No. XV.—HOME SCENES.

No. XV.—HOME SCENES.Asyoung bird from its nest,At morn, floats upward—onward—and away;And when the night brings down its shadows grey.Returns unto its rest,Ev'n thus the youthful mindGoes forward to the world; partakes its caresAnd fleeting joys,—is tempted by its snares;But can no refuge find:The freshness of his homeGoes with him, guidingly, where'er he wends;A star-like light upon his steps attends—A ray from Heaven's bright dome!In all his toil and fret,The quiet fields and gentle streams he knew,When youth clothed all around in fairest hue,His soul can ne'er forget:For still their memories come,Like poetry, to his spirit;—as a toneOf music's echo on the waters thrown,And heard 'mid evening's gloom.In brumal age, the dreamsOf home refresh the soul, as purples piedPeep up from out the snows, and smile besideWinter's deserted streams;As violets on a rockThey cheer the solitude,—their promise dawnsUpon the mind, like moonlight o'er the lawns—Or joy to one grief-broke.Home of our youth, what spotOn earth is like thee? Scenes of early days,Oh! where upon your equals can we gaze?What palace like the cotWhere childhood first its eyesOped to the day, and marvelled what could beThe world around it? Is there aught we seeCan be compared to skiesLike those which earliest shoneUpon our path, and like a sunray bright,Brought with it, freshly, dawnings of the lightThat ne'er can be forgone?Landscapes of other climes,Though bountiful in beauty, what are yeTo the fair scenes of home, where'er it be?Sacred as churchward chimes.High may the mountains towerInto the heavens, and grandeur fill the scene,The valleys and the pastures may be green,The hill-sides still in flower,Of other lands, where strayThe exile's feet; but none are e'er so fairUnto his soul, as the blest landscapes whereHis visions fly away.Those sordid cares beside,That cloud the mind, 'mong earth-born woes and ills.Come soothing thoughts of home, as 'tween far hillsThe gentle streamlets glide!

Asyoung bird from its nest,At morn, floats upward—onward—and away;And when the night brings down its shadows grey.Returns unto its rest,Ev'n thus the youthful mindGoes forward to the world; partakes its caresAnd fleeting joys,—is tempted by its snares;But can no refuge find:The freshness of his homeGoes with him, guidingly, where'er he wends;A star-like light upon his steps attends—A ray from Heaven's bright dome!In all his toil and fret,The quiet fields and gentle streams he knew,When youth clothed all around in fairest hue,His soul can ne'er forget:For still their memories come,Like poetry, to his spirit;—as a toneOf music's echo on the waters thrown,And heard 'mid evening's gloom.In brumal age, the dreamsOf home refresh the soul, as purples piedPeep up from out the snows, and smile besideWinter's deserted streams;As violets on a rockThey cheer the solitude,—their promise dawnsUpon the mind, like moonlight o'er the lawns—Or joy to one grief-broke.Home of our youth, what spotOn earth is like thee? Scenes of early days,Oh! where upon your equals can we gaze?What palace like the cotWhere childhood first its eyesOped to the day, and marvelled what could beThe world around it? Is there aught we seeCan be compared to skiesLike those which earliest shoneUpon our path, and like a sunray bright,Brought with it, freshly, dawnings of the lightThat ne'er can be forgone?Landscapes of other climes,Though bountiful in beauty, what are yeTo the fair scenes of home, where'er it be?Sacred as churchward chimes.High may the mountains towerInto the heavens, and grandeur fill the scene,The valleys and the pastures may be green,The hill-sides still in flower,Of other lands, where strayThe exile's feet; but none are e'er so fairUnto his soul, as the blest landscapes whereHis visions fly away.Those sordid cares beside,That cloud the mind, 'mong earth-born woes and ills.Come soothing thoughts of home, as 'tween far hillsThe gentle streamlets glide!

Asyoung bird from its nest,At morn, floats upward—onward—and away;And when the night brings down its shadows grey.Returns unto its rest,Ev'n thus the youthful mindGoes forward to the world; partakes its caresAnd fleeting joys,—is tempted by its snares;But can no refuge find:The freshness of his homeGoes with him, guidingly, where'er he wends;A star-like light upon his steps attends—A ray from Heaven's bright dome!In all his toil and fret,The quiet fields and gentle streams he knew,When youth clothed all around in fairest hue,His soul can ne'er forget:For still their memories come,Like poetry, to his spirit;—as a toneOf music's echo on the waters thrown,And heard 'mid evening's gloom.In brumal age, the dreamsOf home refresh the soul, as purples piedPeep up from out the snows, and smile besideWinter's deserted streams;As violets on a rockThey cheer the solitude,—their promise dawnsUpon the mind, like moonlight o'er the lawns—Or joy to one grief-broke.Home of our youth, what spotOn earth is like thee? Scenes of early days,Oh! where upon your equals can we gaze?What palace like the cotWhere childhood first its eyesOped to the day, and marvelled what could beThe world around it? Is there aught we seeCan be compared to skiesLike those which earliest shoneUpon our path, and like a sunray bright,Brought with it, freshly, dawnings of the lightThat ne'er can be forgone?Landscapes of other climes,Though bountiful in beauty, what are yeTo the fair scenes of home, where'er it be?Sacred as churchward chimes.High may the mountains towerInto the heavens, and grandeur fill the scene,The valleys and the pastures may be green,The hill-sides still in flower,Of other lands, where strayThe exile's feet; but none are e'er so fairUnto his soul, as the blest landscapes whereHis visions fly away.Those sordid cares beside,That cloud the mind, 'mong earth-born woes and ills.Come soothing thoughts of home, as 'tween far hillsThe gentle streamlets glide!

