Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-09-27
My Grandfathers Springs.
BY WILLIAM W. rosDrcK

There's a song at my heart, ere ! die
must sing, ....
or that beautiful, fountain my grandfather
Spring.
In Ksntucky's fair land by oaio's green
shors,
II wells from the wood-mantled hill ever
Where the soldler-like oaks, SO grim, and
so stiff,
Stand high on the crest Of his preeipice
cliff,
Where the bald eagle rested h rs cloud'cut'
- tips wing, .
On the highest dead branch that o'ertow ers
that Spring.
Through the vale ran the rivulet beautiful,
bright,
Where the sycamores stood in their armor
of white,
And sain,-like in sunshine in prayer rose
each form,
And as giants and ghosts in the darkness
and storm,
And wore Winters livery all Summertime
through.
The mantle of purity. spotless in hue,
Like monks, with their beads that incess-
nntly swing,
Were the sycamore's balls by that beautiful
Spring.
And there the huge cottonwood branches
would play.
And rain down their SHOWS in the green lap
of Muy,
Till through the soft sunshine, so gold and
so warm,
Came the white feathsr-Aakes of the black
winters storm,
While the leaves greenly polished, half way
to the cloud,
Were clapping their hands. and were laugh
ing aloud,
Applauding the blackbrds, that gaily would
sing,
With clucking chorus, above the old Spring.
In that vale the box-slder and blackberry
grew, hIl gihs
And Indian Arrow, so scarlet in hue;
Low. white-b -bIossomed Msy-apples' purasOls
spread
Meath the wild vines that gsdded about
overhead,
And the broad.leaved pawpan, dropped
fruit, green and gold,
on the mould.
The woodpecker hid in the high splintsred
- stump, - -
The ,hree-cornered beech nuts, with many
thump,
And hammering hollowly made the woods
ring,
When ths leaves eddied down to the silver
faced Spring.
The house was a stone one, and over the
caves
The long myrtles droops', with their fngery
leaves.
And the running wild roses their treasures
let fall
In the crystalline waves from tho top of the
wall
Hard by, in the moisture, there grew the
green mint,
And the rich water-cresses, still darker in
tint,
There they mixed the cod julep, and the
sweet-scentcd sling,
In the midsummer days, by the green-shaded
Spring.
At hand was the creek, with its lucid, blue
tide,
Where the sunfishes darted, and white silvor
side;
With leap and a plunge from the bank
went the frog,
And the turtle craweled out to the sun on
his log;
While sometimes the hesr.s Of the tmid
would quake
At the glittering eye ofthe moccasih snake.
Where the gauzy winged dragon fly lightly
would swing
In tho air o'er the creek, that ran close to
the Spring.
But never would serpent or reptile appear
By that diamond-bright fountain, SO cold
and so clear,
For the Angel or Purity, watchful and fond
Stood guar lian protectress, unseen, with her
=. wand,
Where il burst from the caverns, so sunless
and dark.
And leaped like the soul into light, with a
., spark
o. beauty ard freshness, and seeming to
bring
The earth a new blessing, the beautiful
Spring. ,..i.
Yes, 1t came from dark caves to the blue, {,
marble bowl. e. ,He.
As springs from the darkness to life the
Young soul, ,f .e..,
And catches days flowers the moment
they're born,
The roses Of eve, or the lilies Of morn,
Refreshlngly sweet. as ie it were caught
In Eden. and hitherwsrd instantly brought,
Ere it's dew-drops could dry on a seraph's
white wing. !l-
And poured from his bright urn Of gold, in
the Spring
All! the times have all altered, what won-
derful change!
The changes Of death and Of life are so
strange. =.
Like a tree, round my heart every year
grows a ring
Aud vainly sigh for season to!brnig