Milford chronicle., 1936-12-04

] 70 the Delaware Bay. ana then
some.l
Sometimes, out here on this expansl
Of broad prairie, something haunts
Ny inmOst soul, and makes me fee
A longing that / can't conceal.
A glimmering comes before my eyes
And uncalled shadows upward rise.
Sweet visions comes, and old songs
ring,
While l forget most everything.
see the fields, and little town
Beneath the wood there nestled
down;
| see the stream that onward flows
Diagonal across the road;
And there's the bridge by which I
fished,
For little catfish, while / wished
I'D get a bigger bite, and feel
An awful jerk, to catch--an eel.
There stands the gnarIed old holly
tree eis t=a
used to slip beneath to see
The robbin red breast sail the air
To pick the bright red berries there,
And in the snmmerstlme ia Ne
Beneath its shade, an watch the
sky, s FehG
And turkey-buzzard hOat along,
The very silver clouds among.
And when the blackberries were
ripe.
We lads were sure to take a trip
Among the new ground tangle-wOod
To where the slx-fOot bfiars stood.
We scratched our hands, we tore our
clothes
And skinned our shins. and stumped
our toes,
The leader led, we followed suit;
The fun was worth more than the
fruit
There stood the school house mott
led grey,
1t had been white-washed well one
day @
Where many long day. have
spent
In actual Imprisonment,
Where tittering girls, and whisper
ing boys
Together helped to make a noise:
COnspiring raps and deft foot falls;
While wads of paper splcked the
walls.
But let the teacher cry recess"
Quick banished then all stupldness.
Outdoors they rushed to storm the
land
With lusty voice and busy hand,
Oh! let them laugh, while laugh
they may,
They'll learn to sigh too soon some
day,
(God bless them all, they're dead or
grown,
And to the four broad winds have
fown.)
'Tis August, and a brighter day
Meier beamed to light us to the bay,
With oxen yOked to covered cart. !
We wound along with huttering
heart,
Thr0' piney woods, DER sandy hills.
Cross narrow dams. and by old
mills,
Down woody lanes of Oaken shade.
On slender roads thsough morass ,
laid.
We ride quite slow. but sturdily-
Yet ever to the eastward we
Ride on, with glad delay,
Until we view the distant bay!
A blue expanse of rolling sea
Where many ship rides gallantly,
And tho their sails shine fair and
white
Twas dark enough ON yester-nlght.
We reach the sandy beach and feel.
strength renewed, a growing zeal
Ne breathe deep breaths of salt sea
breeze,
With thankful heart and will TO I
please.
Stretched out at length upon the
sand,
With cheerful shouts on every hand
forth to the wind we throw our
cares,
md revel in our youthful years. (,
The shadows bring a change once
more:
he bay is gone. the sandy shore
lives place to vlrdant wood and
field.
Where sweet their perfume yield.
Fbere snOw-white sheep feed on the
hill
nd ineek-eyed cattle slowly I'LL
heir sleek sides out mid clover
blooms.
nd song-birds sway on swinging
brooms.
hese disappear-the shady wood,
as gone, apparently for good, - s.
be old1time haunts are far away
hat boyish head is turning gray.
here now l gaze Is one broad Z
plain y
I rolling upland. where I fain 7
'ould old scenes set tween earth !,
and sky
D break the dull monOtany. 8
JOHN w BEEBE =