P S 3523 183 C3 1898 MAIN LOME LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. Class UNIVERSITY OF . > X. "Of the truth that gold can never buy." EDGAR A. POE. California Souvenir Occult and Other Poemettes + * BY 1"ALCIONE." NATURE, PHILOSOPHY, PATRIOTISM, IMMORTALITY Copyright, Dec., 1898. -- MAY BE OBTAINED OF - Junto Book Co., Yonkers, New York. Creightons Book Store, 110 Turk Street, San Francisco. The "Paper-Covered" Book Store, 1203 Market St., San Francisco. Union News Depot, 4 Market St., near ferries, San Francisco. Metaphysical Library, 526 Fourteenth St., Oakland ; OR Sent by mail by "Alcione," 23 First St., San Francisco, on receipt of coin or money order. SAN FRANCISCO, 1898-99. Price, 50 Cents. CONTENTS. PACK Hail, California ! 5 The American Soldier s Grave 6 The Old Violin s Story 7 A Stream in the Sierras 9 The Voice of the Rose 11 Astrology 12 Universal Brotherhood 14 The Dying Adept 15 My Southern Love 17 Thought Waves 18 Spirit Slate-writing 19 Psychometry 20 Heroes of Manila 21 St. Joseph Lily 22 Adepts of India 23 Divine Art of Music 24 Where Love Abides 25 Star of the Morning 25 To a Departed Spirit 27 Clairvoyance 27 Is Reincarnation True ? 28 Sweet Peas 29 Cathode Ray oO Spiritual Inspiration 30 Heroine of the Baldwin Theatre Fire 31 Lovers at Twilight 32 Aloha ! Sister Hawaii ! 33 Soldier-Boy s Reverie 34 Forgiveness 35 Old Oak Tree 36 NOTE. In composing these Souvenir Poemettes, the writer has endeavored to present ideas that will elevate, and be acceptable in the family circle, and if they serve to arouse any of the nobler impulses in the great brotherhood of humanity, their cardinal purpose will have been ac complished. Respectfully, "ALCIONE." 173688 THE GOLDEN GATE, S. F. The Hicks-Judd Co., Printers andiBookbinders, San Francisco. Hail, California! HAIL, California! bright gem by the Western sea, Our song is not complete unless we sing of thee ! Thy vernal vales and mountains grand That grace this farthest Western land Charm every eye that may behold Their glory has not half been told ! Home of the coming race thou lt be, Sunniest State by Pacific sea Flow r-clad, fruitful, a glorious State Where Nature s marvels are so great! 6 SOUVENIR The American Soldier s Grave* SPEAK softly tis a soldier s grave we near; Some mother s son rests neath this humble mound All Nature mourns, for he was one so dear Who for the nation his sweet life-blood gave! The starry flag his noble form entwines; No more her fond embrace his cold heart feels; That mother s heart to God s decree re signs, And on her life has Sorrow set his seals. Ah ! hero, resting in the dust so low Your duty nobly in the battle done Your fate has caused the bitter tears to flow, But for th oppress d sweet liberty is won ! POEMETTES. 7 The Old Violin s Story. MY HEART beats happy, for five score years to-day My form has seen the light of day, And through the long years I am safe, tho now The cold earth wraps my master s brow. What various scenes I ve gazed on, year by year ! I ve seen the happy wedding and the funeral bier; I ve felt the calm of life and seen its storm, And lived thro winters cold and summers warm. My plaintive tones have cheered and charmed the soul Of listeners passed to Lethe s goal; Have teardrops drawn from many an eye; Have moved hearts tender in ecstatic sigh. 8 SOUVENIR E en when at night my form was laid away, The tones returned to listeners of the day, And echoing to their hearts the strains they love, Gave peace to life as from above ! A poor old man a listener was one day The melody was of a lost one, far away; My soul was moved, for such an one had he A son who sailed, and lost was on the sea. His heart was melting with those strains sublime, Which to his spirit seemed almost divine, For with them came a thought of long ago, Ere his first-born had wander d to and fro Such are a tale or two of what I ve seen In my long journey through life s chang ing scene; POEMETTES. 9 And if one heart I ve soothed or happy made, My echoing strings have not in vain been played ! ^ A Stream in the Sierras. [The writer crossed the Sierra Nevadas near Mount Whit ney, ascending to a height of 12,000 feet, passing Heart Lake, Bullfrog Lake, and the Devil s Punchbowl fed by innu merable beautiful streams all being about this elevation. How inspiring these scenes are, only those who have visited them can know.] FALLING water! falling water, Making music all the day; Never tiring, on your journey- On your journey to the bay. In the day-time, in the night-time, Merry you your course pursue; Never tiring, never tiring, In your course neath skies of blue 10 SOUVENIR Over mosses, over pebbles, Singing many a merry