Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-01-14

THE SINGERS HILLS.


He dwelt where level lands lay loE aud drear
Long strt tches of waste meadow pale aud sore,
With dull seas languid tiding up and ."Wn,
Turning the liteless sands irOm white W.
de barren fields Tor mile and miles, until
The pale horizon walled them IN, anu still
No lifted peak, no slope, not even mound
TO raise and cheer the weary eye was found.
FROM boy hood np and down these dismal lands,
And pacing to and irO the barren sands
And always gazing, gazing seaward, went
The Singer. Daily with the sad winds b. 1T
'eThore must be hills " he said,
81 know they stand at sunset rosy red,
And purple IN tho dewy shadUwed mUrni
Great forest trees like Dabes are rocked and borne
Upon their breasts, ana i0wers like jewels shine
Around, their feet, aud gold and siiver line
Their hidden chambers, and great cltles rlso
Stately where their protecting shadOw lie3,
And men grow brave ana women are more lalr
Meath higher skies, and i'll the clearer air ~
One day thus longing, gazing, 10 IN awe,
Made calm Dy ecstasy, he sudden saw,
Far out to seawaru mountain peaks appcar,
Slow rising from the water pale and
Purple anu azure, there they were. as he
Had faithful yeamius visions they must bei
Purple anu azure ana bright rosy red,
Like llashiug jewels, on the sea they shed
Great tears ran down
The Singers cheeks, and through the busy town,
And all across the dreary meauUw lands
And all along the dreary liiCless sands
"Ho Tarry Tarry ye,
DODOlu JHhSe puiplc uOuhbdllis III tllO
The people saw 10 mountains!
They carelessly said, and went their way and had
No farther thought OF him.
And 50, among
His fellows noisy, idle, crowding throng,
The Singer walked, as strangers walk who speak
A iOreIgn tongue and have no friend TO seek.
And yet tho silent Joy which hlled his face,
Sometimes their wonder stirred little space.
And followin his constant seward look.
One wlstful gaze they also seaward took
One day the singer was not seen. Men said
That as the early day was breakingred
lie Towed far out to sea, rOwed swift aud strong,
Toward the spot where he mad ga2ed So long.
Then all the people shook thUiI heads, and west
A little sadly, thinhtn he had spent
Ills life in vain, aud sorry they no more
Should hear his sN Get mad songs along their shore
But when the sea with sunset hues was dyed
boat came slowly drifting with the tide,
Nor oar nor rudder set to turn or stay,
And On tho crimson deck the Singer lay.
s'Ah he is dead" some cried. NO he but sleeps -
Said others, ''madmau that he is, joy heeps
Sweet yisils with him now"
Tho sht keel grazed
The sands; alert and swift the Singer raised
Ii is heuu, aud with red checks aha y e. uame
Lraptd ont and shouted loud, and cal led by maine
Each man, and breathlessly his story told.
"LO, have landed ON the hills Of gold
Sce these are flowers, and these fruits and these
Are bOushs from of the giant forest trees;
And these are Jewels winch lie loosely there,
And these are stutls which beauteous maidons
wear'
And staggering he knott upon the sands
AS laylns Durdens down.
But empty hands
| His fellows saw, and passed on smiling. Yet,
The ecstasy i'll winch ms face was set
Again sInOte ON their hearts with sudden sense
Ql half involuntary reverence.
And some said, wDlsperihS," " lack, is he
The madmun? Have ye never heard thore be
Some speI Is which make men blind"
And honceforth they
More closely watched the Singer day by day,
Till finally they said, ii is not 4.
There he sucn hills, ana treasure to be had
For seeking there We without delay
Will sail ;"
And Of tho men that sailed that way
Some found the purple mountain IN the sea,
LANDED, and r0uuBd their treasure countries free
And drifted lack Lh brimmins laden hands.
Walkin1 alVns the iiieless silent sands,
The Sin er, gazing ever scaward, knew,
We'll knew the Oders which sOlt wind blew
Uf all the fruit and flowers ana hOushs they bore.
Standing WITH hands stretched eager ON the shore,
When they leapcd out he called NOW God be
Praised
Sweet comrades, were they then not fairr'
Amazed
And with dull scorn the other men who brought
No treasures, found no mountains, and saw Eaugh
In these mems hands, beheld them knceing low ,
Lifting, Scouting, and running 10 and fro
AS mon uniadinE arr oslGs whose freight
Of gorgeous things bewildeied bysits weight.
Tireless the great years waxed; the great year.
waned,
| Till they were goodiy number.
No laans scUrl
Could hurt or hinder them. No pity born
| Ui it could max them blush, or once make less
Their JOYS estate and asfor Loneliness
They knew not ..F..
I Still rise the magic hills
Purple and gold and red the shore still thrills
With fragrance when the sunset winds Uesins
| To b ow and wait the subtle Oders in
| From treasure re-iaden boats that drittand bde
| The hours and moments Of the wave and tide,
Laden with fruits and buughs and flowers rare,
| And Jewels such nIOnurchS do not
and costly stuiis which dazzle the 81 ght,
Stufs wrought for pdrest virgin. hlavest knight
And men with checks all red, and eyes atl"mo,
| And heafts that call to hearts by brUthcls name,
Still leap out on silent liieluss sands,
And staggering with Overturdenod hands
! Joyous lay down the treasures they have brought
While smiling, pity ing, the world sees naught
ScTibner'S Magazine.