Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-08

W ldls Va AOhCL N ivy " aS4AoW
Katy-did?"
Long ago, in the April days
When the world was in its youth,
When chivalry wrote his golden lays,
And Friendship dwelt with Truth;
Where crystal river merrlly rang
It's SilveTy SUNNI chime,
Two maidens lived, and laughed, and sang
In the bloom of their blossom time.
One was pure as a sweet May day,
With a brow as white and fair,
And its radiant sunshine cleaning lay
On the trail Of her golden hair;
Soft as the heaven s misty veil
Was the CLEAN of her azure eye,
Her smile, as bright as the moon beam pale
That shoots from cloudless sky.
The other seemed like q summer day,
As glowing and bright and warm;
All Loves and GTaces sleeping lay
In the curves OF her swaying fOrmi
The fire of passion softly CLOVIS
In her dark eyes liquid light,
Like the rich perfume Of a summer rose
On the warmth of trOpic night.
On the fragrant warmth of her dreaming
hours
The breath Of passion fell,
Like summer dews on the thirsty flowers
OF a shadow haunted dell;
Giving to face, and form, and eye,
That potent, God-like power,
That lends its glory to the sky,
Its fragrance TO the flower.
A klpgiy spirit was Victor Yane,
Loyal in heart and word,
With soul as knightly and free from stain
As the blade OF his trusty sword;
But Cupid had taken him by surprise,
And woven cunning snare
In the glance of LeIia's azure eyes
And the CLEAN Of her sunny hair.
Pure as snow was the malden's brow,
As Stainless, her fingers white,
As he clasped them close in the languid glow
Of Sultry summer night;
Where, swift to kindle and swift to die,
False eye-love reigned alone,
he pDghted his trolh and his honor high
As May man has done.
Plighted a love he did not know
Recorded vow on high,
Faithful to live, through veal or woe
To SOullesS, senSuous lie
As many faithful web was spun
In the ages gone before
As many a life shall be undone,
Till time shall be no more.
Sleeping he lay, on the IuIIing tide
OF the senses ebb and swell,
TIL his soul awOke to the pOmp and pride
OF a giant passiOu-spel,
Where flowers of fancy, and fruit of thought,
And fragrance OF heart and soul
All beautiful gifts, their power wrought
With hmttless control,
And both awOke from the siumberOus ease
OF false, deceitlul dream
As all DarQues founder in PASSIONS seas
Al the mouth OF friendships stream;
Awoke, to learn that earth holds no joy,
Nor could heavens golden strand
Yield the bliss supreme, and without alloy,
Or single clasping hand.
And what did Victor? He prayed and plead,
As men always plead and pray,
That his darling should by his hand be led
To elysian fields away;
Prayed-thOugh his truth plead loud and long
AT the feet OF his headlong Will;
For truth is faithful, and honor strong
But passion is stronger still.
And what did Katy +? Immortal bays
Ger graves OF mOrtals bend,
And MINISTRIES tell in triumphant lays
He gave his life for his friend
But love is stronger than life or death
What scepteT to her extend?
What vietor's crown, or what minstrel 5
breath,
Who gave her lore for her friend?
Praying and pleading she PROSTATE lay
One tropical summer night,
For power that should conquer passions
sway
For absence, or death, or flight;
When an elf OF our tribe 1--WE are elves you
know
whispered softly within her ear,
81 I'll work you spell that shall lay him low +,
And conquer your every fear.
From field and forest, from hill and vale,
Troop round her, the shadows grey;
And the mortal mat0, like vision pale,
Is fading from earth away;
They tread the circle, they weave the spells
That in elm shape lies hid;
And now, the maiden in Elfiand dWellS-
A gauze-winged katy-did.
Around her, flowers of every form
Exhale their fragrant breath,
And a magic circle shields her from
The curse OF age, and death;
And the love that wrought such grief before
A radiant, bllssfuI fire,
Has left her all things to adore,
Aud nothing to desire.
Where roses blossom, and jassamines swing,
And lovers still plead and sigh,
She sweeps aloft on her gossamer wing,
And views them with watehful eye;
And when, for their selfish, sensuOus Joys
They fancy that conscience child,
The words bat spoke in the warning voice
OF the gauze-winged Katy-did.
When we lie at night where the branches
swing
To the breezes ftfuI swell
The singing Katy's feminine thing.
And dllUdgs gCdHtS 10 tell:
But IL mortal hand on the tree is laid,
The eidn speech is sealed,
And they crouch and cover under Ieafy shade,
Lest the tale should be revealed.
And whenever mortal hears the tale,
From human vision hid,
His human life must fade and pale
He becomes Katy-did;
Now gather around her, Elm shadesl
WIG your weird and wizard spell,
And bear her OF TO the everglades,
Where your kindred spirits dwell.
Shadows gray are trOoping round me,
And the elm dream that found me,
With its wizard spell has bound me
AS they bid.
NOW my gauZy wings are sweeping,
And my tiny eyes bright peeping,
And spring alOft-a leaping
katY-did.
All my human hopes are dying,
All my human visions flying,
And my human voice from crying
Is forbid.
When my wings 1 vainly fiutter,
Try in vain the tale TO utter,
can only hoarsely mutter,
"Katy-did!"
All my mortal days are over;
n the ripening grain and clover
shall chtrp, and spring, and hover
Elves amid.
30 shall never come the morrow,
When the world the tale shall borrow,
What OF love, or JOY, or sorrow
Katy did.
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.