Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1878-01-24
THE SEEKING OF THE WATERFALL

IL II VI A II w a = A1AsA ~A~-
BY JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER.
They left their home of summer ease
Beneath the lOWland's shelterlng trees,
70 seek, by ways unknown to all,
The promise OF the waterfall.
Some vague, faint rumor to the vale
Had crept-perchance hunters tale
Of its wild mirth of waters lost
On the dark woods through which it tossed.
Somewhere it laughed and sang; somewhere
Whirled in mad dance it's misty hair;
But who had raised its veil, or seen
The rainbow skirts of that Undlne?
They sought it where the mountain brook
Its soft 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 javelins of the sun
Smote the bare ledge; the tangled shade
With rock and vine theiI 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 girding all.
The leaves through which the glad winds blew
SIldrcu IHc VIII lHC WhCCAS AAS"S
And where the shadows deepest fell
The wood thrush rang his silver bell.
Fringng the stream, at every turn,
Swung low the waving frOnas OF fern;
From stony cleft and mOssy sod
Pale asters sprang, and golden-rod.
And still the water sang the sweet,
Glad song that stirred it's gliding feet,
And found in rock and root the keys
Uf 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 slackening Will.
Each called to each: "Lo here! Lo there!
Its white scarf fiutters in the air!'
They climbed anew; the vision fled,
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 bade them listen, pause and look.
Meanwhile below the day was done;
Above the tall peaks saw the sun
Sink, beam-shorI to its misty seat
Behind the hills of violet.
"Here ends our quest!" the seekers cried,
'"The brook and rumOr both have lied!
The phantom of u waterfall
Has led us at its beck and call"
But one, with years grown wiser, said:
''SO always baffied, not misled,
We efollow where before US runs
The vision of the shining ones.
''Not where they seem their signals fly,
Their voices while we listen die;
We cannot keep, however fleet,
The quick time of their winged feet.
''From youth to 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,
Its 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
land river track, and, vast, beyond
Broad meadows belted round with pines,
The grand uplift of mountain lines!
sWhat matter though we seek with pain
The garden of the gods in vain,
If lured thereby we climb to greet
Some way-side blossom Eden-sweet?
ITO seek is better than TO gain,
The fond hope dies as we attain;
Life's fairest things are those which seem,
"Then let us trust our waterfall
Still flashes down our rocky wall,
With rainbow crescent curved across
Its sunlit spray from moss to moss.
"And we forgetful of our pain.
In thought shall seek 1t oft again;
Shall see this -blossomed sod,
This sunshine of the golden rod.
.And haply gain, through parting boughs,
Grand glimpses of great mountain brOws
Cloud-turbaned, and the sharp steel sheen
OF lakes deep set in valleys green.
$50 failure wins; the consequence
OF loss becomes Its recOmpense;
And evermOre the end shall tell,
The unreached ideal guided we'll
''Our sweet illusions only die
Fulfilling loves sure prophecy:
And every wish for better things
An undreamed beauty nearer brings.
'For fate is servitor OF love;
Desire and hope and longing prove
The secret of immortal youth,
And Nature cheats us into truth.
80 kind allurers, wisely sent,
Beguiling with benign intent
Still move us, through divine unrest,
To seek the lOveliest-and the best!
''Erelong the fiittering glimpse OF good
Shall rest in full beatitnde;
And more than all to earth denied
Shall greet us on the other sidew
-(Atlantic Nonthly for January.
"GENTLEMANLY GEORGE" is Ohio's Dem
attic Senator elect.