Asyoung bird from its nest,At morn, floats upward—onward—and away;And when the night brings down its shadows grey.Returns unto its rest,

Asyoung bird from its nest,

At morn, floats upward—onward—and away;

And when the night brings down its shadows grey.

Returns unto its rest,

Ev'n thus the youthful mindGoes forward to the world; partakes its caresAnd fleeting joys,—is tempted by its snares;But can no refuge find:

Ev'n thus the youthful mind

Goes forward to the world; partakes its cares

And fleeting joys,—is tempted by its snares;

But can no refuge find:

The freshness of his homeGoes with him, guidingly, where'er he wends;A star-like light upon his steps attends—A ray from Heaven's bright dome!

The freshness of his home

Goes with him, guidingly, where'er he wends;

A star-like light upon his steps attends—

A ray from Heaven's bright dome!

In all his toil and fret,The quiet fields and gentle streams he knew,When youth clothed all around in fairest hue,His soul can ne'er forget:

In all his toil and fret,

The quiet fields and gentle streams he knew,

When youth clothed all around in fairest hue,

His soul can ne'er forget:

For still their memories come,Like poetry, to his spirit;—as a toneOf music's echo on the waters thrown,And heard 'mid evening's gloom.

For still their memories come,

Like poetry, to his spirit;—as a tone

Of music's echo on the waters thrown,

And heard 'mid evening's gloom.

In brumal age, the dreamsOf home refresh the soul, as purples piedPeep up from out the snows, and smile besideWinter's deserted streams;

In brumal age, the dreams

Of home refresh the soul, as purples pied

Peep up from out the snows, and smile beside

Winter's deserted streams;

As violets on a rockThey cheer the solitude,—their promise dawnsUpon the mind, like moonlight o'er the lawns—Or joy to one grief-broke.

As violets on a rock

They cheer the solitude,—their promise dawns

Upon the mind, like moonlight o'er the lawns—

Or joy to one grief-broke.

Home of our youth, what spotOn earth is like thee? Scenes of early days,Oh! where upon your equals can we gaze?What palace like the cot

Home of our youth, what spot

On earth is like thee? Scenes of early days,

Oh! where upon your equals can we gaze?

What palace like the cot

Where childhood first its eyesOped to the day, and marvelled what could beThe world around it? Is there aught we seeCan be compared to skies

Where childhood first its eyes

Oped to the day, and marvelled what could be

The world around it? Is there aught we see

Can be compared to skies

Like those which earliest shoneUpon our path, and like a sunray bright,Brought with it, freshly, dawnings of the lightThat ne'er can be forgone?

Like those which earliest shone

Upon our path, and like a sunray bright,

Brought with it, freshly, dawnings of the light

That ne'er can be forgone?

Landscapes of other climes,Though bountiful in beauty, what are yeTo the fair scenes of home, where'er it be?Sacred as churchward chimes.

Landscapes of other climes,

Though bountiful in beauty, what are ye

To the fair scenes of home, where'er it be?

Sacred as churchward chimes.

High may the mountains towerInto the heavens, and grandeur fill the scene,The valleys and the pastures may be green,The hill-sides still in flower,

High may the mountains tower

Into the heavens, and grandeur fill the scene,

The valleys and the pastures may be green,

The hill-sides still in flower,

Of other lands, where strayThe exile's feet; but none are e'er so fairUnto his soul, as the blest landscapes whereHis visions fly away.

Of other lands, where stray

The exile's feet; but none are e'er so fair

Unto his soul, as the blest landscapes where

His visions fly away.

Those sordid cares beside,That cloud the mind, 'mong earth-born woes and ills.Come soothing thoughts of home, as 'tween far hillsThe gentle streamlets glide!

Those sordid cares beside,

That cloud the mind, 'mong earth-born woes and ills.

Come soothing thoughts of home, as 'tween far hills

The gentle streamlets glide!


Back to IndexNext