The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-30

helped him to rise, and almost carried him up
the short pathway, spread his own shawl upon
the stone to which his brother pointed, seated
him upon it, and, resting one knee against it,
stood behind him supporting him, for his breath
painted fast. Recovering himself presently,
Herman took the withered roses from the pa
per, looked at it, and said, "Will you read it
to me, Edward? My eyes seem rather dim"
This paper bore the date of Herman's eigh-
teenth summer. Edward took it, and read the
gay young lines, written as boys do write of
life and death, before they have tasted of the
bitterness of either:
ROSE ROCK.
Wild rock, mid wild roses, I climb ihee
My steps crush the lcheRs thai pave Thy rough hoof
Sire ching far into silence, j see the white reach,
fha1 r0ars meath my feel of tie foam sirdled beach
Again thy white euif ride high DER my head;
t3y Sensons Of dulse gi- am below, wet aud red
! he mr. thy Tree gales round thee pipe as OF old,
Aud breathe their salt broarh and the crimson and gold,
Floating behold that has dropped ron the shy,
From iis sill tyin above, on the seas lap To lie,
And weary OF quiei, To roll and be tossed
TIL his gay raddy play III the twilight Is lost
VIII e, searching the distance, funniest long look
Can scarcely discover the DIM cloud Of smoke
The emblem whe 'ewith The horizon doth irown
Of labor aud care len brhind with The town
rne old beacon his torch gins 10 flourish arigh,
And anew tears the tOg with lis sharp point of hight;
md min, every fibre Is lhri led with the wild
Yet innocentjOy of a passionate child
Oh say that Eden shut to Ous rare,
Forever and wholly! Through int nry's door
Each soul get It's glimpse of the Of 'ore!
Zach soul has its own dim sweet ED and lis share
Of pure worlds green ouh ike that isch pair
There's for each some charmed spot, by some rock or
ril,
Where his childhood ouigrowm keeps Is tryst with him
still.
Who does no, know no the pilgrims heart burns,
When fom new haunls and maze by himself ne returns
Like thread drawn the anse OF life
To hi playground of old, Of old memories rife?
Returning this from The dry beaten track
His lniancys Eden II renders HIM back
| And doued with hay cocks, his paradise sees
With orchard and hedge chOked and choking with
green,
The soft, pretty drovvsy and sprrss scene.
All is sill, save the apples Thai drop over-lipe;
But 10 show where ihe tam house lies smoking its pipe
| There's chimney half seen and some blue wieat
that pass
Disposed on his back and unseen cattle keep,
Up sound like his breath when his slum5fr deep.
Whl'e clouds sleep DER head in II still azure sky;
Aud slow shady brook puris a LULLABY by.
While I'm abe, my flight lei me prudenily take,
Lest sink In IA stupor, and never awake.
But look Who soesi here? What fire from his eyes
FLASHES on The tame landscape around him that lies!
Ills the pilgrim shy n,emOry IS a.ing her spell
For him. DER hedge, hay cnck, and moss-coverad we'll
lie crrs Ea II, can show exquisite spo, ?"
! kno,c IL is lovely; but love II not.
One goes back 10 look for his ligh, hearted mirh,
To SOME valrs dusky dungeon sunk deep IN The earth
| have met HIM emerging; and To- II was PLAIN,
From the glow ms cheet, that he look in
|
! 70 shut IN the fancy; ihrir chill shad,w falls
On my heart peni within them their " bite miss to
Are bui vaPors, and blue ones rhaie 10 break free
MY souls bonndess being cries out for place
Wherr uGpnched II may widen In limlless space;
Buu # shivcring climb thrm--if they are so high
How hOpeiessly distant appeareIh the sky.
Here harsh line divides us; the bowling heavens snl
To kis- Esohs round cheek by the seas trimming bInk
The ship, through the hi thai gdes
IN water or sky-~eIl might swim through The AIR,
For augh that see, and my p raj to rest,
wa away win lis sails TO The home OF the BILE ST.
Or Oh, IN "A long voyage never 10 cease,
Bear me- WIKI earth and ne mOOngh hi and
Wild king, crowned with roses sill on thy throne
And make my sweet sceptre OF n,uliein mine own,
Apd hsnk the Kind tales, thar the rush and the roar
TIE sweep and ,he surge, of The many voiced shore
Gave boy hood and Thee, for melnory's shrine
d salt my lips with the breath at thy brine.
