The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-02-03
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written for the Portage eo.inty Democrat.
- AaLETTER. sis a7 Ss5i

Written for the Portage Cointy democrat.
"A LErTER. sis ss.i
| Z I have read every word-as young children
Read faces in sweetness scomplee--s-
| Every word bringing memories olden ~ rs q
Every line breathing hopes that are golden,
| In This missiv from over the deep.
And tits strange tina, this Bit of white paper
With its 6ery, passionate words
Writ by woman, so thrills me; and strange
That citing in quiet here al Lf eyunaes
Where the tenderest carol of birds
Breaks with the breath of the morning. hear
u Only the solemn mysterious how
y OF waters far distant, and sec but the foam
OF Lilows that dashed the shore with moan
In the days OF the long ago.
- I'wabder; forgive me, sweet lady; you know
One loses the jos, or the pain ss gz
OF letter, sometimcs, fora miuase,
When some sentence we loos ON wi hin 1t,
Calls up the dead hours again!
And we sit with the dainty, white paper
Drol + carelesely down at feet,
Or crushed to the red of the blossoms
We Heryously snatch from our bosoms,
alf wild with some memory sweet,
Or DlLcf, percndhc0s NO mdAteE! We AL
Have Edsns far back in the Past.
From which we were thrust !; and 1t may be
serpent was therei But, lady,
turn 10 your letter at last.
You say-apd you say it in sadness,
think, for our delicate hand
Shook slightly just there-you sa y can dare,
With the scent of her vines in my hair,
Forget the fair Isle where you stand.
Te forget-witb her sweet, purple wines
Scarce dry my lips, and my brow
StiIl hash'd with their richness and ask -
IF my soul does not deem it atask 49,
To call up these memories now
You think I've forgotten You mock me,
o maiden alone by the sea.
Wien you say I've forgotten for, darling,
Do you dream that your poor, prison'd startling
Forgels when, and where he was nee!
Or that I-that so clung TO and worship'd
Each nook of your speli-woven land
Sitting under these skies, and unheeding
Their calm, quiet beauty, needing
This let cr just drop'd from my hand,
To carry my wild, trnant fan eies 10 t,lflss
Away DER the siumberess main
To the land where each breath is devo,ionf
Or, 10 call up this tide of emotion.
Overwhelming my heart and my brain 2
o, lady, far over the biows.
o, queen of that magical Isle!
You thiRk I've forgotten the spiendor
OF eyes, that so saint ike, and tender, q q 80
Beamed on me with look, and with rmief
Forgotten the dreams that came 10 me-, Z,
When, down Oh the she H. woven strand.
watched The white sails that were dripping
With surge-and the black shadows fitting
All over the sea aud the land = leti
All! little you know, how, aweary
OF dust ard of toll, and of sirife,, sss1 ! =
IsoughI-when the earth was in blossom,
/, Your Eden-and TO md iu its bosom,
The one growing Joy of my life!
And still. oh! still remember
How swiftly that rosy wing'd hour
Flew by, when watcb'd the returning
OF sails, with a strange, eager yearning
Unwhisper'd blossom or bower.
And sti-still my lone heart is thrilling,
As lutte that is swept by the breeze, ~
And sliIiin my slamberiess dreaming
seem to be under the cleaning
| or skies that clearer Than these,
And we-oh again roaming
Far down OIL the wet, rocsy shore,
And roand us the white spray is falling
And o'e- Us the sea-gull is calling
! Her young, that will come-nevermore
4 But alas for this sweetest of dreamingl
This waywarJ, wild fancy of mine -
| = And alas that gad.sess or beauty, sss5
/ 1 find III the land to which duty,
Stern duty, has called III from thine.
perehance, when the Springs gentle pulses
Sh.llquicken, on hill-side and plain,
When the robins return with their singing,
/ And your wales with soft echoes ringing
/ I'll kneel in your bower a-ainl
Percbance shall tread the dear pathway
i Around which my memory clings.
I The pathway made sacred anu holy
4 By dreams of our love and that slowly
Winds down where the spirit sings.
o, friend at this tho-t how my p ulses
Leap up with a life that is new
We shall kneel where swee; melody gushes,
We t,oo, in the ewes tender bushes bar
Until then--gentle lady-adieu
I 81 .s99IEq HKsrER A. BESrnicT.
January 9th, 1864.