Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-02-26
g0e 7'otrn enid and ths Co,ln.rY Child.

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BY ALLAN CUNNING CHAM
Child OF the County,! free q. air
AT thou, and =. the sunshine fair;
HON, like the lily, where the dew
siles odorcus When the day i,new
Fed mid the May wers Ike a Rec.
Eureed TO sweet music on the knee.
F.n.l'd in The bres, Of that glad tune
Which winds mske mons Oh, woods Of SGus.
i sing Of thee;-ti, sweet TO sing
OF such fair aud eisisome thing.
Child Of tue town Cor thee ,ish;
a gilded roofs thy goidensky,
A carpet i, thy dsi,ied sod,
a narrow street thy boundIess road,
Thy ru.hing deer, the gathering trsmp
OF wstehmer, thy best lights ismp,
Through smoke, sud n OF through treili,ed yils,
Aud blooming trees, thy sunbeam chimes
sing of thee in sadness; where
Else !, wreck wrought in sught 80 fair.
Child of the country! thy small feet
Tread on strawberries red and sweet:
With thee wander forth Ia see
The flowers which most delight the be.:
The bush DER which he trostle ,uux
In Api IL while abe nur-ed her Yu.irr:
The den beneath the sioe. thorn, where
She bred her twin the timorou, hsrs:
The kn,ll, wrought DER with will bluebeiiS,
Where brown bees build their haimy cells;
The green wood stream, the shady pool
where trou,s leap when the day i, cool;
The Shilfn', nest that seems TO Be
A portion of the shrl,erirs tree
And other piarvels which NY verse
Can find no language 10 rehesr.r.
Child OF the town! for thee, alas!
Glad nature spresd' nor flowers nor graz;
Birds build no nests, nor in the sun
Glad streams come singing as they run:
a maypole is thy blo.,om'd tree
A beetle is thy murmurins bee;
Thy bird is csged, thy dove i, whprs
Thy pouitsrer dw els, beside thy haze:
Thy fruit is pluckH and by the proud
Nawk'd elsmorous all the city round:
No roses, twinborn on the stalk,
Perfume thee in thy evening walk;
No voice If birds-but to the. ,o,nrS
The mingled din Of cars and drums,
And startling cries, such q. are rife
When wine and wa,,sl Waken strife
Child of the country. on the i1wn
see thee like the bounding favp,
Blhhe rs the bird which tries lis wing
The fret time on the winds of spring.
Bright as the when from Che clour
He come, cocks are GROWING loud;
Now running, 'hputins, mid srnbenm,..
Now cropping trout, in iucid .,res~,,
Now spinuipy like a mill.wheel rount
Now hunting echos empty sound,
Now climbing up some old tail tree
For climbing sake. III, sweet 20 !kc6.
To sit where birds can sit alone.
or share with thee Thy venturous throne
Child ofthe town and busting street,
What woes and SHARES await thy feet
Thy paths are paved for FIVE long tniicr
The groves nnl hills are PEAK, and tiles:
Thy fragrant air is yon thick smoke,
Which .hroud, thee like mourning clesi:
And thou art csbin'd and confined
AT once from sun, and dew, ane wisS;
Or set thy totteIipg feet but on
Thy lenstheD'd walks Of slippery stone;
The cjachmen there careeriny reela
With gonded steeds snd maddening uheslsS
And Commerce pours each porips son
In pelfs pursuit. and hollOs' run.
While, fu.h'd with wine, and stang at play.
Men rush from dai knees into day.
The streams too strong for the small BARI;
There pought can sail, save what /, .iaik.
Fly from the town, sweet child for hesith
Is happiness, and strength, and wealth.
There IS lesson in each aower.
A story in each stream and bower.
Ouevesy herb on which you tread
Are written word, which, rightly READ.
Will lead you from es,th's nsgIsn eot
Tohope, and holmes, and Go.