Let thy wild romp,ng wind in my face fling my foam,
lis my Old nurses rough Kiss that sui welcomes M
The old blossoms, that thou my childhood dds, lend,
See rve kept like a lock of the haIr OF II friend;
They have grown TO heap, that would burst from thu
| hand,
Which the first gray old in their verdure frs
spahned
Yet, covetoss sull, let me add to the store,
For the sake of old rmes, s,ll and
S.nce mel, thou alone and forsake en- hast stood,
Unshak en-, unworn winter, tempest and flood
AT thy bald hoary mead see and hasto-s hurled
While psyed the deseIer. II mach abused world
However with its servants slaves tmay be,
Has never been cruel or uescheIOus 10 me.
l I've unused by the lamp have mixed with The throng;
Pve shared in The feas, hsv Joined III the song;
Pve laughed win the gayesi, but Thing could find,
b evc me, old pl 1yft.lOw, more 10 my mind
fhan sit down more by The side Of The sea,
AloAe with glad Nature, Hope, Mem ,ry and thee.
Whether, sunken and ,hrunk, thou dost wade or dosi
Ia the waves when The ocean is full to the brim,
| Or risesi 10 make-a the turn of The tide
Thy dripping dark garfie eats low borders all wide,
With n fringe of black sea weed, old Pharsee, here
Receive me on pilgrimage year after year,
| In peace TO look back on the year that Is gone
It's battles all over, lis Victories won
To count DER Its wounds, but by glorious scars,
|
|
| While thou keeps; thy roses bid ME keep my truth;
So hall age, IN MS boih The of our youth
| Taught by Thee, will Smile-wiih equal a froht
| Al The sun, and anon of The storm hide The bruni
As thou dost, through all strong manhood but whe
I'm pushed To the edge OF my lbree-score and Ten;
When the of my sinbeans and sarbeams is told,
And this foot fleet ad sure ioers down 10 the mould
| When Death comes To bring my hellebore cup,
On this messy altar, Earth, oder me up;
So my spnt-IhIough no gloomy vaey-shall go
To It's bright heaven above, from bright heaven be
| low.
Few years had passed since those lines were
written; but where was Herman's strong
manhood now?
But if those few years had done the work o
a lifetime on him, had he not done the worl
| of lifetime in them2 He listened in silence
with his slender fingers clasped around his
knee, and his large spiritual eyes looking of
to the horizon or beyond. When the last word:
were ended, he bowed his head and Edward
thought he dOzed Then he stirred once more
and, gazing round him dreamily, murmured
" 1t is very strange. 1t is very solemn. Goo
strengthen US all
"What is it, Hermann said Edward, taking
his hand, and longing to soothe him, but no
knowing how. "Do you think there is any
occasion for fear?"
Herman's bony hand closed around his with
a cordial and reassuring grasp. Letting his
head fall back upon his bosom, like a child''
on the breast of its mother, that he might raise
his eyes to his, he said, with an irradiatOn o
| countenance almost too solemn in its bright
ness to be called smile, No. dear Edward
Lam certain that there is no occasion for fear
Did | say anything? Perhaps | was dream
ing. / am drowsy and cold. We must g
home but first my roses Oh, they are dead
1t is too late. No matter. They have lief
plenty of beautiful berries" He stretched ou
his hand for a twig Of Thorn. Edward broke i
for him. He placed it with the faded flowers
Then. tottering to his feet, he turned himsel
| slowly all round on the same spot; with fond
lingering gaze, which seemed to mark an(
cling to every familiar inlet, stone shrub, ant
stalk, within its range. He half sighed, Blu
recollected himself, and, looking up cheerful,
into his brothers face, clasped his hands roun,
his arm, and said, 'iCome; they will wonde
at the farm-h house what has become of u.s."
| Edward laid him at his full length in thu
boat, carefully muffled in all their shawls an'
clsaks and he slept all the way home. Whei
established there on his sofa, he merely KEEP
his eyes open long enough to give Edward hi
roses, and desire him to replace them with thu
coral berries in the chest, whispering" fl an
not here next summer, give the key to Clara
Those trihes may have an interest for her; fo
the record Of my years, is the record of he
kindnesses." Then he slept again, with &