Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-09-22
The WIFE OF LEON AND OTHER POEMS. by
two sisters of the West. New York, D. APP

Mine earthly children round me bloom,
Lovely alike in smiles or tears;
NY fairest sleeps within the tomb,
Through long and silent years.
And earthly ties are round me bound,
and earthly feelings fondly nursd;
And yet, the spell is not unwound
That link'd me 10 my first.
Afairv tline, with faxen hair,
And eyes of Bike, and downy cheek;
And frolic limbs, and lips that were
Striving for evermore to speak,.
thing as lovely as the day,
Fair as the shapes that span the beams;
A. innocent as flowers of May,
Asfro'!, as fading, as our dreams.
see the scale of childhood fade
Slowly from each young living brow;
Yet still, iG sunshine, or in shade,
That intani is an infant now.
Seasons may roll. and manhood'r pride
E,cl yoathful breast with care NAV fill:
&ai5aeh - c.e they'll leave my side,
Bat she will be my baby still.
And evermorc by thee unseen,
That vision fo!lowelh every where;
When ,hree are gathered on the green,
Yet | can see another there.
When three around The board are set
And call on Father, and on Mother
To mortal eyes but three are met,
But ! but / can see another.
A clerub child with angel wings,
Is floating DER me, fond and free,
And still that gladstone infant sings,
"Grieve not dear mother, not for mel"
Here is another poem, not quite perfect in
the expression, but presenting a most agreeable
portraiture ofyou,hful character, drawn, We can.
no: doubt, after some actual original:
1.-THE CHILD OF MANY TEARS"
His very birth with grief was fraught,
And oinlnous the day;
The angel who the infant brought,
The mother called away;
And still we reared in doubt and care,
The boy through rolling years;
And call him, in our valley fair,
1.-THE child Of many tears"
He was a gentle, loving thing,
OF q soft heart, and true;
With love that TO our souls did cling,
And daily, hourly grew;
And his were dark and shaded eyes,
And la>hes soft and fine;
Aforehead calm as summer skies,
A childish face divine.
But his was an imperfect mould
Oh! sorrow lone and dim
Those limbs 81 free. and 1.-the, and bold,
God had not given 10 him.
Blu, bent, and wry, and i'll at ease
In his dark mOurnful lot,
He seemed like a rich master piece
Half finished, and-forgot.
He grew up in our native vale,
Eyn with the bending flowers;
HIS boyi.h cheek was ever pale,
As jasmine of the bowers.
And most he loved to lie at length
Upon the long soft grass,
While visions of a sweeping strength,
Der his deep heart would pass.
His was a teen and subtle soul
And words of power and might,
And visions he could not control,
Burst evermore to light.
The hidden treasures ofhis thought
FRS, calmly flowed along,
Until they swelled, with beauty fraught,
A river-btoad and strong.
He left us-left tha, lowly home,
That porch h0 loved so well
We listed, his slow step 10 come,
Vainly; when evening fell.
We often TO each other spake
Oihim, with earnest fears,
We loved him for his parents sake,
That "child of many tears"
And many n year rolled slowly on,
With changes crow ded fast;
We have not heard Of him since on
Our steps he pondered last.
One eve, a stranger 10 our door
Came, covered with the snow;
And from his lips we heard once more
o! him-lov'd long ago.
The highest in the council room,
The witriest in the hall
The lord ola far distant home,
Adored, revered of all;
Wearing upona youthful brow,
The power ond pride of years,
With warnings Strange we name him row.,
That child ofmany tears"
In the following verses we recognise MOI
strength of manner.
LINES,
She met me with the same calm brow
She bore in other years;
mnrvelled then, ] marvel now,
Where slept her binding tears.
She spoke not once of that lost star,
That persisted from her sky;
Her words were all Of matters far
From that great agony.
She marked my dim and fearful eyes,
N broken speech she heard.
And dark and bitter memories
Within her heart were stirred.
sudden shudder, quick and sharp,
Shook her with quiverings,
Is yisihly rs when a harp
Isswept DER all lis strings.
An ashcn pallor yelled her check;
Cold damp stood on her brow;
And when At last she strove to speak,
Htr words we're whispered low;
Bur soon Tint fTn undaunled will,
That never strOve in vain,
Sid ~ Ibs inward storm, "be still"
And she was cain again.
:. A.. .s.l IL.