Mountain Spring and Other Poems

<h2><SPAN name="MUSINGS" id="MUSINGS" />MUSINGS</h2> <p>&quot;Childhood and youth are vanity.&quot;</p> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span>Often o'er life's pathway straying<br/></span> <span>Come sweet strains of long ago,<br/></span> <span>To the chords of memory playing<br/></span> <span>Music sweet and music low.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span>When upon the gray rock musing<br/></span> <span>'Neath the tree by childhood's home,<br/></span> <span>In the wild bird's note so soothing<br/></span> <span>Tenderly these strains will come.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span>Gazing on the deep fringed mountain,<br/></span> <span>Distance robing it in blue,<br/></span> <span>Quaffing the familiar fountain,<br/></span> <span>Each repeats the story too.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span>Wandering by the streamlet flowing<br/></span> <span>Where we played in hours of glee,<br/></span> <span>Hear its murmurs coming, going,<br/></span> <span>Tell of joys that used to be.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span>Wandering in the leafy wildwood<br/></span> <span>Sometimes in our leisure hours,<br/></span> <span>In the sunny days of childhood<br/></span> <span>How much fairer seemed its flowers!<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span>Watching from the hill the sunset<br/></span> <span>'Neath the spreading chestnut tree,<br/></span> <span>Youthful dreams and visions come yet<br/></span> <span>Through the years so magically.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span>Yet how vain these memories olden<br/></span> <span>If they do not teach the truth<br/></span> <span>That within the city golden<br/></span> <span>Only, dwells perpetual youth.<br/></span></div> </div> <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />