The Portland daily press., 1889-02-22

Like the poor beasts that gr axe. the worms that
creep
No hope of ending more than began
No = will never be a common man."
Courageously he met
The trials which teset
His early years--and faced and conquered each;
And when the shining triumphs Of success
With blessings numberless,
Life's richest pearls, were all within his reach,
And fortune sought him TO reward and bless
Just at the fruitage Of his long endeavor,
When every cloud had vanished from his sky
The restless soul wore through
Its fragile casket of mortality;
The feeble frame gave up the unequal
strife
Fate snapped the slender silver cord of
life,
And while there yet remained so much to do
The marvellous fingers ceased their work for
Alas for 1t had labore1 long and and well,
That sensitive hand that owned a wizards spell
To conjure lifeless stone to loyelIest shapes;
The Presser of the Grapes
The fair Undine, fresh from her fountaln-bowl,
Saddened by her new burden of a soul
Who left, mistakenly,
Her happy world of waters, to discover
How cruel-false the love is, which desires
Pursues, and wins, and tires;
The gentle Una with his lion lover
Bearing her proudly on his tawny back;
Jacobs beloved son,
His pride. his youngest one.
Fair Benjamin. who. pausIng on the track
To Egypt with his brethren-while surprise
Looked from his innocent eyes,
Beheld the silver cup within his sack;
And she. the lovely saint of charity,
The dear Elizabeth of Hungary,
Whose klrtle full Of bread
Changed iato sweetest roses, white and red
All these, and more, obeyed that beckoning hand
And woke at his command.
How sad and strange that thus the artists
thought
Outlasts the brain that planned, the hand that
wrought
That mighty Cesar's bust
Remains when he and all he ruled, are DUST
All, who may guess how much
OF undreamed beauty and surprising grace,
How many wondrous form and perfect face,
Unwarmed by daylghts kiss,
Lie yet unquarried In the Businesses
or fair Carraras hills,
Sealed deep within their rocky chrysalis,
And waiting yainly the awakening thrills
or his magnetic touch9
And will some artrdisciple yet unborn,
With shining eyes anointed like his own,
And hand like his in mracle-workiDg power,
At the appointed hour
Perceive them, fettered In imprisoning stone,
And lead them forth to meet the welcoming morn9
Or will that star Of genius never rise,
And jealous nature keep unturned the page
Meant only for his eyes.
And let those radiant visions sleep unknown
All Indictments had from th ali notfva orona
Until there comes an end of mysteries,
And the great globe itself wears out with age?
Most fifty rests his best creation here,
To keep his memory, through many year,
Living, and fresh. and Sweet
Here In this pleasant place-this loved retreat
To which his falling feet
Weary with foreign wandering. turned at last,
When his brief day of toll was overpast-
The city which, though widely he might roam,
He still held dear, and loved to call his home.
Gladly he left the charmed Italian shore
To walk Its ways once more
Eager again to greet
Each well known face and dear familiar street,
As tired child comes, when nights shadows
lower
Back to its mothers door.
The thoughtful soul may gather wisdom hence;
Whe dives for pearls must pay their dangerous
price;
All triumphs have their hard equivalents;
And though each gain exacts It's sacrifice
All worthy effort wins its recompense;
Calm has its perls, too, as well as wen IS storm,
And death is cold, although the wave be warm.
Faint hearts may win new hope and confidence,
Learning from this brief life-experience
That much may be achieved by one brave soul
Determined and intense
Which seeks lofty goal,
And, spurning circumstances harsh control,
And smiling at the shadows it may meet
Keeps its ideal still intact and whole;
Despite encouragement, dehes defeat,
And holds its purpose high and pure and sweet;
That even life cut OF before its time
Blighted by fell disease in early prime
May not be fruitless pain
For II the mortal has not lived in vain
Who makes, as his one gain
For the wide worlds great store,
Two blades Of grass grow where one grew be-
fore,
Then surely has his life been something worth
Who gave this added beauty TO the earth;
Surely his name Is worthy Of renown
Whose toll achieved for his beloved town
This treasure-this rare jewel for its crown;
This lovely record of his high endeavor
Amid deaths gathering shades still strong and
brave
flower Of genius, blooming on a grave.
Long may 1t here repose,
Beloved and valued song,
In this fair temple, reared and set apart
For Letters. sister-deity of Art
By one whose generous heart
With fealty true and strong,
Burns incense at the kindred shrine of song
To tell its tale OF help and hope to those
Disheartened by Universities and woes,
And bear his name to children's children down;
"A thing of beauty" and "a Joy forever!"
LETTERS RECEIVED.