I search out the secret of heaven ; I should refuge find only in Thee. [60] PRAYER OF THE DYING TARRY angels while I linger Yet few moments here below ; Touch me gently with thy finger : Thy real presence cheers me so. Loom before me now the portals To the infinite unseen, Never trod by human mortals, Never open to our ken. And I know no way to wander When my soul from earth is fret To my Father s mansion yonder Ye must safely carry me. [61] REST THERE is within the realms of thought A safe retreat from earth s alarm, A sheltered glen where all things charm A pacifying temple. Far from the noise of daily mart There finds the soul its fond ideal In unity of mind and heart ; A gentle voice to soothe and rest, While in the land of dreams we nest, Till storms have past, And we at last Are quiet with the blest. He who smiles when life is waning Him has heaven smiled upon ; Like the sunset, glory gaining, He life s victory has won. Round his head with age made hoary, Burns the evening purple glory. [62] AFTER SUNSET EVENING shadows are blending Now with the meadows low; Heaven s gray is descending; Lost is its sacred blue. Calmness is brooding over Weary exhausted earth; Lost is the homeless rover; Lost is creation s mirth. Grant us while we are sleeping Rest of the Holy One; And when the dawn is peeping, Smiles of the rising sun. [63] THE HOUR OF PRAYER SACRED, solemn, deep and soothing Is the evening hour of prayer, When the calm of night is brooding O er the landscape far and near. Town and prairie share the stillness: Sin alone the only illness. As the hen her wings is spreading O er her brood and gath ring them, So our God is daily leading Us to feel our need of him. Deep and silent as a river Flows his mercy to us ever. Lights are on the altar burning Throwing halos o er the sea, There is something in me yearning, Yearning for a word from thee: Words to cheer the inner sorrow, Words to lead me on to-morrow. Through the church s nave are ringing Melodies to wonder at ; All the members join in singing Mary s sweet Magnificat Deep and restless as the ocean, Prompting us to real devotion. [64] Out upon the wildest prairie, In the crowded business mart, There is something like a fairy That has lodged within my heart, Filling it with sacred pleasure, Earnest of a boundless treasure. When the glory streaks have faded From the somber bars in west, And the throbbing life is shaded By the tender veils of rest, Pleads a voice in accents tender For a day s account to render. [65] BORNHOLM O ISLAND, where my fathers rest, So bold thou standst with rocky breast. Thy mountain crest like Greeks of old In phalanx firm, though arrow torn, Has faced the north wind s stormy gale, And split the snowstorm s "whitening veil." When morning breaks its gate by force, With blushing face in westward course Has bridged the Baltic Sea with glare, And reached thee, Island wondrous fair, It dyes thy brow with fiery hue By granite crags in purple blue, And sparkles round with deep effect The castles of the "Ryter Knight." Hark ! Baltic waves, in murmur deep Yet couched in awe around thy feet, Have tried in vain thy base of rocks To tear away by thunder strokes ; As angry clouds forever tempt, And glory of the sun prevent, So does the storm tossed sea by day And night thee, Island, hide in spray. The endless boom of waves that roll And ponderous strike the walls of stone In music from yon fairyland. [66] The waves in "Neptune s Naiad Dance," Recoiling, crouched, and fiercely torn By rocks and reefs as pickets strown, Continue still their warlike play And slowly wear the rocks away. In thee are precious relics found; Thy very soil historic ground, The grave mounds where thy chieftains sleep Their prehistoric secrets keep And many heroes moldering bones Beneath thy moss-grown Bouta stones Shall never sing their Runic lays Again in Viking haunted days. And (Valhals) gods in armor bright Shall no more on thy shores alight. O Island, far beyond the sea, My thoughts and hopes are still with thee. [67] I SAW HIM I SAW him in youth with the glow on his fea tures The halo like glory of childhood undimmed; I saw him inquiring of Israel s teachers The way of Jehovah intrusted to them. i I saw him again when in earnest he entered The mission that he was ordained to begin. At Jordan the eyes of the multitude centered On him, whom Jehovah acknowledged his son. I saw him more clearly when Golgotha trem bled; The power of darkness seemed gaining the