Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-09-29
SHADOW LAnp.
BY 1IDE mEmwErHER.

BY LiDE ErHEi.
"saadops ne are, and shadous re purrae."
or the Sunday Appeal
Der the distant mountains dropping
Pear and grey b curtains taus
Misty shapes come through them trOopinl
To the sounding autumn call;
flushed and SIN, the forests listen
To the ootfaiIs Of the band,
And their garments CLEAN and giisten
With the tues OF shadow land.
Soft their fairy feet are creeping
Ger the maple, beach and pine,
Bright-hued elhn shapes lie sleeping
II the sumach, oak, and vine;
Arch on arch, Ike rainboWs meeting
Tower the forests giants grand,
Warm and glowing, fair n fieetiug
As thed dreams Of shadow land.
Rainbow wings are softly fitting
Through the deep entangled wood,
GhoEtly shadows Silent sitting
In It's twilight solitude;
Fairy echoes sweet are ringing
From the rivers cleaning strand
As The elves are softly singing
Syren songs OF shadow land.
Rustling wings above me hover,
Whispering echoes 70 me cali,
Elh hands my eyeiids cover
Fairy footsteps round me fall;
Ghosuy shapes are dimly falling
AAANAAA AAAl Mk0A ANAhkAAAA AAtAAA
And their spirit-voices calling
To their home in shadow land
Softly sweep the nut-brown t~Tesses,
sweet ana balmy floats the breath,
Warm and glowing press the kisses
Ofthe autumnis crimson mouth;
Cleaning round m~e-hoating Der me
Troop the dreamy, wUOing band
Earth and heaven fade before me-,
And dwell in shadow n
Through the meadows, blossom laden
In h rosy blushing dawn
Trips a blue-eyed laughing maiden
singing to the glad May morn
Fairy piniOns DER her rising,
Fairy ous round her stand,
With the morning dews baptizing-
daughter Of the shadow land"
.
Ger her white and cleaning bosom
Course the glowing veins Of youth,
All the sweets Of bud and blossom
Dwell within her rosy mouth,
Dream-eyed passions dusky tresses
Lie beneath her snowy head,
And he watts his burning kisses
From the realms o shadow land.
And beside him, proud ambition,
Regal head and eye Of nre,
With the dreams Of his creation
MOoing OuWard-upward-higher-
Till the ~braye dead years shall reckon
On their record, one so grand,
StLI their m~addentng fingers beclron
Onward, into shadow land.
But behind them slowly creeping
steal the wan and ghOstly years
All their beams IN shadows sleeping,
All their BLOSSOMS drowned in Tears;
And the cleaning wings that lowered
Bleaching lie on burning sand,
And The darkling stream Is covered
With the wrecks Of shadow land
Dust and darkness dimly cover
Buried friendships broken vow,
Dusky pintOns hover Over
Trusts betrayed andlying low;
Records OF the SOld, Old story"
Scattered with relentless hand,
Dreams Of love, and pride, and glory,
Sleeping cold in shadow Land.
Little feet no longer patter
Oer the loWly cottage hOor,
Rosy lips no longer chatter,
LIQUID brown eyes smile no more.
MemOry's swinging gate discloses
Angels Of the household band
Sleeping under snOw-whtte roses.
Dwerers pale in shadow land.
And as memories circle DER me,
And their darkling shadows teem,i
OFT the queries press me sOrely,
Do l wake7Or do dream?
What Is shadow h Is human?
IEus the VeXlng questions stand,
Which, b worn and wearied woman?
Which, the elf Of shadow land2
shall a life be ours, where never
shall the soul unanswered calf
Where the real ltveth ever,
N the shadOws from Us fall2
Shall the spirit soaring higher,
Circled by a shining band, -
Bathed in God sun-bright IRE
Dwell nc more in shadO landIl
ORESr HOME, september Is, 1872.