Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-06-11
POEM

POEM,
BY ssiss Il. Elsie Malone, of Wa,
verify, Tenn, read before the
Aiummae society of the
CIarksvlIle Female
/ Acndena y-Junc
Il, 1881.
Whal spell is this now DER me cast
That surrounds me with visions of days
gone by
IT'S surely a dream, and cannot last,
A dream that waking viii dispel with a
sigh;
But no, it is true, and partakes not OF dream
Friends of the past, behold face to face
And these dear old walls which like fancy
seem
Surround mein truth, with familiar grace.
o Alma Mater, at thy shrine
We now our annual homage pay
And while thy brow with love we twine,
We fling all thought of care away.
Reunion day. oasis of the year,
To which we turn in the desert of life
Torevive our spirits, bruised and scar,
Or rest from the heat of toll and strife.
To hear again the soothing tones
! OF teachers so noble, brave and good
/ Who gently led us to the stream,
That laves the brink of womanhood.
When we had crossed this silver strand,
And together on its banks would recline,
Fate marked with cold and knocking hand,
Our paths in far diverging lines.
Have these meandering paths led through
Elysian fields of happiness
Fields smiling meath a sky of blue?
And fraShauad Inv a Oarfacf hiss
Or have they led DER stony ways
Moistened by sorrows scalding tears
Proving the flowers that met our eyes
But covered thorns for ripper yeals2
From each of you, we now would learn
What pa til you've trod since crossing this
stream,
What fears or hopes in your bosom now
burn
To shade or light the futures gleam,
Have you dived the sea OF knowledge
For the jewels lying therein
Jewels that our Alma Mater,
Told us only diving would win?
Some are climbing the hill of fame
And may bear laureIs from its browning
peak,
Hearing each tongue extol their names
While birds and brooks their praises speak.
Many at Hymen's shrine have knelt,
And now DER "holne" WELD the scepter
of love-
While others too pure for the garden of
Earth,
Have been taken by God to blossom above.
We welcome now the three bright links,
That join our Alumnae chain
The chain that binds, far or near,
And now has drawn us together again.
You've closed the gates of childhoods field,
And can gather its bright hued flowers no
more,
But may you find in womanhood revealed,
Joys just as bright as those OF yore.
Let honor be your guiding star
Along life's chequered way,
Record each eve more noble deeds,
Than on the preceding day,
And should your soul be rudely touched
By sorrows, cruel shifting hand,
May hope with healing balm approach,
And remain while the wound may de-
mand.
And now ere 1 hush my poor strung Tyre,
I'd sweep its strings with love of mine,
And tune it to my hears desire,
For the class of eighteen seventy nine.
For them my daily prayers arise,
Mid smiles of morn, and tears of even
And the sill1en chord of love still lies
Unbroken, found our circle of seven.
Now tell us truly, We loved ones all,
What change in your hearts has times
finger made,
Since it beekoned us from this dear old hall
TO meet the future in light or shade;
No no tom of Ialf oIn
Around this honored shrine,
AS when we stood together here,
The class of eighteen seventy-nine.
P'raps Cupid with his shining darts
And saucy assurance of his wonted prize,
Has targets made of your gentle hearts,
For arrows sharped on sparkling eyes.
Or have you turned your ears away
From pleadIngs of the College rats,
That frisked SO calamity about
When you honored the list of Academy
eats.
Those happy years have glided on
Like a gentle, fairy guided dream
They swept us by, like leafiet thrown
Into some hastV rIlsIlir.e, et-eeAs41-
Bnt their memory stays with us still,
Like thu odor of flowers that are faded and
crushed
Like the softly echoing thrill,
From the strings of harp that is hushed.
We miss from the throng around us tonight
Dear faces that shone in that circle of ours,
And whether they Gull lifc's bliss, or its
blight,
The light of our love never lowers.
And while we dwell with joy, upon
The friends we've met this even,
Wen not forget the absent links
That finished our circle of seven
Soon now our paths again divide,
And may not lead us here 3gain
But DER the field of wisdom wide.
In future may our tracks be seen.
But ere we answer tn welcome call,
o, let our pledge anew be given,
To let our aims be high on earth,
And form a school unbroken in Heaven.