day. O, tell me, ye heavens, whatever resembled This conquering hero that passeth away. I saw him at last when from earth he ascended Outstretching his hands o er the faithful and few; The cloud of his glory enclosed him and blended His train with the depth of the infinite blue. [68] Once more I shall see him go forth in his glory, The prince that is treading the winepress alone. Repeat to me often this singular story But tell me not when ; let me wonder how soon. WE linger a while in devotion To Him who has thought to pray ; Then join we again the commotion, The business affairs of to-day. We halt but a moment to bury A friend and to honor his name, And back to our business, we hurry, To life s ever changeable game. As time and as seasons are changing, And seedtime and harvest revolve, We always are busy arranging A problem we never could solve. We offer our noblest endeavor In hope of a cherished return, But only to learn that we never Are reaping the harvest we earn. Is life then forever a failure? Shall the soul which we honor the most Be fated to die as a sailor, Who sinks within sight of the coast? Shall all that we hope for and cherish Be only delusion, a dream? Shall noble endeavors thus perish, And life be a chance and a game? [70] Or is there beyond all these fleeting And changeable fortunes us brought, A realm where our cravings are meeting A state we so earnestly sought ; A realm where each noble ambition Is nourished by kindness and truth In environs with perfect condition For life in perpetual youth? [71] WELL OF LIVING WATER WELL OF HOLY WRIT well of living waters free, How often have I drawn from thee? When blazing heat of noonday sun So fiercely on my head has shone, 1 to thy living fountain sought And lingered by thy cooling draught. WELL OF NATURE There is a well that ever flows ; All flora blossoms where it goes. Though couched in never ending forms, In summer rills and winter storms, It quickens every living thing By the return of every spring. WELL OF ETERNAL LIFE But far above all earthly strife, The fountain of eternal life Is pouring forth its streams of bliss To comfort him who drinks of this ; And be to him a well of hope To sweeten every bitter cup. [72] WELL OF PRAISE O fountain dear, to thee I long; By thee I sing my sweetest song; By thee life s sweetest dreams I see Unfolded to reality; By thee each stunted bud will ope To flowers of eternal hope. [73] BY THE RAILROAD I SAT by the railway watching; The flowers were growing around. They elbowed themselves through the pebbles The builders had left on the ground. The violets blue as the heavens A winter night after snow, And daisies as white as the cirrus, That floats on the vaults of blue; The buttercups also were present, They grew on the upper grade: Their glorious bright golden yellow A complimentary shade. Some reds of the dog rose and mallow Completed the color scheme Of a simultaneous contrast; You pardon a technical name. I picked of the red and the yellow And added the violet bright, As alphabetical symbols Of primary colors of light. [74] And train after train came puffing And thundering along the rail; Mere products of witty inventions Forever offered for sale. And earth is so torn and so wounded On prairie, valley and mounds ; But flowers are ever growing To heal up her ghastly wounds. [75] BY THE OCEAN WHEN your life is lone and dreary Go and sit beside the ocean ; Mark the water s restless motion ; See it angry in commotion ; Note its swell when sad and weary. All thy languor then shall vanish, And to thee a new born vision Linger while you all things banish That have kept your soul in prison And been weariness to thee. Flee shall learning with its reason And thy mind to dreams be free. Have you walked along the coast, Listened to the plaintive waters, Wondering at the speech they utter, As they roll and crease the beach? Has the deep and distant roar With alluring awe impressed you And for sympathy addressed you Till you could contain no more? Or perhaps a mermaid caught you In her lurid net and brought you Far away from pier and shore. Once out on the brimming water, Far away from town and trash, From the petty fads and fashions, You will not again be rash. [76] Here in nature s solemn mood, With the somber colors shaded Subject only to a code And the infinite who made it, You can feel the force of nature ; Listen to her as a teacher, Till you feel yourself forlorn, Helpless, hopeless in creation, Wondering