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The Seeking Of The Waterfall

The Seeking Of The Waterfall image
Parent Issue
Day
18
Month
January
Year
1878
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

They left their home of eximmer ease Beneath the Iowland's sheltering trees, To seek, by wayB upknown to all, The promiee of the waterfall. Sonie vague, faint rumor to the vaJO Had crept - perchauce a hunter's tale - Of its wild mirUi of waters lost On the dark woods througii whicïi it tossed. 8omewhere it laughed and sang ; Bomewhere Whirled in ruad dance its misty hair ; But who had raised its veil or aeen The rainbow skirts of that Undine ? They sought it where the niountain brook lts Bwift way to the valley took ; Along the ruged elope they clomb, Their guide a tliread of Bound and foam. Height af ter hcight they slowly won ; The flery javolins of the aun Smote the bare ledge ; Ihe tangled fhade With rock and vine their steps delayed. But, through leaf-openings, now and thcn Thtïy saw the cheerful homes of men, And the great naountaiue with their wall Of misty purple gircUing all. The leaves through which the glad winds blew Shared the wild dance the waters know ; And who e the fhadows deepeet feil The wood-thrubh rang his süver bell. Fringing the streara at every turn Swung low the waving fronda of fern ; Froni stony cleft and moasy sod Pale asters aprung, and golden-rod. And still tho water sang the aweet. Glad eong that stirred ita gilding feet, And fonnd in rock and root the keyB Of its beguüing melodie. Beyond, above, its signáis flew Of toBsing foam the birch-trees tkrongh j Now Been, nowloet, but baffling still The weary seekerB' slackeiiing will. Each called to each: il Lo here I Lo there ! Ita wbite sc-arf flutters in the air !" They climbed auew ; the visión fled, To beckon higher overhead. So toiled they up the mountain Blope With faint and ever fainter hope ; With faint and fainter voice the brook Still bade theni lieten, pause, and look. Meanwblle belowthe day was done ; Above the tall peaks saw the sun Smk, beam-phoriij to its misty set Behind the hills of violet. 11 Here onda our quest !" the eeokers cried, 11 The brook and rumor both have lied ! The phantom of a waterfall Has led us at lts beek and cali." But one, with years grown wiser, eaid : " So. always bafiied, not misled, We follow where before us runs The visión of the shintng onea. li Not where they seem their signáis fly, Their voices while we listen die ; We cannot keep, however fleet, The quick time of their winged feet. M From youth to age unresting stray Tbeae kindly mockera in our way; Tet lead they not, the baffling elvea, To Bomething better than themselves 7 ' Here, thongh unreached the goal we sought, lts own reward our toil has brought ; The winding wator'n sounding rush, The long note of the hermit thxueh, 11 The turquoise lakes, the glimpsc of pond And river track, and, vast, beyond Broad meadows belted round with pinee, The grand npliït of mouniaïn linee ! What matter though we seek with pain The garden of the gods in vaiu, If lured thereby we clinib to greet Sonae waysidc blossom Eden-sweet ? " To sek is better Ihan to gain. The fond hope dies as we atiain ; Life'p f aireet thiDgs are those which seem. The beat is that of which we dream, " Then let us trust our waterfall Still flashes down its rocky wall, With rainbow creecent curved acroas lts Bimlit spray from moss to mose. " And wc, forgetful cf our pain, in thought shall seek it ott again ; Shall see the aster-hloKsotned sod, This sunshüie of the goldon-rod, " And haply gain, through parting bought?, Grand gliiupses cf great mouiitain browu, Cloud-turbaned, and the eharp stoel sheen Of iakes deep eet ia valleys green. " So failure wins ; the coneequence Of loss becomes ita recompense; And evermore the end ehall teil The unreached uïeal guided wel!. " Our sweet Ülusions only die FulfilÜDg love'fl eureprophfcy ; And every wit-h for lettor ihings An undreamed beauty neurer bringb. " For fate is sc-rvitor cf love ; Desire and hope and louging prove The eecrtt of immortal youtb. And natura cheats us into truth. M O kind allurers, wiaely sent, Beguiling wiih benign inUnt, StUi move ua, through divine mirest, To eeek the loveliest and the beet I " Erelong the flitting glimpse of good Shall rest in full beatitude ; And more thau ali to earth denied Shall greet us on the other side I" - Atlantic Monthly.

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus