San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-04-22


A Sabbath day In spring-tho Texas spring,
Swift following winters brief and hful
reign,
Whom all the land was rodolent OF flowers
On balmy breezes borne; whom birds attunod
Their lays OF love, and smiling Peace and
Joy
Presided DER the landscapes varied scene,
Basking IN beauty meath o cloudloss sky.
Amid this grand return OF Natures life,
Ono OF her consocrated votaries
Within cottage chamber slept IN death.
Alas the change Tho who had joyed 60
much
In oil boon Natures charms-whoso life wea
given
To trace her works and ways, with constant
heart!
Not yet transcondng childhood's artless day,
Aud weighted with afiliction all his l'te,
His was the students zeal and purpose high;
His the philosophers inquiring mind;
Ills the pure, loving heart and soul of
truth.
But tho grave summoned him from bis
loved homo
And loving circle, lost In voiceless grief.
But az thoy boro him down tho shady walk
Which had 80 often blest his his homeward
feet
On his last, unreturning pilgrimage,
A wall arose from tho old freedwoman
Who loved tho mothorloss boy, whom he
had loved,
Aud sought with earnest, child-like hope
and trust
To inform with learning her long -darkened
mind,
To which no gayo now thoughts and i'm
pulses;
And so her honest heart bcwailed his loss
A fitting requiem to one 80 good.
Beside tho open grave there stood throng
or those who knew and loved the gifted boy,
Whose memory yet haunts our wooded
heights
And silvcry rivers devious, emerald shores
Such is the living power of truth AID love-
The old and young were there - for both
alike
He loved, and was O favorite Of both.
Among tho rest, o venerable man,
Late from the chlld's loved natal home, ap-
Ono known and honored long throughout
the land,
And priced the most by those who know
him bost
He had arrived near relatives to greet
Unknowing all the boys 80 swift decline
Only to note his last few fading days,
10 trcasuro up his parting look and smile,
And hore to mark the end. And now arose
The minister, known and beloved of all,
Who long had known and understood the
lad,
A. tbatfn yvnrIa
Gave tribute to his bright and stainless life,
And blessed comfort to the stricken ones.
And then tho grave was filed and smoothed
above,
And all departed.
Years havo fitted by
Since that sad day, and marked by many n
change,
Such az this transient life still ushers in.
Tho preacher, too, has gono to his reward
The welcome of the Lord he servod-"Well
done"!
And others not few then standing there
Now sleep in death amid that quiet scene.
The venerable sojourner, worn and frail,
In distant chimes and amid alien scenes,
Is rounding up a life to duty true.
Yet still the scene on that fair Sabbath eYe,
10 many IL no aforementioned ono.
To me. full oft, the picture rises true,
And that lone little grave, whereer roam,
Is present to my thought. Since it was made
I've wandered far and wide, and even have
stood
Beneath foreign sky but still to me
Appeared that grave, and still came back
the scene
When Garth claimed the frail tenement of
clay
OF that freed spirit, safely housed in Heaven;
There to rusume, unhindered, and for aye
Tho search for Truth and Wisdom here
begun.