lay Little streamlet, ever sparkling, You are joyous all the way ! When the snowflakes, bright as crystal, Fall upon your shining breast, You just shiver, little river Then the snowflakes melt to rest. When the birds, with downy wing-tips, Shake the spray in diamonds bright, You just kiss the crystal raindrops, And speed on your way so bright. On eternal, in scenes vernal, Streamlet, murmuring your way; Sighing, singing, blessings bringing From Nature s heart to us each day. The Big Trees, Santa Cruz. The Tavern on Mount Tamalpais, Mill Valley Scenic Railway POEMETTES. M Laughing water ! laughing water ! Mirror of the stars at night, Sun is setting ! we re forgetting Time is flying on good-night ! The Voice of the Rose* THEY say I am beautiful would you know why ? Tis that I m content with my destiny; Happy to spread perfume in the air, And bless every wand rer who lingers near. I m free as the air that o er you blows, And have a heart, though I m but a rose; No evil in it does ever intrude For the soul of the rose is the soul of good. 12 SOUVENIR Humanity, would ye be perfect as I ? Be pure, be refined, as time passes by; Your powers will be greater happy you ll be, From turbulent passions forever set free. & Astrology: or. Planetary Influence on Man ?r "PlS SAID that o er each soul at birth I Presides a star whose aspects ever guide The footsteps of that one on earth Who neath its influence may abide. This would seem true when life we scan, And note events upon our way That star influence is strong on man, And good or ill shines in their ray. POEMETTES. 13 How strange it is that star by star Affects us different from afar The sensitive affirm they feel The planets forces o er them steal; That Venus throws a gentle ray, And Mars with fiery force does sway; That Mercury, swift and sparkling, gives His fleet power to one who lives Beneath his sign ; while Jupiter A noble mind will e er confer; Uranus, distant giant orb, is seen To give a spiritual mind serene; Saturn evolves intellectual pride, Which circumstances oft may hide. Those born in the Moon s soft ray, Sensitive, changeable, tender they; The happy souls born neath the Sun Are full of jovial health, each one. And yet each star-influence depends 14 SOUVENIR On change of " signs , which never ends, For all planets, near or far away, In separate circles move each day, So one star in favored sign may be, While another moves where care may be. ? Tis said if passion s power we still, Bad astral influence we mitigate That by our power o er the will, In some degree we conquer fate. Universal Brotherhood* WE RE brothers all, but each in dif ferent circuits move Some like what others hate some loathe what others love; But let us drop all prejudice, and truly feel We each can do some for the general weal. POEMETTES. 15 Let charity not sects pervade the mind, And every sordid thought be left behind; Nor let Suspicion s darkening wing Throw its shade o er the soul within. Thus, though far and wide apart we roam, Each one is traveling to th ethereal home And, as unselfish and brotherly we be, Sooner we ll reach the power of Deity. The Dying Adept* MOURN not for me, although my body fail; Its feebleness retards my labors bright When it decays, my soul-strength will prevail And carry me to realms of light; But I ll return, and now I ll tell you where 16 SOUVENIR My soul reborn and pure again will be$ I ll name the family, so you will beware Where I am born to bless humanity, And when you see the babe wherein I ll Ask for the languages I speak just now; The tongues all true you ll find twill know; Truth s impress will be on its brow. # # # # Farewell ! farewell ! mourn not for me, For I ll return, reborn, to thee; To teach an ign rant world I ll come Back from the glorious spirit home ! t It is recorded that a high Hindoo adept, in order to con vince some truth-seekers who weie skeptical of reincarnation, stated that after his death, he would at a certain time be reborn in a specified family; that then, while still an infant, he would talk in several little known dialects of Thibet, and in other Eastern languages. The skeptics awaited the adept s death, saw the child and heard it speak the dialects and languages mentioned. If absolute proof of this were obtainable, the Theosophic idea ot reincarnation would be established; while on the other hand, the Spiritualists might claim it to be a case of "spirit control." POEMETTES. 