The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-04-24
An April Ramble.



Calling. calling voices-from the busy
haunts of men,
To the fields, for months forsaken, to the leaf
less, silent glen,
To the naked woods, to hollows where the
swollen streams run swift,
Where the warmest touch Of sunshine wooes the
life beneath the drift,
To the secrets of the forest, to the music Of
the rills--
And my every yearning heartbeat answers
back the waking hills
For l love the resurrection of the winter
shrouded EARTH
And watch with soul.rejoicing every sign of
its new birth;
And answer always promptly Natures first
low-whispered words
Knowing we'll that cen her silence many gra-
cious gift affords.
Yonder where the sturdy woodman piled his
axe of metal bright,
Felled the maple for his fuel, by the might
that makes mans right,
On the chiseled disc recorded read in ringed
tracngs plain
How the forest monarch lived, how he bat
tied fate in vain,
In the midst of grave reflections chipmunk
with his russell bands
Nimbly climbs this rustic rostrum and de-
voutly folds his hands.
Something in his mien reminds me of an old
respected friend
Dear old man, long since translated where de-
cay and age shall end.
l can seq the face and figure, soft brown locks
brushed smoothly back
From forehead high, retreating eyes
no luster lack
AS, with mind intent and earnest, in his old
familiar place,
Aged hands clasped reverential, Uncle Ezra's''
saying grace.
Us it sacrlege l wonder, when this tiny
woodland elf
| So intrudes upon my fancy, that quite forget
myself,
And recall the sacred image of my relative
devoutp
| If it is, cannot help it, so l lesve with you
the doubt.)
And my little furry comrade, posing on this
| monument,
Wears his attitude of worship just as if he
| too intent
| On his afternoon devotions, were unconscious
| am here;
Yet know the artful creature, his disguisei
plain appear;
Softly, stealthily approaching, do 1 seek ar
interview
Swift he leaves the stage of action without
even an adieu-
From a sunny, sheltered nook, as l brusl
away the leaves,
Peeps the first green leaf of springtime ant
happy greeting receives.
Eager hands uproot the treasure sumner
sign that she will come
Bear it off to reinstate it in an artificial home
Thus we seek to wrest from Nature joys she'
holding in reserve,
Pluck the bud and tear it open-recompensed
as we deserve,
By dwarfed, deformod fulfllment of tn,
promised grace in store
Are we richer, are we wiser, are we happier
than beforeP
All along the sodden hillsides are the tunnels
-open'd now
By the melting SHOWS above them-whose un
certain windings show
Where the hungry moles have burrowed 'neatl
the winters frosty drift,
Seeking some sustaining fragment-Mothe
Natures boarded gift.
Here the hermit woodchuck's dwelling; filled
with leaves, the open door
Tells us still he's alternating, never venturine
to explore.
Down the hillside sloping southwark leaps and
| laughs transient stream
Fed by sun-kissed SHOWS dissolving, sparkling
meath the suns bold beam.
Dancing now across the shadows, gurgline
meath rustic bridge,
Reckoning to the rills that run gaily to NEE
it from the ridge
Like coy, coquettish maiden, skipping on
| ward in advance,
Calling lightly: Come and catch me-this shal
be your only chance"
All the tickle charms of April They allur,
! and they beguile,
] And they hold her lovers captive, wooed anG
won by 'witching smile,
| By her low melodious voices and their sympa
| thetic chime,
| Flooding us with strong emotions and witt
! happiness sublime,
| Till, with soul entranced, uplifted, praise we
| God who reigns above,
{ Yet who stoops to bless creation with Hi:
| bounteous gifts of love-