Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-26
All the Year Round.
A MIDWAY MIEEsTOEE.

- Come DOWN" the simple letter says,
Come COM eow nan and hear the church bells ring,
And hear the song the thrushes sing
Among the leafy bowers.
Come forth from dreary city ways,
And glad us with your presence, dear,
And longed-f0r as the summer flowers
Come down. and we will take once more
The healthy path across the Kill;
Or saunter through the dewy lane
Wherein we parted with such pain
The heath is sweet with honey store,
The fair green lane is dewy still,
And II long to see yous SD!
Come down, and we viii sit again
Beside the milestone gray and old,
That stands without our garden gate,
The spot where was wont TO wait
And listen. while your feet
Passed to the highway from the lane
And my heart seemed too full TO hold
its tender bliss, so new and sweet"
sit me in the summer dusk,
The sultry dusk of city ways.
put the letter from my hand,
And memory brings at my command
The past before mine eyes
see garden, sweet with musk
AID EHes wrapped in silver haze,
And sleeping cnder summer skies
A eaaden gateway, clothed about
With cream and crimson woodbine hoWers,
And In the copse across the way,
The bird that singeth not by day,
Chants of her cruel fate.
The long white highway stretches out,
And faint pink egiantine emboWers
A milestone by the garden gate.
A stone that on its ancient face
magic Irmber shows to me,
In quaint old figures mo.sy oroWn'
So many miles to London town,
80 MANY years have /:
All, little girl. the barfeu space
OF my spent youth 'twi3t me and thee,
For evermote must coldly lie.
think the moonlight touched my brain
That summer night year ago;
Though sweet thy love. had no right
To win the sacred blossom white
OF thy pure girlish heart;
To hear me tell my tale of woe,
Would God they could have healed the smart!
Would God that to my empty home,
Where soInberehadows come at will,
Nine hand could lead thee TO dtspel
The doleful memories that dwell
Beside its hearthstone cold
Or would that with thee could roam
The dewy lane. the heath-clad hill;
And sit beside the milestone old
Would God sweet child, that could share
The simple glee that fills thine heart,
That all the griefs and all the tears
That filed my life of forty years
Might pass like morning dew:
Would God that eonld pray thy prayer.
From all the worlds illusions part,
And twine the roses with my rue.
''Is it too late?'' my heart cries out;
'.Too late, too latel" make reply;
had no right to speak of love,
The eagle mates not with the dove.
know the truth tonight;
see the way too clear for doubt,
lay the simple letter by;
The midway milestones fade from sight
If have harmed thee, gentle child,
will not deepen yet the wrong;
could not quit my busy strife
To share thy simple country life;
The freshness of my soul
Has faded in world pathways wild;
Pass on, and sing thy simple song.
am too rough for loves control.
could not sit in peaceful ease
With thee among the garden flowers;
Nor could sip-whose lips have quaffed
Bfe's strongest wine-the simple draught
Thou offerest gay and glad.
The soothing murmur of the trees,
The incense of the woodbine bowers,
Year after year. would drive me mad
And so lay thy letter down,
And keep my birthday here apart;
Pass on, my little darling, free.
A brighter future waits for thee
In LIES untrodden ways;
Pass on, and win thy woman's crown
And Kingdom. in you thftfl heart,s
God gives the good. and length of daysi
And If life's midway milestone past,
What more with love have to do?
Ny hearts lone memories, bitter-sweet,
Bestrew the ground before my feet,
Like wrecks on winters sea;
God grant the young their dreams may last
Mine early died-yet love is true
lWeii DcitSr0, SuVugu ueau rUT me!