why you should be born ; Mocked by endless visitation Of an all controlling force, Force no mortal skill could fetter And no human law control. Then throw off the spell that bound you ; Set imagination free. Watch the firmament around you ; Feed upon its majesty. See the vaulted sky above you Curve to meet the depth below Till at last they meet each other In a rim of distant blue. And one sudden thought must enter In your mind with solemn force, That you are yourself the center Of a mighty universe. Have you guessed the pain and sorrow? Have you heard the ocean groaning, Listened to its plaintive moaning Funeral dirge so sad and grewsome [77] For the buried in its bosom. Note the billows angry struggle As they wrestle with each other, Children of a heartless mother Whipped to frenzy by their father: Is there any picture sadder? Deeply yet thy mind shall wonder When you listen to its thunder Doomed to flow for endless ages Like a fugitive accursed. Come and listen while you tarry ; Learn the language it is speaking, The redemption it is seeking. Cursed like Cain unforgiven, Always tossed and always driven, Fated to an endless motion : That s the language of the ocean. Deep and strange and sad and lonesome, Thousand spirits in its bosom Seem for freedom to be pleading; And from ebb and tide to rest, Vainly pleading for exemption: Nature s longing for redemption In her palpitating breast. Have you wondered at creation, Seen God s majesty revealed In the peaceful correlation, In the elements concealed? Have you felt a solemn peace [78] Brooding in a sunset splendor Over nature calm and tender, When you coast before a breeze O er the softly rolling billows And the ocean s rage has ceased, And it slumbers calm and mellow; When horizon in the distance Drops without the least resistance Its unfathomable blue ; When the deep indented mountain Merged below the glittering fountain Slowly from the waters grew ; When the sun in setting renders All things wrapped in golden splendors ; Bridged the ocean with its sheen? It is time, O soul, to linger With a prayer to God whose finger Drew this awe inspiring scene. Evening conquers with its stillness ; Softly vapors with their dullness Fanned the billows into sleep. It has rested from its cumber; Wake not the ocean from its slumber. Have you rocked upon the ocean ; Watched the awful depths below ; Seen the maze of mingled colors In their bright transparent glow; Marked the peace that lingers under All this mass of trembling foam ; [79] Felt its mystic power, with wonder Whence these strange attractions come ; Felt the deep appear oppressive If you make a longer stay ; Felt its silence so distressive That you wished you were away? But the spirit of the ocean Has but cold reserve and scorn ; And you linger on its surface Helpless, hopelessly forlorn, Till a sea gull breaks the silence ; Wakes your strange enchanting sleep And in horrid shrieks thus warns you To beware and shun the deep ; Lest some mermaid should allure you To her ultramarine strand, And in tender words assure you That it is a fairy land. Have you stood upon a headland; Watched the storm tossed sea below; Seen the surge and resurge weltering In their ceaseless ebb and flow; Hurled and lashed to frenzy driven, Torn to shreds and patches riven, Tossed with wild gigantic force Gainst defiant rock bound shores ; Falling back, impotent, dying, Spray of foam like white wings flying, Only to renew the struggle? [80] Ever more the struggle s on Tween the water and the land. Granite bound the coast line stands ; Bids defiance to the waters, Heedless of the curses uttered; Like a fortress in creation Built by the most high eternal Gainst the lawless and infernal Forces of the nether world. Doomed to chaos unlamented, Curbed by barriers resented; Left to caprice unrepented. Stroke by stroke the billows hurl Gainst the rocks their avalanches, Crushed by impact split and curled In a haze of spraying branches ; Wreaths of misty haze like foam, Light of beauty, shade of gloom, Floating on this heaving texture, Feared by many, loved by some, Is this storm begotten mixture. Lift your eyes, enlarge your vision ; Note the breakers in the distance Where a submerged reef s resistance To their wild career is causing All this fierce and wild commotion; Breaks the current of the ocean. Bars of sand and walls of rock Dare this raging tempest block; [81] Which of these shall last the longest? It s the one that is the strongest. Food