The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-01-03
TIE SEEKING OF TIE WATER
FALL.
BY JOHN G. WHITTIER.

By JOHN G. WHITTIER,
They left their home of summer case
Beneath the loWlaltti's sheltering breeze,
To seek, by ways TN known 20 ALL
! The promise OF the waterfall.
Some vague, faint rumor to the vale
Had crept-perchance a hunters tale
of its Wild mifth of waters lost
On the dark woods through which il tossed.
Somewhere it laughed and sang; somewher,
Ehirled in mad dance its misty hair;
But lThO had raised its veil, or seen
The rainbow skirts OF that Undine?
They sought it where the mountain brook
Its swift way to the valley took;
Along the rugged slope they clomb,
Their guide thread of sound and foam.
Height after height they slowly won;
The fiery iavelins of the sun
Smote the bare ledge; the tangled shade
With rock and vine their steps delayed.
But, through leaf -openings. now and then
They saw the cheerful homes of men,
And the great mountains, with their wall
OF misty PURPLE, girdling all.
TheIeaves through which the glad winds blew
Shared the wild dance the waters knew;
And where the shadows deepest fell
The wood thrush rang his silver bell.
bringing the stream, at every turn
Swung low the waving fronds of fern;
From stony cleft and messy sod
Pale asters sprang, and golden rod.
And still the water sang the sweet
Glad song that stirred its gliding feet,
And found in rock and root the keys
OF its beguiling melodies.
Beyond above, its signals flew
OF tossing foam the birch trees through;
Now seen, now lost, but battling still
The weary seekers slackenlng will
Each called to each: "Lo herel Lo thcrei
Its white scarf flutters in the air!'
They climUed anew; the vision fed,
To beckon higher overhead.
SO toiled they up the mountain slope
With faint and ever fainter hope;
With faint and fainter voice the brook
still babe them listen, pause and look.
Meanwhile below the day was done,
Above the tall peaks saw the sun
sink, beam shorn, to its misty set
Behind the hills of violet.
+" Here ends our questl" the seekers cried,
q The brook and rumor both have lied
The phantom of a waterfall
Has led us at its beck and CALI . ..
But one, with years grown wiser, said
Is So, always baified, not misled
We follow where before us runs
The vision of the shining ones.
6 Not where they seem their signals fly,
Their voices while we listen die;
We can not keep, however fleet,
The quick time of their winged feet.
From youth 20 age unresting stray
THESE kindly Knockers in our way;
Yet lead they not, the battling elves,
To something better than themselves?
" Here though unreached the goal we sought,
Us own reward our toll has brought;
The winding waters sounding rush,
The long note of the hermit thrush
The turquoise lakes, the glimpse of pond
And river track, and, vast, beyond
Broad meadows beltcd round with pines,
The grand uplift of mountain lines!
d" What matter though we. seek with pain
The garden OF the gods in vain,
If lured thereby We climb to greet
some wayside blossom Eden sweet?
g To seek is better than to gain,
The fond hope dies as we attain;
Iife's fairest things are those which seem,
The best is that OF which we dream.
80 Then let us trust our waterfall
Still flashes down its rocky wall
With rainbow crecent curved across
It's sunlight spray from moss to moss.
"a And we, forgetful of our pain,
In thought shall seek it oft again;
Shall see this aster- blossomed sod,
This sunshine of the golden rod.
&c And hhply gain, through parting boughs,
Grand @linpses of the mountain brows
Cloud turbaned, and the sharp steel sheen
OF lakes deep set in valleys green.
q So failure wins; the consequence
OF loss becomes its Fecompence;
And evermore the end shall tell
The unreached ideal guided well.
g Our sweet illusions only die
Fulfilling loves pure prophecy;
And every wish for better things
An mdreamed beauty nearer brings.
d" For fate is servitor of love;
Desire and hope and longing prove
The secret of immortal youth,
And nature cheats us into truth.
81 o kind allurers, wisely sent
Beguiling with benign intent, E--r RI.
Still move us. through divine unrest,
To seek the loveliest and the best!
" Ere long the fitting glimpse of good
Shall rest in full beautitude;
And more than all to earth denied
Shall greet US on the other sidei"
atlantic for January.