Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-08-11
selett 4oetrp.
THE BAREFOOT BOY.
BY JOHN WHITTIER.

Blessings on thee, little man
Barefoot boy, with cheek of tan
With thy turned up pantaloons,
And thy merry whistled tunes
With thy red lip redder still, Il
Kissed by strawberries on the hill
With the sunshine on thy face
Through thy torn bfim's jaunty grace:
From my heart / give thee joy
l 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 ear and L
Outward sunshine, inward Joy;
Blessings on the 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;
OF the wild bees morning chase,
OF the wild flowers time and place,
Flight of fowl and habitude
OF the tenants of the wood,
How the tortoise bears his shell,
How the woodchuck digs his cell,
And the ground-mole sinks his we'll;
How the robin feeds her young,
How the orioles nest is hung
Where the whitest lilies blow,
Where the freshest berries grow,
Where the ground nut trails IN vine,
Where the wood-grape's clusters shine;
VI the black wasp's cunning way,
Mason ot his walls of clay,
And the architectural plains
or gray honest artisans -
For, eschewing books and tasks,
Nature answers all he asks;
Hand in hand with her he walks,
Face to face with her he talks,
Part and parcel of her joy
Blessings on the barefoot BOY!
Oh! for boyhoods time of June,
Crowding years in one brief moon,
When all things heard or saw,
Me, their master, waited for.
/ Was rich in flowers and trees,
Humming 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,
Whispered at the garden wall,
Talked with me from fall to fall;
Mine the sand-rimmed pickerel pond,
Mine the walnut slopes beyond,
Mine the bending orchard trees,
Apples Of Hesperides
Still as my horizon grew,
Larger grew my riches too.
All the world saw or knew,
Seemed complex Chinese toy,
Fashion'd for barefoot boy!
Oh! for festal dainties spread,
Like my bowl of milk and bread
Pewter spoons and bowl of wood,
On the door stone, gray and rude !
Der me like regal tent,
Cloudy-ribbed, the sunset bent,
Purple curtaned, fringed with gold,
Looped in many wind swung fold;
While for music came the play
OF the pied 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 and laugh as boyhood can
Though the hinty slopes be hard,
Stubble speared the new mown sward,
Every morn shall lead thee through
Fresh baptisms ofthe 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 beshod,
Made to tread the mills of toll,
Up and down with ceaseless moil-
Happy if their track be found
Never on forbidden ground
Happy if they sink not in
Quick and treacherous sands Of sin.
All! that thou couldst know the joy,
Ere it passes, barefoot boy!