17 My Southern Love* "O, human love, them spirit given, On earth, of all we hope in heaven." EDGAR A. POE. THERE S a sweet Southern maiden who lives down the vale, In a cot neath magnolias so fair, And often I wish d to tell her the tale Of a love that for her I did bear. The garden is full of rarest of flow rs, Where the honey bees roam all the day, But she is the fairest of all the bright flow rs, She charms by her kindness each day. But ne ermore shall 1 stray to that sweet sunny home, Though in memory her image will stay, And I wish her all blessings where er she may roam My sweet Southern love, far away! 18 SOUVENIR Thought Waves* "And silent thought my only prayer." THOS. MOORE. VIBRATING o er the mental sea, Thought waves come incessantly, Starting can mortal man tell where ? But far beyond the upper air. Like sea-shell echoing in caves, So man echoes bright thought-waves, And if in harmony he be, Their echoes bless humanity ! The artist catches thoughts of light And shade, in colors soft or bright; Musicians sound s vibrating tones; So thought waves, surging on life s sea, From mind to mind flow ceaselessly. # # * * Destiny fulfilling on earth s shore, Good thoughts be ours for evermore! POEMETTES. 19 Spirit Slate- Writing* "But why should the bodiless soul be sent Far off to a long, long banishment ?" BRYANT. SPIRIT friends, I opened wide faith s gate, And you wrote a message on the slate; No doubt was there that twas from you Invisible, departed friends so true ! In many colors your true sentence came; Your ideas, too, were just the same As when on earth you stood at my side And to solve death s mystery you tried. Ever you re welcome, spirit friend your pow r Is felt at morn and in the twilight hour. May many get the power that brings you here, To write sweet truths from brightest sphere. 20 SOUVENIR Psychometry. THERE is a power that in the human mind Finds lodgment while few think tis there Psychometry the hidden it will find, Tho obscured from all things bright and clear. Tis unlike sight; tis feeling clear and true. And permeates each atom small That s hid in substance from our view Finding what s true and accurate in all. " Soul-measuring " this newest term implies And boundless its ever-widening sway, And as this century unceasing flies, Psychometry is spreading every day, Exploring truth s mysterious lore, That beckons us for evermore ! POEMETTES. 21 Heroes of Manila* YOUR fame will yet be told in story To children s children of our land How you fought for freedom s glory, In Manila s tropic land! Midst the storm of Spanish bullets, Never faltered one of you In the darkness pressing onward, Each heart to America true ! Waist-deep in the flooded trenches, You stood the murderous, galling fire Of the enemy; but the victory Was all e en Dewey could desire ! Fallen comrades how they suffered Ere the bugle sounded peace; Ere their wounds could be attended, Or the cannon s roar could cease ! On shore and in Cavite s harbor, Americans have fought and won 22 SOUVENIR Given the Philipinos freedom; Prison-gates for slaves undone. Down the ages will go pealing Dewey s and our soidiers ? fame; For they brought God-given freedom When to Manila s shore they came. The St. Joseph Lily. Sweet lily fair, thy odor sweet Floats on the air as we pass by; Thy blossoms, dropped just at our feet, Seem to have fallen from the sky. Most emblematic flow r you are Speaking of noble purity, Telling of spheres that, like the stars, Rise for man in futurity. OF THE UNIVERSITY ERS1TY 1 POEMETTES. 23 Adepts of India* YE WONDROUS souls, who on fair mountain heights reside, Away from cities where vile pow rs pre side, Whose thought unselfish, pure is there unfurled, Ye look in pity on an ignorant world ! And yet ye help the race to tread The path of wisdom and, instead Of glittering wealth, to here pursue The knowledge that fades not from view. True, ye have powers of miracle at hand, And pre-eminently wise ye stand, Yet teach that truth s the highest goal, And the most wondrous for the human soul. In emulation of your course divine, May we seek truth, and sin resign. 24 SOUVENIR Divine Art of Music. WHAT most charms us in a lonely hour? Tis music s wondrous soothing power, That bids our every care away, And turns our " mental night v to day! Sound, well combined, charms the ear, Just as soft words our hearts endear. When far away in valleys wide, Where nature s peace seems to abide, Music s a friend who ll ne er forsake, But ever raptures sweet awake. Who has not seen, in busy street, Amid the throng s swift-moving feet, A sound of music turn their glance, And cause each palpitating heart to dance? If music which on earth we hear Is sweet what of the heavenly sphere? In other worlds how grand must be This science music harmony ! T POEMETTES. 