The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-01-05
TUE SEEKING OF THE WATERFALL.
BY JOHN G. WHITTIER.

u
They left their home Of summer ease
Beneath the lowlands sheltering trees,
TO 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 1t laughed and sang; somewhere
Whirled in mad dance its misty hair;
But who had raised its veil, or seen
The rainbow shirts OF that Undnc?
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 ana foam.
Height after height they slowly won;
The fiery jayalins of the sun
Smote the bare ledge; the tangled shade
With ock and vine their steps delayed.
Bnt. 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.
The leaves through which the glad winds blew
Shared the wild dance the waters knew;
And where the shadows deepest fell
The woodthrush rang his silver bell.
Fringng the stream, at every turn
Swung low the waving fronds of fern;
From stony cleft and messy sod
Pale astcrs sprang and goldcn-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
OftOssing foam the birch-trces through;
Now seen, now lost, hut battling still
The weary seekers slackcning will
Each called to each: 40 here! I.o there.
It's white scarf tiutters in the air."
They climbed anew the vision fled,
10 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-shorn, TO its misty set
Behind the hills of violet.
'TIere ends our quest" the seekers cried,
"rhe brook and rumOr both have lied,
The phantom of a waterfall
Has let us at its beck and CALI
i,
$50, always baiiied, not misled,
We followed 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, howcvey fleet,
The quick time of their winged feet
i'From youth to age unresting stray
These kindly Knockers in our way;
Yet lead they not the battling elves
20 something better than themselves:
Here though unrcachcd the goal We sought,
Its own reward our toll has brought
The winding waters sounding rush,
The long note Of the hermit thush,
'rhc turquoise lakes, the glimpse of pond
And river track, and, vast, beyond
Broad meadows belted round with pines,
The grand uplift Of mountain lines!
What matter though we seek with pain
The garden of the gods in vain,
If ured thereby we climb to greet
Some wayslde blossom Eden-sweet:
TO seek is better than to gain,
The fond hope dies rs we attain;
Lies faircst things are those which seem,
The best IS that Of which we dream.
Then let us trust our waterfall
Still flashes down its rocky wall,
With rainbow crescent curved across
Its sunlit spray from moss to moss.
And we, forgctful Of our pain,
In thought shall seek it oft again
Shall see this cr-blossomcd sod
This sunshine of the goldcn-rOd,
And baply gain, through parting boughs,
Grand glimpscs of great mountain brows
Cloud-turhancd, and the sharp steel sheen
Oflakes deep set in valleys green.
80 failure wins; the consequence
Ofloss becomes its recompcnsc;
And eyermore the end shall tell
The unrcachcd ideal guided well,
'Our sweet illusions only die
Fulfilling loves sure prophecy;
hBdsycry wish for better things
An UndrCamed beauty nearer brings.
For fate is scrvitor Of love;
Desire and hope and longing prove
The secret of immortal youth,
and Nature cheats us into truth.
% Kind allurcrs, wisely sent
Bcguiling with benign intent,
Siill move us, through divine unrest,
To seek the lovelcst and the best
u Erclong thcShittng glimpse of good
shall rest IN full bcautitudc;
Aud more than all To earth denied
Shall greet US on the other sidcw