, 1857-01-09

The blue stream by our fathers door
That Wept in glee along
Ny heart is haunted evermoro
With memories Of ia song.
Oh lonely stream, in faroif land,
That my eye no more shall see.
Last eve stood as I Used to stand
By thy wild, sweet waves, and free,
And the rushes. grew beside thee green.
And the willow DER the hung,
And thy waters were the same soft sheen
E, By the Oldeu twilight Gung.
Aethought the young pure heart was mins
That to childhood's hour belongs,
That my cheek had kept its red rose sign,
And my lip its wild, sweet songs;
That their hands, ah dust and ashes now.
Mid the bright brown ringlets lay
80 often smoOthed from this careless brow
By those loving hands away.
And the fair, sweet flowers-all well knew
That blossomed by thy side,
Again some green leafs fairy crew,
Launched them on the tide;
And wished them on their way God speed
lin every truth once moreO
Believing in the guileless creed
That gave them hearts Of yore.
Oh blessed heart Of chIldhood's timOI
CHE lovely and the brief)
Unmllled by the thought or crime
That makes the futures grief,
In all thy fairy dreams and fond
ench earnest faith doth lie
Earth nothing hath, It's scope beyond.
Nor Heaven above too high.
Beside thee in that hour Of dreams
Our fathers home arose,
Where bright the silVery beechWOOd glesmS
And prickly holly grows.
And where the chlldren's laughter made
Sweet music long ago,
Az when together we had played.
Iheard their voices hoW.
And still stood open wide the gate.
IaTI WAnder'd through the while,
And sat me where used 70 wait
Beside the little stile-
2 The very path our footsteps made,
That through the orchard wound,
"a And downward through the hawthorn glade
Ny vagrant footsteps found.
COO aif s haI- aa
Earth hath not their mortal shads
Who stood beside me there ...
The light upon their foreheads laid
No living brow might wear
For oh, where angels, face 10 face,
God gIOrihed.. doth see, ..f...
Hath been Of blissful rest their place,
sf5i Since last they looked on me.
Al, many form long gone to rest,
lhi Whose place none may an.
Was elasped unto this thrObbing breast.
That only theirs could thrill,
And many a smile that shines no more,
20 By board or hearth for me,
6hOne on me from the silent shore,
Oh deep blue stream by thee
2 And dghs and sounds were on the air
.y That yet shall haunt me long,
The vesper's low, soft voice Of prayer,
The cuekoo's mournfnl song,
The winds wild waiing as they swept 3.9 ~
Above the crumbllng ianes,
Where long the ancient race hath slept
~ Whose blood is in our veins
And sounds. al dearer far than those
Ny listening senses filed;
The song beside the hearth-stone closo
ee'on winter evenings thrilled; ia
And gentle words that used 10 sway
Ay,very soul at will, t.c
Vnuttered alnce the by1gone day,
Doth sOOthe and sway me still.
Oh blest, thrice blessed seem'd my lot.
VI In that wild dream Of Old
The past--its follies all forgot
Ny fnture'sla untold.
? TIE sins, the sorrows, and the Strise
d With which my sOul had striven;
That darkened DER my book Of Life
From out its pages rven.
10 Nine own blue sky above my head,
Mine own green hills around,
The'valleys far before me spread,
% with shining yerdure crowned,
The blue waves glistening at my feet.
has That Whispered first the strain
That though upon my lips less sweet.
80 Hath not been sung in vain.
!, Standing, as childhood ever stands.
Upon this inournful sod
OF all things fashioned by bis hapds
- . The nearest thing to God
Oh would give, IL II were mine.
This wide worlds boasted storel
To roam where thy blue waters s
-alsA careless child once more.
LOUISVILLE, Nay ~. ~