The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-07-05
Looking Backward
AN UNPUBLISHED POEM BY
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER
From the Independent.

From the Independent.
TDur:ng Whittier's residence in Philadel
phia, 1~S3S-1Si0, a young lady friend, or tina
city, herself the writer of pleasing verse
Miss Elizabeth Nicholson, began a manu-.
literally everything he had published al
that time. This collection also included
many sportive and satirical verses, never
published, but circulated among his
friends. She was helped in securing his
earliest work, his boyish poems, by MI.
Whitticr's sister Elizabeth, who spent
some months in Philadelphia, while he
was editing the Pennsylvania Freeman.
While the collection was making Whittier
was not aware of 1t, and gave no help.
somely bound volume of neat manuscript
was handed him with a request that he
would write a preface for it.. He had
hoped that the vain dreams and follies OF
his early times had been consigned to
oblivion, and did not relish the raising Of
their ghosts while he was engaged in Sc
only. and for the perusal of intimate
friends, he consented to furnish the desired
preface, with the result given below. The
lines have a value as showing the attitude
of the poet in middle life toward the less
lunselflsh ambitions of his youth. The
unique volume referred to, with its intro
duction in Whittier's handwriting, Is now
IN the possession of Miss Nicholson's rela-
tives. S. t. Pickard.]
Sins of my luckless boyhood! Ghosts of
Vain dreams and foll:es Of my early times!
Fruits of brief respite from the students
lore,
Or conned at intervals of labor DER
When stretched at ease where oaken Shad-
oWS lay,
And the stream wlnded at my feet; T.,
The unconscious OK that painted at my
side,
The dog, that fondly his young master
eyed, -,
And, on the beughs above, the forest bird
Alone rnHa annfplnN e thni- D,rr,.
Or uttered when the worlds enchantment
On dazzled eye or kind,ing spirit burst; y
When flattery's voice n woman's gentlest
tone
Woke thoughts and feelings heretofore
unknown: F.,
When halls where wealth and beauty, wit
and lnirth, E.
And taste refined, and eloquence and
worth
Felt and dirfused the intellect's high Joy,
Opened to welcome even a rustic boy;
Or where ambitions lip of fame and fear
burned like the tempter's at my listening
And a proud spirit, bidder deep and long,
hose up for strife, stern, resolute and
strong,
Conscious Of power, and proudly looking
To the high places of the land with hope,
The idle dreams of the enthusiast bow.
lmagination's sorrow and it's joy
Woes upon paper, misery in reams.
Distress in albums, and despair in
The dim world of the ideal-all the vain
And shadowy tr~ibuiatiens of the brain
The Berkleyism of poetry, which sees
The real dream, and dreams realities
thoughts born of feelings now disowned
and Spurned,
Breath:ngs Of hopes for which my spirit
1 look upon We with no kindly gaze
Ye frail mementos of my boyish DAYS,
l love not now, with manhood soberer eve
70 read the lesson of your vanity:
RECORD oil time m.SSpent,' of mind abused.
OF God-given powers in folly's service
Oh for the power to dedicate anew
true 1N' ""u
70 offer up on Duty's holy shrine
ne morning incense or a heart like mine!
But vain the wish! Let the time past suf-
flee
For idle thoughts and worse than vanities
Ihy will. Oh Father! hath it not been
Thy gentle teachings nave they not been
known?
Have I not heard amid life's stormy din
The voice of bland entreaty entering in
When midst my selfish aims of power and
fame,
The mournful signing of the captive came,
Ana a proud heart through all its triple
Melted at others woe. and learned to feel?
Oh for Thine aid to bend anew the knee:
n turn my spirit wholly into Thee:
Io,give up all-nay cease to claim as mine
IN Pride Of heart, powers which alone are
Thine;
To Thee the abused and wasted gifts re-
store,
Nor dare abuse Thy holy bounty more!
And thou whose partial hand hath kindly
penned
These frail and wayside offerings Of a
friend
Who, cold and calm in outward seeming.
vet
Gath never learned a kindness to forget
Thou unto whom is given that gift of
mind 90 ~
Which, pure itself, delighteth still to find
Beauty IN all things, anxious to make
known
Another's gifts, while careless Of thine
Eorsive me, II in gazing coolly now.
MIN manhood's. cautious eye and thought
worn brow,
Even with a grateful sense Of secret glad
ness,
There blends the shadow of regretful sad
ness.