for logical professors, Crumbs for scientific guessers, Let them tabulate creation. We will leave their speculation And return unto the waters, No uncertain sound they utter. Nature s secret we can cipher In her many mystic caper ; In the falling spray and current, In the wildly rushing torrent We can see her rainbow color. Tis the seal of God s approval Of the covenant he made When the earth was young and tender, Just emerging from the deluge ; Full assurance do they render That the great and boundless fountains Of the deep be no more broken Up and overflow the mountains. A beauty and a joy forever Is the colored bow of promise In the vapor clouds of surges, In the tempest ridden ocean. Stroke by stroke the waves are pounding; Granite frame of earth resounding; Music of a brute creation: [82] Forces present and primeval Subject to and in relation To the ever moving spirit. Full of sadness, full of sorrow, Roar to-day and moan to-morrow: Low in note and slow in motion Is the music of the ocean. I have heard it ; heard it often, Heard it in my tender years, When I slumbered in the cradle Baptized by my mother s tears ; Heard it when I, wrapped in wonder, Listened to the sailors tales Of their long heroic struggle In the grip of Baltic gales ; Heard it when my mother taught me To be good and go to sleep And beware of charming mermaids That are haunting o er the deep, And the nursery tales of sirens Living long the Danish coast In the memory of my childhood Were the things that charmed me most. Have you been upon the ocean ; Stood and watched the dawn of day, Seen the first bright lightning lances Slowly o er the ocean stray; Seen the early flush of morning [83] Deepen to a rosy dawn ; Seen the rising orbit burning Through the slumber bars of gray; Seen the undulating surface Change to an immense mosaic: A display of chromic splendor, When its fiery flashes render Sky and water incandescent, While their heaving, tossing surges Bear aloft their snow white crescents, Only to be plunged and buried In the cavernous recesses? Has the pomp of earth bereaved you : Left you lonely and forsaken? Go and tarry by the ocean ; With its spirit you may reckon. It will tone you to adventure. It can hush the woes of mortals By its deep and sullen moanings ; It will lap the beach around you. It is frolicsome, erratic, Independent, democratic, In its hurlyburly fashion. It is lulled into submission When the word of peace is spoken And the windstorm s force is broken. It will spur you to decision By its far extended vision. When the flocks of sea gulls gather, [84] One can see against horizon Glints of swiftly paddling pinions. They are wild and wanton prophets Stormbegotten without license; Harsh and threatening is their minion When the storm is on the ocean. Have you lingered by the ocean, Watched the tide waves ebb and flow? Have they brought a lesson to you As they ever come and go? Can you sit and see the surges Rising from the mystic deep, Without growing sad and thinking Of the sacred law they keep? Then the waves have lost their mission, Pointing to a shore beyond, And the heart has lost its vision Of another fairy land. Often dreamed I by the Baltic, Listening to its sad lament, Till some spirit of adventure Would my idle dreaming censure, Though it never could prevent. But upon the great Atlantic With its heaving so romantic [85] I had only one intent: Soon to be across the ocean, And to view the restless motion In the far off Occident. [86] IMPATIENCE i How long shall I wander so mournful and sad In search of the pathway I lost? How long shall I patiently cry unto God For that which I long for the most? Forgive me, O Father, if sometimes I err, Some clay may be harder to mold. When Thou hast obstructed the path I prefer My soul grows so helpless and cold. O Thou who hast purpose in training us here, In teaching us patient to wait, Uphold me if sometimes I almost despair To trust Thee both early and late. [87] TO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY SEE, a streak of light is beaming Just beyond horizon s brim ; Heaven s arch is dismal seeming, Moon so darkened, stars so dim. Oh, I wonder, is it twilight ; Is this glowy streak a frown From the sun forever setting; Or, please tell me, is it dawn? Faith hangs low above the meadow; Hope is fluttering round the hills ; Birds are flocking to the willow Weeping o er the drying rills. Men are seeking for employment ; Rich men storing up their gold. Lord, before