Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-07-01
From Mayne Reid's Magazine.
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH.
ADREAM OF PONCE DE LEON.

VAE kOUNIA1N Ok xOOI6s
ADREAM OF PONCE DE LEON.
A story of Ponce de Leon,
A voyager, withered and old,
who came to the sunny Antilles,
In quest of a country of gold.
He was waited past islands of spices,
As bright as the Emerald seas,
Where all of the forests seemed singing,
So thick were the birds on the trees; a.
Tue sea was as clear as the azure,
And so deep and SO pure was the sky
That the jasper walled city seemed shining
Just out of tn. reach of the eve
By day his light canvass he shifted,
And rounded strange harbors and bars;
By night, on the full tides he drifted,
Meath the low hanging lamps of the stars.
Near the glimmering gates of the sunset,
In the twiligh empurpled and dim.
The sailors uplifted their voices,
And sang TO the Virgin hymn,
ssThank the Lord v' said De Leon, the sailor,
At the close of the rounded refrain;
''Thank the Lord. the Almighty who blesse
The ocean-swept banner of Spain!
The shadowy world is behind us,
The shining Cipango, before;
Each morning the sun rises brighter
On ocean, and island, and shore.
And still shall our spirits grow lighter,
AS prospects more glowing unfold;
Then on, merry men to Cipanga,
To the west and the regions of gold'
There came to De Leon, tie sailor
Some Indian sages. who told
OF a region so bright that the waters
We're sprinkled with islands of gold.
A nd they added: 1.-The leafy Bimini,
A fair land of grottoes and oowers,
Is there; and wonderful fountain
Upsprings from its gardens of flowers
That fountain gives life to the dying,
And youth to the aged restores;
They flourish in beauty eternal,
Who set but their foot on its shores"'
Then answered De Leon, the sailor:
II am withered, and wrinkled, and old;
would rather discover that fountain,
Than a country of diamonds and gold.'
Away sailed De Leon, the sailor:
Away with wonderful glee,
Till the birds were more rare in the azure,
The dolphins more rare in the sea.
Away from the shady Bahamas,
Over waters no sailor had seen,
Till again on his wondering vision,
Rose clustering islands of green.
Still onward he sped till the breezeS
Were laden with odors, and 10!
A country embedded with flowers,
| A country with rivers aglow
| More bright than the sunny Antilles,
| More fair than the shady Azores.
"Thank the Lordn' said De Leon, the sailor
| AS feasted his eye on its shores.
| We have come to a region, my brothers,
| Moro loyelv than earth of a trut
| And here is the life giving fountain
The beautiful fountain of YOUTH
Then landed De Leon, the sailor,
Unfurled his old banner, and sung;
But he felt very wrinkled and withered,
All around was so fresh and so young
The palms ever-yerdant were blooming,
The blossoms e'en margined the seas;
O'er the streams of the forests, bright flowers
| Hung deep from the branches of trees.
Praise the Lord !'' sung De Leon, the sailol
His heart was with rapture aiame;
And he said: BE the name of this region
By Florida given to fame.
| IT'S fair, delectable country,
| More lovely than EARTH of truth;
soon shall partake of the fot ntain-
! The beautiful fountain of youth!''
But wandered De Leor, the sailor
| In search of that fountain in vain;
No waters were there to restore him
| To freshness and beauty again.
AND his anchor he lifted. and murmured,
AS the tears gathered fast in his eye.
II must leave this fair land of the flowers
Go bank DER the waters--and die ~
Then back by the dreary Tortugas,
| And back by the shady Azores,
He was bo: ne on the storm -smitten waters
To the calm of his own native shores.
| And tnere he grew older and older
His footsteps enfeebled gave proof
Still he thirsted in dreams for the fountain
| The beautiful fountain of youth
One day the old sailor lay dying
On the shore ola tropical isle,
And his heart was rekindled with rapture,
And his face lighted up with a smile.
He thought Of the sunny Antilles,
| He thought of the shady Azores,
He thought of the dreamy Bahamas,
He thought of sweet Florida's shores:
And when, in his mind, he passed over
His wonderful travels of old,
He thought of the Heavenly country,
ofthe city of jasper and gold.
'ThaAk the Lord!'' said De Leon the sailor
''Thank the Lord for the Light of Truth!
now am approaching that fountain
The beautiful fountain of youth!''
The cabin was silent. at twilight
They heard the biz ds singing psalm;
} And the wind of the ocean came signing
Through orange groves, fragrant With bal
The sailor still lay on his pallet,
Meath the low hanging vines of the roof;
But his soul had gene forth to discover
| The beautiful FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH