Joy swells melodious in his throat, No cunning show of art severe, Those magic tones call from the past The sunny hours of youth; And shining hopes come thronging fast The harmony is seen and heard; For notes and rays combine, And joys and hopes, and sun and bird, All seem to sing and shine. Is not that strain an Æolian of Spirit Land-a "Sunbeam shining to the ear"—than which old Herrick never produced a more dainty image. But let us take leave of these gentle recreations "out of Doors with Nature" with a bit of Rhymed Philosophy that may have its uses in reconciling men to our desultory mode of treating such heretofore strait-laced and science-encrusted themes. COMMON NATURE. Every flower that bears an odor, Every star that lives in beaming Sends a ray to common mind. Scentless flowers give too their blessing, From the splendors on their lips, Every fitful air caressing, Splendor out of splendor sips. Tuneless birds tell too their story- CHAPTER XVI. THE GHOST-FLOWER, AND CHILD. A DREAM. A shaded creature, dim and fair, With thin, transparent colors of the gloom;A flower-stalagmite, cold and rare, Chiseled by Gnomes of caverned air, With dew-sweats on it, gathered there— Then moon-drawn upward into sudden bloom. I. Elfin are Wonders-and Elfin are we They know the godly, where elephants kneel, A Child comes forth, within his eyes THE CHILD'S SONG. II. Tom Todd, Tom Todd come here! I have brought to you a fierce bird,— Tom Todd, come here? Tom Todd won't come! Tom Todd! Tom Todd, come here? I have brought you a bird that singeth so! Tom Todd, come here?— Tom Todd wont come! Tom Todd! Tom Todd, come here? For this strange bird you should hear!Tom Todd! Tom Todd, come here ?Tom Todd wont come! Tom Todd! Tom Todd, come here? Tom Todd's a fool! Tom Todd, the world is sad!- He singeth chorus to the storms— He wingeth fiercely the dark clouds, And is the first to feel the beams That God lets fall from yellow suns. He shakes the clouds that rain down blood. And screameth down defiance proud. He comes so fell a-flying, And then he scorns to touch the dead, E'en though there be much plunder there; He leaves it to the vulture dread His carrion to tear! He scorneth, like the Lion-cat, To touch a prey he hath not slain, Thoughts like him go up toward heaven, Are too thrown down by him from heaven, And yet of all things winged the worst If bloody talons, bloody beak, Are the types by which you speak! All earth is bloody, and must be— Must robe us for Eternity! The eagle sings this where the cataract's heard, And earth shivered and shaken is frightened sore, While the water comes down with a frown and a roar. Tom Todd no more! I will not tell you the story I bore, Ye are not worthy to hear such lore, You have not the thought, the heart or the height, You never will know the strange power of might. Tom Todd won't come, Tom Todd's a fool! III. Elfin are wonders and Elfin are we, He stays on the surface-mocks at all things- He laughs and mocks us while coldly he flings Take the Black Bird from me now, Yes, the red is on its wing And this red good hope should bring! Yellow goeth up the blue To where thrones of Power are placed- Where no gentle thing erased Is driven to a stupid Hell Of Bigotrie Where all are free! |