Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-10-06
= o { t Y y.
THE BAREFOOT BOY.
BY JOHN G. WHITTIER.

Blessings on thee, little mani
Barefoot boy, with cheek of tan!
With thy turned-up pantaloons,
And the merry whistled tunes
With tho red lip redder still,
Kissed by strawberries on the hill
With the sunshine on the face
Through thy torn brim's jaunty grace
From my heart l give thee joy.
| was once barefoot boy
Prince thou art-the grown up man
Only is republican.
Let the million-dollared ride
Barefoot trudging at his side,
Thou hast more than he can buy,
In the reach OF car and eye
Outward sunshine, inward joy;
Blessings on thee, barefoot boy!
oh for boyhood's painless play,
Sleep that wakes in laughing day;
Health that mocks the doctors rules;
knowledge, never learned of schools,
Or the wild bees morning chase,
VI the wild flowers time and place,
Flight Of fowl and habitude
OF the tenants of the wood,
How the tortoise bears his shell,
And the ground-molc sinks his well;
How the robbin feeds her young,
How the orioles nest is hung,
Where the whitcst lilies blow,
Where the freshest berries grow,
Where the ground-nut trails in vino,
Where the wood grapes clusters shine;
or the black wasp's cunning way,
Mason Of his walls of clay,
And the architectural plans
or grey hornet artizans
For, eschewing books and tasks,
Nature answers all he asks;
Hand in hand with her he talks,
Face to face with her he walks,
Part and parcel of her joy
Blessings on the barefoot boy!
Oh for boyhood's time of June,
Crowding years in one brief moon,
When all things l heard or saw,
Me, their master, waited for,
! was rich in flowers and trees,
lIumming birds and honey bees;
For my sport the squirrel played,
Piled the shouted mole his spade;
For my taste the blackberry cone,
Purpled over hedge and stone,
Laughed the brook for my delight,
Through the day and through the night,
Whispering at the garden WALL
Talked with me from fall to fall,
Mine the sand-rimmed pickercl pond,
Mine the walnut slopes beyond,
Mine the bending orchard trees,
Apples of Iiesperides!
Still rs my horizon grew,
Larger grew my riches too,
All the world l saw or knew,
Seemed o complex Chinese toy,
Fashioned for barefoot boy
Oh for festal dainties spread,
Like my bowl Of milk and bread
Pewter spoons and bowls of wood,
On the door stone grey and rude
O'er me like regal tent,
Cloudy-ribbed the sunset bent,
Purple Curtained, fringed with gold,
I.ooped n many n wind-swung. fold;
While for music came to play
OF the pic frogs orchestra;
And, to light the noisy choir,
Lit the fly his lamp of fire.
I was monarch; pomp and joy
Waited on the barefoot boy
Cheerily then. my little man,
Live aud laugh rs boyhood can
Though the tlinty slopes be hard,
Stubble-speared the new mown sward,
Every morn shall lead thee through
Fresh baptisms of the dew;
Every evening from thy feet
Shall the cool winds kiss the heat;
All too soon these feet must hide
In the prison cells Of pride
Lost the freedom of the sod,
Like colts for work be shod,
Made TO tread the mills of toll,
Up and down in ceaseless moil-
Happy if their track be found
Never on forbidden ground
Happy if they sink not in
Quick and treacheroHs sands Of sin,
All! that thou could'st know the joy,
Ere it passes, barefoot boy!