Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-07-03
NO. 156.
Misrellanrons.
"THOUGH LOST TO SIGHT," ETC.
From the New York World

"A'l precious things discovered late TO
him who seeks them issue forth; - and it
is not surprising, therefore. that Mr.. John
Bartlett. who began looking up familiar
quotations more than quarter of centu-
" ago in the old university bookstore at
Cambridge. should believe himself to have
at last unearthed the author of the oit-cit-
ed line, Though lost to sight to memory
dear" Oddly enough. this line appears
to have been printed in song by George
Liny at London in lS48, or just about
the time when Mr.. Bartlett was preparing
his first edition of the useful book which
reached it's seventh issue. greatly beau,i-
fed and enlarged, in 1877. But does it
follow that the line was original with
George Linly? =. When did George
Liuly. if he wrote the song discovered
by Mr.. Bartlett and printed in 1913 by
the well-known publishers. Cramer, Beale
& Co., write it ? This Mr. Bartlett has not
learned and this is important, because the
line Though lost to sight. 10 memory
dear" appears as motto on one of the
motto-seals in glass which were extreme
lv popular fifteen or twenty years before
Cramer & Beale's publication was made
These glass motto-seals, a collection of
which was long ago made by the writer of
these lines. were small some OF them con-
il a. in form. some circular and some hex
agonal, and of various colofs. The mot
toes are all of a sentimental cast, and this
particular line. Though lost to sight, 10
memory dear" was a particular favorite
with the makers. That Mr.. George Lin
ly, in the French phrase. ''took his goods
wherever he found them" clearly appears
from the opening lines of the fourth verse,
which were obviously suggested by song
of Buwer's formerly very popular with
''spoonyn people on the seashure of moon
lit nights -
When stars are in the quiet sky,
Then most think of thee
Perhaps we may as well reproduce the
whole song, as Mr.. Bartlett prints it,
italicizing the line just referred to-;
Tho lost to sight, to mem ry dear
Thou ever wilt remain;
One only hope my heart can cheer.
The hope to meet again.
o. foudly on the past dwell
And oft recall those hours
When, wandiing down the shady dell,
We gathered the wild flowers.
Yes, life then seemed one pure delight.
Tho now each spot looks drear;
Yet, tho thy smile be lost to sight,
To memIv thou art dear.
To memry thou art dear.
OFT in the tranquil hour Of night.
| When stars itume the sky,
| gaz. upon each Orb of Light,
And wish that thou welt by;
| think upon that happy time
That time iondy ov'd,
| When last heard the sweet bells chime
As thro' the fields We rov'd.
| Yes. life then seem'd one pure delight,
Tho now each spot looks drear;
Yet, tho thy smile be lost to sight,
| To memIy thou art dear,
To memry thou art dear.
OF course, if the conn osition of the
| song can be traced back TO the first quar-
ter of the century, the sealmotto may
have been taken from it. But if it was
| first composed in lS4S, the probabilities
are certainly in favor of the theory that
the seal-motto suggested the song. All
of which is respectfully submitted TO the
| estimable Mr.. Bartlett Tor his worshipful
further consideration. 1t is an excellent
subject for warm weather investigation,
if pursued in large. cool library, within
signt and sound of the summer sea.