Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

The garden all was enchanted land;

All silent and without motion,

Like a sudden growth of the stalactite,
Or the corallines of ocean!

"Twas all like a fairy forest then,

Where the diamond cards were growing, And within each branch the emerald green And the ruby red were glowing.

I remember many a day we spent

In the bright hay-harvest meadow;

The glimmering heat of the noonday ground,
And the hazy depth of shadow.

I can remember, as to-day

The corn-field and the reaping,

The rustling of the harvest-sheaves,
And the harvest-wain's upheaping:

I can feel this hour as if I lay

Adown 'neath the hazel bushes, And as if we wove, for pastime wild, Our grenadier-caps of rushes.

And every flower within that field

To my memory's eye comes flitting, The chiccory-flower, like a blue cockade, For a fairy-knight befitting.

The willow-herb by the water side,

With its fruit-like scent so mellow;

The gentian blue on the marly hill,

And the snap-dragon white and yellow.

1

!

I know where the hawthorn groweth red;

Where pink grows the way-side yarrow ; I remember the wastes of woad and broom, And the shrubs of the red rest-harrow.

I know where the blue geranium grows,

And the stork's-bill small and musky; Where the rich osmunda groweth brown,

And the wormwood white and dusky.

There was a forest anigh our home,
A forest so old and hoary;

How we loved in its ancient glooms to be,
And remember its bygone story!

We sate in the shade of its mighty trees,
When the summer noon was glowing
And heard in the depths of its undergroth
The pebbly waters flowing.

We quenched our thirst at the forest-well;
We ate of the forest berry;

And the time we spent in the good greenwood, Like the times of song, were merry.

We had no crosses then, no cares ;

We were children like yourselves then;

And we danced and sang, and made us mirth, Like the dancing moonlight elves then!

L'ENVOI.

Go, little book, and to the young and kind,
Speak thou of pleasant hours and lovely things,
Of fields and woods; of sunshine; dew and wind;
Of mountains, valleys, and of river-springs;
Speak thou of every little bird that sings;

Of every bright, sweet-scented flower that blows;
But chiefest speak of Him whose mercy flings
Beauty and love abroad, and who bestows
Light to the sun alike, with odor to the rose.

My little book, that hast been unto me
Even as a flower reared in a pleasant place,
This is the task that I impose on thee

Go forth; with serious style or playful grace,
Winning young, gentle hearts; and bid them trace
With thee, the spirit of Love through earth and air ;
On beast and bird, and on our mortal race,
So, do thy gracious work; and onward fare,
Leaving, like angel-guest, a blessing everywhere!

(131)

SKETCHES OF NATURAL HISTORY,

THE COOT.

Oн Cooт! oh bold, adventurous Coot.
I pray thee tell to me,

The perils of that stormy time,

That bore thee to the sea!

I saw thee on the river fair,
Within thy sedgy screen;
Around thee grew the bulrush tall,
And reeds so strong and green.

The kingfisher came back again
To view thy fairy place;
The stately swan sailed statelier by,

As if thy home to grace.

But soon the mountain flood came down,
And bowed the bulrush strong ;
And far above those tall green reeds,
The waters poured along.

"And where is she, the Water-Coot,"
I cried, "that creature good?"
But then I saw thee in thine ark,
Regardless of the flood.

Amid the foaming waves thou satʼst,

And steered thy little boat; Thy nest of rush and water-reed So bravely set afloat.

And on it went, and safely on
That wild and stormy tide;
And there thou sat'st, a mother bird,
Thy young ones at thy side.

Oh Coot! oh bold, adventurous Coot!
I pray thee tell to me,

The perils of that stormy voyage
That bore thee to the sea!

Hadst thou no fear, as night came down

Upon thy watery way,

Of enemies, and dangers dire
That round about thee lay?

Didst thou not see the falcon grim
Swoop down as thou passed by?
And 'mong the waving water flags
The lurking otter lie?

The eagle's scream came wildly near,

Yet, caused it no alarm?

Nor man, who seeing thee, weak thing,

Did strive to do thee harm?

And down the foaming waterfall,

As thou was borne along,

Hadst thou no dread? Oh daring bird, Thou hadst a spirit strong!

47*

« AnteriorContinuar »