The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-01-12

a
The zephyr minstrel softly wove
His swelling anthem in the grove,
While fitfnl fant les winged their way
Along the glow of opening day;
And wild winds, ever playful, threw
ceaseless shower Of scented dew,
From leaf and bough and messy toy,
Till simple nature wept for joy
The stalwart oaks at distance placed,
Stretched their fond branches and embraced,
Grouping like columns TO support
Nights dome, and morns empurpled court.
From tuft to tuft the tinted moss
In waving vistas stretched across, (dew,
While glistening grass. blades tipped with
In rich profusion struggle through.
little brook with music sigh
And plaintive voice, went rippling by,
Or tnrniug back with eddying smile,
10 kiss the sa DIS Of some green isle,
Would frolic meriily on its way,
Like childish innocence at play.
At intervals gray old rock
Firm holden in the earth's stern lock,
Within this temple OF the wood
Like consecrated altar stood.
II werea fitting place to read
The subtlest purpose OF a deed
To trace the progress Of thought,
The aim it took, the end it. wrought.
II were fitting place to hold
Beneath those arches quaint and old
Upon this carpet;ng Of sod,
Communion with ones heart, ones God
II were ftti time to wipg
To Heavens high court a lervent prayer,
To list the morning seraphs sing,
And play upon their narps of air.
A time to speed the curions soul
Beyond where mortal eye may see,
Away beyond where planets roll
Where shoreless-spreadsi infnity,
A time to view the virgi' winds
Unbar the vault.door Of the east
And loose the swathing robe which binds
The form of days new-Tisen Priest
A time to see the bris Ting sun
Roll mp the spangled drop ofnight.
And fling his arrows one by one
In long and trembling lines of light.
Twas morn. soft, smiling gls1some, morn
OF early autumn. when the corn
And yellowing leaves and ripening hay
Absorb the suio Of many ray
When blushing cheeks of peaches show
The stolen tints oi mornings glow.
And fruits, and fields. and forests wear
The settled manhood Of the year.
Beneath this emerald strand of oak
A. ainst which seas Of sunbeams broke
A little time. then like the tiic
Uprising DER somo coral isle
Embathed, o'erllowed. aiar, aaide
An ocean-waste ofn ture's smile
Upon the moss youth reclined
One who had rend the worlds great mind
To such i'll purpose that he sought
The shadows which enNel"p thought.
Upon the couch he lay asleep
All night, he there in thought had lnin
Bedripped with dew, and sO0thed by deep
Far murmurs ofthe forest main.
But in the lull preceding day
Sweet dreamy fancies DER him crept
The jaded sen es stole away
The shadow settled, and he slept.
A being, beautiful and young
Forever young, forever fair,
From cloud-woven chariot flung
As lightly ~ a wave Of air-
Her graceful form upon the moss
With naughty grace, and regal top
And with step AZ proud, and fee
AS merit prompts--Or dignity
She strobe alsne this temple bower
The intense spirit of the hour,
She passed the borders, crossed the stream.
And lloatcd on-ns in DIRE am
Srme wilful fancy quits its play
Recalls its cloak aud winds away
She passed those columns which upheld
The waving flood Of dying green swellcd
Those thick mailed forms aronud which
Aud broke the storm that dashed between.
She pas 4ed those solemn altar stones,
With ,eriuie capt, nrd ivy clad,
Still listening to the lingering tones
That sighed around: so strangely sad
From every ertyice came q sound
From every lcafa whispering
And mystic voices noated 'rounl
Like night-winds dying on the wing.
She passed the youth who sleeping lay
Upon couch OF mossy flowers,
While ON his face the silvery spray
Of morning sunlight fell in showers.
Upon his hair the clustering dew
la chrystai drops. suspen ed hung
And mirrored back the deepnlng hue
So freely DER the landscape flung.
She passed the yuutI, bat turned to note
Ills thin. Pale lips-so close coin.pressed-
The narrow arches OF his thront,
And the slight hcavng If hi, breast:
Then with little pro,idcr stride
And with little hnughtier lip
And scUrnful air she swept aside
To leave his cold companionshp.
But Arthur woke, and cried "fair one
A kindly smile on me confer,
o turh thee not away, nor shun-
Who fain would be thy worshipper.
The sun hath paused behind a cloud
The sun zephyrsigheth mp the dell
The wurbing songsters chont aioud
And may not adore. as welil
BY day, as stars serenely bright
Though all unseen cease not to shine
So let me be feeble light
Or il thy chastened oeart eschew
All sympathy at such an hour
Bid me, and I'll away like dew
That leaves refreshed the blushing flower,
Oh! turn, high up the mount of day
Tie fire-king hath his chariot driven
Aud scattered blessings in his way
As freely on the earth as Heaven.
SO on my uncongenial soul
The kindling brands of pa sion pile
Around me build thv sweet control
And fire the fat ric with n smile.
She paused, she turned her steps retraced,
TO where tho thoughtful youth reclined
Where bloomed no love flowers, on the
~ (wnste
The desert ofmajestic mind.
Upon her head she wore wreath
MI on her lips poetic fire
Pure inspiration in her breath
And In her hand a sernphs Tyre
Upon her feet were sandal shoOn
nd at her zone a scallop shell
Deep in her eye a summers moon,
And in her voice a silver bell,
Here Arthur take this Tyre mine
Drink inspiration from my lip
Here on this bank of flowers recline
Where zephyrs sigh and dcw-drops weep"
He sat, and tuned and tuned the Tyre
And rolled the echoes from the string
And tuned and poured poetic fire
upon MS lips but could not sing
Here Arthur take this shell, these shoon
Thou pilgrim at Castalia's spring.
He wore-and strucka loftier tone
But yotl alasi ho could not sing.
Here Arthur take this silver bell
And in thy measures letit ring
Breathe in a Wild mysterious spell
Then strikep' He struck, but could not sing
Here Arthnr wear the poets wreath
And hear thy fulsome praises ring
In fame's confused, tumultuous breath.
Then Artbnr drink and strike and sing"
Upon his head he placed the wreath
Blent in his voice the silver bell
Drew inspiration in his breath
And gIrded on the shoon, and shell,
A gain he took the golden Tyre
While sunbeams danced upon the string
He struck at least an octave higher
But Observation-Disclosures cou j not sing
why vex me thus" he cried "I'll try