The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-02-24
THE REPUBLIC.
Iron THE REPuBLIc.1 j
A Memorial.

No wond'rous bump of skull had he
No mark of startling prodigy;
His ways were gentle, tranquil, mild
Such as be6t happy child
With thoughtful face, though bland and fair
or hazel eye and auburn hair.
When with his mates in mirthful glcc-
A simple, joyous boy was he;
Whose harmless wit, or gentle joke,
A laughing echo often woke.
He gaily joined the ardent chase,
And often won the bantcring race.
His sled, endowed with seeming skill,
Flow swiftest down the snowy hill;
And o'er the lake his gliding skates,
Left far behind his painting mates,
Yet mid this strife the gentle boy
Caught only bliss, and no alloy.
The vulgar oath-th' offensive word
The lie, the jeer, the scotf, be heard
Yet none of these e'er soiled his tongue,
Or DER his breast their poison flung;
No hidden vice, no lurking sin,
Told on his brow curse within;
And still, as years flew lightly Ger,
The stamp of truth and peace he bore.
If thus he loved the sportive mood,
Still more he loved alone to brood
Along the winding rivers brim,
Through arching forests hoar and dim
Beside the oceans shelly shore,
And where the surly cataracts pour.
Yet not an idle dreamer he,
Who wasted life in reverie;
For ocean, forest, fall. and brook
Each was to him speaking book.
And thus, untaught, he gained store
Ofcurious art and wond'rous lore.
oft have seen him in the wood,
Wrapt in a meditative mood,
Now gazing at tho forest high,
Now searching flowers with hecdful eye
Now watching with inquiring view,
Each feathered craftsman as he flew
Now studying deep the SPIDERS thread,
With wond'rous cunning twincd and spread
Now tracing out the beetles den,
Where sturdy insects work like men;
Now on his knees o'er ant hill bent,
Upon the bustling town intent;
Now snatching with skilful swoop,
From out the brook, a wriggling troop
Oftadpole, frog and nameless wight.
O'er which he pored in strange delight,
And thus, all natures varied lore
He loved to ponder o'er and Ger
! 4 0 WatCn alike, Win 6tuulOuS gaze,
The insects and their wondrous ways;
The forest, with its flush of flowers
The landscape, with its bloom of bowers
The river, winding far away
The ocean, in its ceaseless play
The trembling stars, that seem to trace
Gods footsteps DER the depths Of space.
And as in years he older grew a
Still stcrner science won his view.
From books he gathered hidden lore,
Though none knew how he gained his store.
Yet most he loved to break the seal
Ofnature's secrets, and reveal
The wond'rous springs that hidden lie
Within her deep philosophy
In pulley, axle, wedge and beam
In trembling air and flowing stream.
His mind, with shrewd invention fraught-
His hand, with ready practice wrought
Constructing engines, sped by steam,
That flew o'er mimic rail and stream.
Meanwhile his room a shop became,
With lathe and bellows, forge and flame;
And in the midst, as each could sec,
Mechanic-chemist-a was he.
And thus with knowledge he was fraught,
Not by an instinct, but by thought
Patient and tranquil-bent with caro-
O'cr many book--a student rare.
And while he thus the useful knew,
He still was just and truthful too.
He loved the good--the dutful-
The tasteful, and the beautiful.
Still modest-simple--wa his air;
Still found he pleasure every where.
Still found he friends on every hand:
The humble loved, for he was bland;
The high admired, for all refined,
His look and manner matched his mind.
No envy broke his bosom's rest
No pride disturbed his tranquil breast
No praise he needed, for he knew
To judge himself by standards true;
And words to him we're vain and waste,
Ifstill unsatisfied his taste.
With rapid hand his pencil drew
Light sketches of the scenes he knew,
Which told how we'll his studious eye
Had traced the hues of earth and sky
The playful change of light and shade
O'er rippling wave or spreading glade.
And music from his fingers swept
So sweet-so dcep-the listener wept.
The tutored and untutored round,
In trembling trance, alike were bound;
For not alone with hand and heart
He mastered all the gems Of art;
But badc the soft pianos key,
Reveal unwritten melody
Allowing fount of playful feeling,
O'er which plaintivo tone was stealing
As twilight Oft is seen to throw
Its saddening shade DER sunsct's glow.
'Tis said, alas that those who love
Sad melodies, go soon above;
And that fair youth--that gentle boy
So full of light, and love, and joy
Sixteen bright summers DER his head
He slceps, companion Of the dead
How vain are tears! yet memory's art,
While yet it wrings. still soothes tho heart;
For if il bring the lost to sight,
He comes in some fond robe Of light.
OF all his sports in life's fair day,
He loved the best down yonder bay,
To speed his boat with shivering sail,
Or glide before the whispering gale;
For in the presence of the sea,
He found quiet ocstacy,
AZ IL came with mystic lore,
And bcckoned to some happier shore,
And when his last sad hour was nigh,
And clouds were gathering DER his eye,
His mother asked, Chow now, my boy
He answered, with beam of JOY,
"Pm in my boati' and thus he passed
These simple, meaning words--his last!
s. G.. G..