2$ Where Love Abides* ELL me where does love reside In the heart or in the brain Or does it roam in the red blood tide That courses through our every vein ? Invisible to us he comes, But more real than life itself; In quest of victims e er he roams- Defying ev ry power e en pelf. Cupid truly throws his arrow Where most harm it sure will do To some brings joy, to others sorrow, And death itself to not a few. Star of the Morning* STAR of the morning, whose lucid ray Lights the lone wand reron the earth way, How fair is thy light o er mountain and sea, 26 SOUVENIR Star of the morning, I sing now of thee. Orb of the morning, thy glorious beams Fall o er the valleys, the hills and the streams They fall on the happy, the sorrowing, too, Who re often so lost to humanity s view ! Star of the morning, emblem so bright, Telling that there is hope in the night In the night of earth sorrow, O weary one, see Hope s message from Deity sent unto thee. Star of the morning, roseate is thy hue, For the blazing bright sun flashes now in our view But the hope thou hast given, star-gem so bright, Was as glorious then as the sun now is bright. POEMETTES. 27 To a Departed Spirit, "What could there be more purely bright !" EDGAR A. POE. DEAR soul of love, back from heav n s isles You ve come to me all wreathed in smiles; Surprised me with your looks of love, Borne from the glowing realms above. Your footstep s missed upon the stair Your soft blue eyes and flowing hair; Thy white rose blooms, but not for thee A stranger hand now tends the tree ! A rose yourself, Heav n took away The one He could not spare to-day ! You said the words, " Such love as ours Ne er can be severed " heavenly pow rs Grant us that hope our souls to bless, Until we meet in blessedness ! o Clairvoyance. MYSTIC sight that scans the realms within, 28 SOUVENIR And everything on earth can measure, That can discern between the right and sin; That can discover hidden treasure Thou art a power that can assist mankind To far advance and individualize, And, leaving error s methods far behind, To wisdom s nobler heights arise ! If they who have thy light their duty do, And to the truth alone adhere, Thy pow r they ceaseless should pursue, Divesting life s mysteries of fear; But if with selfish purposes they seek, Better the power should vanish like the night For all power without truth is weak; Truth is life s everlasting light. A Is Reincarnation True? ND is it true that souls come back again To live again in fading human form ? POEMETTES. 29 Do they return to earth with weary feet, Life s lessons here to learn complete ? It may be so, and wise ones say indeed tis so If now we learn not wisdom s starry way, Again on earth we ll wander to and fro. Hovve er it be, they say unselfishness shall be The pow r to raise us to that happy sphere Where, evermore so strong and free, The spirit conquers rebirth here. Sweet Peas* MOST delicate gems of the garden, Whose perfume is sweetest of sweet, Thou rt emblems of joy in perfection, That last but a moment so fleet. When summer-wind blows o er thy petals, Ah ! quickly they re faded away, And, like joys neath the power of hatred, They are gone from our life s little day; 30 SOUVENIR And may thy sweet bloom be a lesson To prize what s refined true and fair To treasure immortality s blossoms, So glorious, undying and rare. Cathode Ray* O WONDROUS ray, that through dense sub stance shines, The Nineteenth century has thy power found Brilliant achievement of those patient minds Who ve studied out thy laws profound ! Yet other laws, as subtle and as gjeat, Remain, inventive souls to explore; They yet shall find, invent, anew create, To bless humanity for evermore. Spiritual Inspiration, LIKE sunshine of morning that opens the flow r And makes it bloom fresh for the day, So sweet inspiration s the glorious pow r That chases life s shadows away ! POEMETTES. 3I To the poor, to the rich, to sick, and to well, If they re earnest, it falls at their feet; In city, on mountain, on ocean/in dell, Its soul-music is constant and sweet. Souls of the angels with us ever abide To touch inspiration s deep spring; Through doors of the heart how easy they glide When they see faith is waiting within ! Heroine of the Baldwin Theatre Fire. [During the conflagration at the Baldwin Theatre and the hotel adjoining, on the night of Nov. 23, 1898. many acts of gieat heroism were performed. Miss K. Richardson, while surrounded by fire in a room on the sixth floor, fastened a rope to a bedpost, lowered three other women in safety, and then made the terrible descent herself, narrowly escaping death.] IN THE blazing ruins stood she Heroine of the Baldwin fire; High at window of sixth story Flames around her leaping higher. The thought of saving others kept her In those moments of dispair; Kept her heart