the storm shall strike us Gather us within thy fold. Tell me, leaders of the masses, Molders of the thoughts of men, Does this unrest mong all classes Still more favored times portend? Or is this distress foreboding Of a coming chaos wreck Of our boasted institutions, Just for blinded leaders sakes? [88] Yonder where the crested mountain Lifts above the clouds its dome, Breaks the light beams from a fountain Of all ages yet to come. Oh, ye sons of toil, be cheerful To the cause of freedom true ; For it is the glow of morning That is beckoning to you. [89] FAITH THE hand of the Lord is on me ; The sign of the cross I bear; The power of truth has won me, I look toward the blissful shore. To live is my soul s ambition As worthy the place I hold. How strange is a saint s condition Alone in a sinful world! I look to the heights of heaven, And down to the depths of crime ; A freedom is to me given To choose for an endless time. Where er I on earth may travel, In every clime or state, My conduct shall there unravel The strength of my Christian faith. [90] TO MY FELLOW WORKMEN WORK, fellow, work, while the sunlight is round thee; Soon comes the evening with rest ; Heed not the idler that seeks to confound thee : Make him an unwelcome guest. All things most precious to human existence Come by the efforts employed; They are but hid in the gloom of the distance Some day to be fully enjoyed. Work, fellow, work, there is blessing in labor ; Brings out the noblest in man ; It is a duty we owe to our neighbor; Help him whenever you can. All things are mastered by human endeavor, Wisely directed, discreet; Let not thy folly and idleness ever Rob thee of birthright so great. Work, fellow, work, for the day of fruition Comes with its joy and relief, And the assurance of fulfilled commission Makes all thy struggles seem brief. Lose not thy birthright of freedom, but rather Make it most sacred of all, Lest you should fall and thy end would be sadder, Sadder than serfdom withal. [91] ALWAYS JOYFUL ON THE WAY (From the Danish) ALWAYS joyful on thy way, That is upward tending; Even first the goal you may Reach when life is ending. Powers of darkness never fear; Stars thy path will lighten; Mindful of thy Savior s prayer, They shall never frighten. Fight for all that thou hast, dear; Die if it is wanting; Then to live is pleasant here, Death itself enchanting. [92] LOST IN THE WOODS SHOW me the path, for it is getting late; Darkness like Goblins crouched beside each tree; The lonely bird calls to her distant mate; But I am lonely, no one called me. I feared not once, for I was counted strong In self sufficiency and foolish pride ; I loved to boast and place myself among Those who the object of all fears descried. My strength is weakness now I ve stooped to learn ; My days are numbered too, I know full well ; And doubts beset me everywhere I turn; So right from wrong I scarcely now can tell. How small I feel myself left here among The giant pines, girt with enduring strength, They domiciled on earth when it was young, And know its compass, marked its breadth and length. But I m of yesterday and scarcely know Which way shall lead me on to my abode ; The stars alone seem fervently to glow Above my head and stir my passive mood. [93] Straight is the way to heaven, as we gaze On stars that stud the vaulted firmament ; But here on earth a labyririthal maze Impedes our steps and distant views prevent. We fumble on in darkness and remorse ; We clutch at every straw that blows our way ; And leave the straight and narrow path because The pride of life is leading us astray. Lead me again to where my feet are safe ; Embrace me once and I shall feel secure ; This favor my bewildered fancies crave. O soul of nature, do not thou demur. [94] TO MY BIRD FLY, birdie, fly from the snare of the fowler; Fly, birdie, fly, for the hunter is seen; Be not deceived by his thousand devices. Birdie, be wary and keen. Watch, birdie, watch on the prairie and meadow ; Trust not the things that seem harmless to thee; Think of the nestlings far off in the hedges Twittering their first A. B. C. Haste, birdie, haste to the side of thy cradle ; There you can warble thy nursery song, There you can rock in the soft waving breezes ; Grown are thy young ones ere long. Then you can sweep over prairie and wood lands ; Speed on the breezes thy sweet melody. Birdie, when will you return to the hedges? Birdie, return unto me. [95] 12173 DATE DUE CAYLCRD 000 591 ass