The Cycle of Life, Poems

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1871 edition. Excerpt: ... chiming sea, A mingled breathing of grief and glee: Man's voice, unbroken by sighs, was there, Filling with triumph the sunny air; Of fresh green lands, and of pastures new, It sang, while the bark through the surges flew. But ever and anon A murmur of farewell Told, by its plaintive tone, That from woman's lip it fell. "Away, away, o'er the foaming main!"--This was the free and joyous strain, --"There are clearer skies than ours: afar, We will shape our course by a brighter star; There arc plains whose verdure no foot hath press'd, And whose wealth is all for the first brave guest." "But, alas! that we should go," Sang the farewell voices then, "From the homesteads, warm and low, By the brook in the glen!" K SONG OF EMIGRATION. 91 "We will rear new homes, under trees that glow As if gems were the fruitage of every bough; O'er our white walls we will train the vine, And sit in its shadow at day's decline, And watch our herds, as they range at will Through the green savannas, all bright and still." "But woe for that sweet shade Of the flowering orchard-trees, Where first our children play'd 'Midst the birds and honey-bees!" "All, all our own shall the forest be, As to the bound of the roebuck free! None shall say, 'Hither, no further pass!' We will track each step through the wavy grass; We will chase the elk in his speed and might, And bring proud spoils to the hearth at night." "But oh! the grey church-tower, And the sound of Sabbath-bell, And the sheltcr'd garden-bower: We have bid them all farewell!" "We will give the names of our fearless race To each bright river whose course we trace; We will leave our memory with mounts and floods, And the path of...