in courage beating, At that room high in the air. 32 SOUVENIR With the rope by friend bequeathed her, She three others lives did save Self forgetting in that moment When duty called her to be brave ! Soon the smoke^ herself o ercoming, Drove her from the room on high, And on the ledge her form, illumined, Seemed a speck up in the sky ! Hearts below prayed for her safety, As the rope she tightly held ; Trembled when she swung thro embers Breathless every swing beheld ! Joy ! She safely reached the pavement ! Wild cheers rent the lurid air; Carried to a place of safety The bravest heroine mong the fair. Lovers at Twilight* (Obtainable in music form at Mauvais , S. F.) THEY met at twilight when day s care was o er, When the wavelets beat softly against the lake shore, And the hush of the evening invited sweet rest, And the sun s parting rays just lightened the west Loop on Mill Valley Railway, Near Mount Tamalpais. POEMETTES. 33 Soft o er the waters comes music so sweet How the strange echoes repeat and repeat: " Meet me at twilight when day s care is o er, And. the wavelets beat softly against the lake shore !" Now o er the dim waters a boat glides along; Listen, oh, listen ! tis moving with song The song of true lovers; how sweetly they sing, As their boat lightly speeds, like bird on the wing. They ve met in the twilight thrice happy the hour, When Cupid s abroad in the full of his pow r; They re sailing away, with hope beating high Now lost to view neath the star-beaming sky ! Rest, dear heart, rest ! you re the one I adore; Murmur your thoughts as they rise in your breast, Twilight is fading we re far from the shore; Happy with thee, my love evermore. Aloha ! Sister Hawaii ! (Admitted to the American Republic, 1898.) LOHA, Aloha !" fair sister, Hawaii; We welcome thine isles of the sapphire sea, Where the graceful palm grows and soft wind blows; Aloha! we welcome thee; now thou art free. 34 SOUVENIR Thy true sons no more shall pine so lonely The arm of the Union encircles thee round; Peace love America wishes thee only; Prosperity dawns with liberty s sound. Aloha ! Aloha !* thy fame s known in story Kilauea, throne of Goddess Pele; Oahu, the isle where thy Kings reigned in glory Aloha ! Aloha ! A welcome to thee ! Soldier-Boy s Reverie* THERE S a fond mother s blessing that e er fol lows me, Wherever on earth I may go Tho I travel afar by the land or by sea, Through the tropics or over the snow. She blessed me parting to the war I would go And in memory her smile cheers me still; While on life s rough pathway always I know Her blessing my life e er will fill. At the gate, parting, the tears filled her eyes (For tender are mothers, and true), * Aloha, in the Hawaiian tongue, means "welcome." POEMETTES. 35 And softly and silent her bosom heaved sighs As her boy passed away from her view; And buck once again she called me to get Just another fond glance then from me; I fold her then, "O ne er must you fret, For I ll write to you over the sea." The months came and went, and I never returned To the mother whose heart beat so true, And a deep thought of her within my hea.it burned, Although she was absent from view. One day there came news ah! saddest indeed Her spirit had flown to its rest; But her blessing still follows me love cannot recede, Though her soul flies to scenes of the blest. Forgiveness. FORGIVE your fellow-mortals When wrong of you they say; The time will come they ll know They spoke in error s way. 36 SOUVENIR. Old Oak Tree. (Obtainable in musical form at Mauvais , S. F.) THERE S an old oak tree that grows near by, Down by a silvery stream, And it looks so pretty neath the clear blue sky, Down where the waters gleam; Where I often stray neath the sun s glad ray, And watch the birds that fly From the leaves of the pretty old oak tree To the little glen near by. Its branches fair all reflected are In the icy stream below, And its gnarled old trunk bears many a scar, While around it the wild flow rs grow. The children play neath the oak each day Many tales of glee it could tell; And soft winds blow where grasses grow, And the old oak s green for aye ! * * # # # Farewell, old oak ! where on many a day I ve sat by the flow r-bordered stream You ve charmed a care from a life away, Down where the waters gleam ! UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY BERKELEY THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW Books not returned on time are subject to a fine of 50c per volume after the third day overdue, increasing to $1.00 per volume after the sixth day. Books not in demand may be renewed if application is made before expiration of loan period. 50m-7, 16 14552 U.C.BERKELEY LIBRARIES