San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-10-25
SAN MARCOS HAYS COUNTY, TEXAS, THURSDAY, OCT
From the Extra Pass rsrss.
THE RIVER SAN MARCOS.
NJ MoILlE n MOORE.

Far Ger the hills and toward the dying day,
te, like heart, . living heart, deep. deep
within the bosom ofits wide prairiss,
Lies the Valley Of San Marcos. And shsra,
A princess reused from slumber BY the Kiss
OF bsmy Southern skies. the river syringe
From out her rocky bed, and hastsns oh'
Far down the vsle, 70 give her reysi hand
In marriage TO the waiting Guadalupe.
Like some grim gisn, keeping silent watch.
while from his feet his rsorsant daughter Lies,
Above the hoary mountain stands. his head
Rncircied By an emerald pointed crown
OF oedars. strong - those Of Lebanon.
That bow their sombre orssts. and WOO the wind.
Drunken with fragrance nom tho vale below.
About his brow. sot like dusky chain,
The mystic Raee.Paths run-his amulet
And nestled squsrsiy 'gainst his rugged breast.
Perohed quantity 'mong The great Scared ROOFS
that hang
Like tombstonos on the mountain.side. shs nest
The FALoox built still fingers. though the wing
That swept the gathering dust from OF our sh'eid'
Hath long since dropped 10 dusti
Now woosd BY dusky gloems on either sids'
Now whlrlins round the orsggy banks. now stayed
By tangled vines that stretch their arms scross'
The river glidsth farther from her sire.
Below, an ancient MILL. with iassard wheels.
10 mirrored In her CLASSY depths. and broad
The miil-race reaches out his arms, all dssked
With psbble-stonss, aud fringed with purple asgs'
And strives 10 bar her onward course-in vain,
For. usryed with sudden fear. she springs, snd
bright
| Hsr rainbow garments glitter In the sun.
A, ON sho pants toward the shallow ford.
And here, down sloping 10 the waters msrge.
Tho fields, all golden with the harvest come;
And here. the horsemsn, refining In bis steed, :
Az eve, will pause and mark the village spires
CLEAN golden In the setting sun, and lar
Across . deeply furrowed field will glance
with idle eye upon stately hill
That girt with oedars. rises like King
To mark the further limit Of the field.
twas there. between the hill and river. stood
A shaded so,tsge; and It's roof was low
And dark, and vines that swined the pofeh ou
| served
To hide the bleskuess Of ~ wall. Bat then
Twas home, aud Heaven 70 ssdr ~ {" ov
childhood"
And wss but child; and summer dAys.
That since have oiteptimss seemed long and sad'
We're asetsr then than even tho morning winds
That sen. my bro.hsr's fairy bark. wsll.balsnoed
In sa,sty down tho river's tide. A'ss'
IL there, can there be susht In oil the world
ro .oo,hs the sick soul 10 such perfect rest
! Az allied Its early dreams Is there no founs,
Like that of old 30 msdy sought by LEoH.
| whore the worn soul may bsthe and rise renewed
And up and down the banks before our door.
Now gathering up the yellow lily buds
Tha. lay like gold en- aas0ns on sas !.ss stream
That sustied In the lazy summer breeze,
And now among the grape.vines, whsre they hsni
| In light iestoons above the watsr.edges
| With careless step rosmed
| Well I remember.
Down where the ffver makes sudden bend
Below the lord. and near the dusky road,
Upon hei bosom sleeps fairy Isle,
kntwined about with snowy aider-bougns
| And tapestried with vines that bore flower
whose pe,als looked like drops OF blood.
| 1--WE called II "Lady Of the Bleeding Heart
And through Il wandered title careless paths :.
That wr,hed like wounded snakes among the bedi
| or tufted grass; and Ger this Lying gem
The very skies seemed bluer. and the waves.
That rippled round IL. threw up brighter spray:
Upon the banks for hours Pve stood, and longed
To bask amid Its shades. and when a. "a"
NY brother dragged, with wondrous care. his boat
Rude fashioned, small, and furnished with one oar,
Across the long slope from the stately bill
Where II WAS built. ue'er did Columbus hesrt
Beat with throb so Wild upon that shores
| unknown to any save TO him. as ours .
When. with o'eIwearied hands aud lsbored breath
We steered In safety DER the dangerous way,
And stood the mona'chs OF that iairy realm
Nv brother, how wish our wayward feet
Once more could feel that lordly prde-our hesrtf
Once more know ell their cravings satisfied
Sweet Valley Of San Marcosi few are the years
That siuoo have linked their golden hands and sed
Like spirits down the valley Of the past
| And yet II seems weary time TO me
| Sweet River OF San Marcos the openings seen
| Between tho moss-hung trees, like golden pains
That lead through Eden 10 Heavens fAiIer he'ds.
Show glimp.es Of the broad, free, boundie.s pain'
! That circle thee around. Thine own prairieaI
How my sad spirit would exult to battle
| Its wings, all heavy with the dust OF care,
Deep In their glowing beauty How my heart, :,
O'ershsdowed with this cloud OF gloom ~ou'c
wake
To life anew beneath those summer skies
Nv home Is nestled now among the hills,
The wooded hills, like those Of that fair State,
That queen among the daughters OF the South.
That gave me birth and gsyly fits the breeze
Among the boughs Of oaks whose trunSs
| Are welded with the rings OF centuries:
And naples, eioaked like princes, wave their nag
| Above the serred armies OF the fern.
/ that march along the forest stream. where low
The beeche: sweep their brightly -gieamins "sSes
| And one tall pine, sentinel. keeps watch
Before my very door. -,
Tho trees, the forest-treesi Ny heart beats full
/ And high beneath their stately limbs And yet,
Al tim "a meibinks our mountain air seems LICK
I And the ereen tresses OF our forest trees,
they choke my very breathing Then. oh then
| I f.n would spurn my native shades, and lain
| would sweep with untamed wing across the broad
| And boundless prairies Of the Wet, and breathe
nv freedom back beneath unshsdowed skies
Oh. River Of my childhoodi fsir Valley -Queeni
| Within thy bosom yet at morn the sun
Dips deep his golden beams. aud on thy tide
At night the stars, the yellow stars, are mirrored
Through emerald marshes yet thine sddiss curl,
! And YET that fairy isle in beauty sleeps
, like her Of old who waits the waking kiss
or some true knight 10 break her magic sleep.)
And yet heavy with purple cups, the flags,
Droop down toward the MIL But lob,
| No more will wander BY thy shores, nor not,
! AZ twilight down thy CLASSY iidei-Do morsi
| And yet, San Marcos. when some river.novT,
| All swoonIng With .ts nectar drops. 10 laid
Before my eyes, its beauty scares is seen
For tears witch stain my eyellds. and for dream,
Witch glide before me OF thy fairy charms.
| Ard suell my heart With lohKInR.