Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-05-27
The Editors Help-Meet.
By MRS. G.B. KELLEY, OF THE MoBERLY MONITOR

Read before the Missouri Press Association q
st. Joseph.
Beside the stream of Poesy 1 stood;
blue.
And where Its shallow ripples broke, could
HIVE gathered pale. sweet water-iiiles, too
The dimpled, silvery waters murmursd on
And, ere Knew II. 10! the day had gone.
turned away but meant to come again
To hear the sobbing music OF the stream.
Whose grooming murmurs filled me with sweel
And luled and charmed me like happy
When. on the misty stretch of farther shore,
heard the dipping splash of quick-p oar,
L waited, then. knee deep In dewy grass,
Until, below me. on the star-kissei stream
tiny boat Came up and did not pass.
But lay there. flooded with bright noon
The oarsman beckoned, and trembling went.
Struck dumb with fearful awe aud wonder
ment.
''You're wanted on the other sidel' ali me!
wondered II heard his speech arighti
Could cross FER the stream Of pOesy?
That done, remained there any new delight
Or. haunting thnt far reach Of moonllt shore,
Should enchsntments find, unknown before 2
Grown bold with sudden longing then, Istepped
From out the dew-gemmed grass into the
boat
The hyaclnths and lilies sweetly slept
But stirred, as If in dreams. when we, aaoas.
Passed down the track maue by Whi:e NOON
Upon the bosom Of the magic stream.
To poets only, could breathe the rest;
That golden h0ur is shut 30 close between
AS Heavens is; but soon we touched i green
And smiling shore and there y company
With bay-crOwned forsheads came to well
come Inc.
50 their faces when we greeted there;
Bent nth the oay-leat crown us they smiled ut me.
sneW them Us we know an oft-hummed air
= And blushe,t to think w 1. unworthiiy,
STOOD there among them; Turner. Fcrreli. Field
Were there anu others too who Dravely WELD
poets pen. 'Jenks." Edwards. Russell,
too.
And some beside. whose faces dimly seen
Lise questioned echOcs, answered nsthInx true
F9 memory. A score there may have been
Ana these. IN silence that aid more Than speech
showed where abay-wreath hung beyond my
teach.
Then one with grave SAD eyes came slowly forth
And said. 'wno WINS may Wear this poets
CLOWN,
Prove now to us your own poetic worth
Ahu II shall sweetiy press your eyelids down.
Dat ny my own green laurel wreath swear
No happy man poets crown may wear!''
"My bay leaves twine. grsenly glowing
Because my tears hAye watered them, ani
sweet
AS newly gathered ones because, beneath.
80. Like loot that nourishes. my brain doth beat,
The sreenest crown is his who most doth use
Gri,is olntinehts ON il. Win you wear Ones
ChUOse!'
" Alas!" sighed. 81 dreamed q foolish thing
"hat Tine dreamed of tesrisss poets; nor
But like the larks they upward scared to sing
Because the air was sweet and skies We're blue,
1 rI..,l I,,r..
Lite wears u smile for me and not y frOWa,''
'Then you are wiss," he said with mournful
emile,
"And We are not who said "a poet We see,'
Because You musing stood u little while
:, Beside the stream wnere poets love to be.
nut Slice 10 cross lt WIS such rare delight,
our pains You should repay with speech to-
night.
'ihoush you, uncrowned. stand up among the
-, To play At making hyme. Tin much TO fail
ihroush in;k ofsixhs that help u swell sweet
Still. noon-birds sins while lists the nightin-
% you may che us, though you miss our
''Thea will speak, 1 said. "Giye me a
:, That like rose sheds some faint fragrance out
however rtldeiy touched, thut 1t msy seem
~.
me ne. while you listen in q pleased surprile,
ihat sweet sounds always walt for poets'
ou ask too much; we poets of the press
r., Lave ia, yearly harvested the Held OF thought
Ihere ID one theme that none has hither
brought.
Each one has sung the trials of his liie
But, strange enough, said nothing of his
AS If sudden whirl of wind had blown
Against lied OF ripened wheat, l saw
n TOW VI urooping heads: all Save nv own
r., fsse, ere pent: longed Tor poet power to draw
But lOnSeu in vRin-fOr this ia what I said.
POEM.
A man who dwelt In Eden, heard a yoics
Anu iell asleep, o'ercome with Lappiness;
90 losing What you, each have found the
choice ''.S
~, VI help meet. though heard a man confess
ihoash first. Was not the last, who woke to
Ihe voice that said imam doth help meet
Came straight and sad from the Crestor,s
throne,
To give the arth its universal creed:
1T is not good ior man to be alone"
Mncn tchOing-rOom adOwn the aisles of time
IL nhus anu ILLS with melody sublime
And each OF you. l doubt not can recall
First Time you caught the thrilling. wondrous
Ihat breathes of mortal bliss, and vet to all
Doth promise with its sweetness IA much of nam
we may grew doubtful of Joy we've known
feteSer love the hour twas first our avn
SO, where the sunshine of that hour fell warm
- Across your lives. l bid you with me stand
Inat. II III aught you've lost it's sacred cnarn,
may replace 1t. tho with trembling haad.
ny sr' search amongst the hours that lie between
Ihat hour snd tins. Fit task Ter poet, ween I
AS some grim seer who looks behind, before.
with equal ease. see the years unfold
Like aim and musty .crO:s all written O,er-
But %, the nall read can ne'er be tolL.
or. down the length OF every tear blurrsd lima
"A radiance. soft as starlight seems To shine.
AS II each day upon your tired brow
soft hand lightly lay. or loving kiss
ell tnere instead, Or, ii l must slIov
Twas grlef that would not WELD u swe.ts
like this
ihen you perchance, n fsnd wife's counsel
found, 'e
And from the breakers stepped to sslid
rend of weary days that you have known.
Wh,se dismal, sunless skies nboys vop
noWhe,t- ~"
An then. you closely pressed within YOUR own
small, Weak hand aud sU sweet soince found
And then, u true Wifr's smile ,shIn.s Iik. a ,t.r
It's brightest When life nixhts the darkes, a rs