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some of the best philosophers have been poets, and some of the best poets, philosophers.

"Now, having through the contemplation of this exalting theme, raised your minds to this higher plane of thought, it would be almost criminal in me not to bring home to your moral sense the virtues of character shadowed forth in rock and crystal, sea and plain. For reasons already assigned you will also indulge me for expressing these elevating sentiments in the inspirational form of rhyme and rhythm. Therefore I proceed with an Apostrophe to Nature, and Appeal to Man.

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68 Roll on, thou restless, endless ocean, roll!
Thy boundless depths but symbolize man's soul;
Heaving thy troubled breast with tidal wave,
As man's is from the cradle to the grave.

69 Thy tides to sun and lunar orb respond;

Thy streams to tropic heat, and flow beyond
Where Winter's realm, begirt with ice-bound shores,
Receives with gladness all thy thermal stores.

70 So Man, by heavenly forces tempest tried,
Developed, finds his nature purified,

And overflowed with sympathy and love,
Seeks out the erring ones and points above.

71 The winds may dash thy waters 'gainst the rocks,
Thy billows surge and roar with earthquake shocks;
Yet, Hurricane but singeth Nature's psalm,-
That "Action purifies thee for thy calm."

72 Oh Soul, take courage; labor is thy life;

Thy purity is also born of strife;

Like all things else, self-action makes thee pure,
Thy ceaseless efforts make thy victory sure.

73 Though foaming passion splashes through thy breast,
'Tis highest billows bear the silver crest.

The maddest floods that o'er thee dash in rage,
But mark the forces that create thee sage.

74 Then meet the rolling waters of despair,
With firmness born of trials, toil and care.
Thus fortified thou sailest o'er life's Main,

With nought to fear from Maelstrom's whirling train.

75 Oh, Rock-bound cliffs that gird an island shore,
Charmed by the music of old ocean's roar,
Learn we a lesson from thy steadfast stand:
Deep art thou anchored 'neath the shifting sand.

76 Storms shake thee not. Thy brow the lightning's bolt
Defies, while all the elements revolt.

Yet when the sunlights thee in glory lave,
Thou smilest back from 'neath the placid wave.

77 Oh thou, my Soul, stand cliff-bound for the right;
Not all the powers of darkness thee affright.

When passion's waves do storm thee blow on blow,
Let Reason's cliff say, Thus far shalt thou go."

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78 And when with love-light's joy thine eye shall beam,
And all thy form with happy halos gleam,

The sea of passion stilled beneath thy feet,
Shall mirror up thy loveliness complete.

79 Now to the mountain's dizzy height we look,
To read what there is penned in Nature's book,-
Sublimity and grandeur here control,

And find response in elevated soul.

80 Thy snow-crowned summits raise their hoary heads
Above the clouds that bathe thy water-sheds.
The very folds that weave thy frosty shrouds,
Are crystallized from rare air, not from clouds.

81 Thy torrents leap from crag to crag adown;
The foaming cataract hides the bluff's dark frown;
But melted frosts that feed thy purest streams,
Flow down from where perpetual sunshine gleams.

82 Oh Soul! canst thou not rise above thy care,
And breathe the calmness of that purer air?
Hold up thy head above the storms of life,
To fairer, rarer heights where comes no strife.

83 Then shall thy streams of gladness ever flow
To bless thy boon companions here below;
Not sorrow's waters these pure heights alloy,
Thy fountains gush and flow with tears of joy.

84 Thou rocky slopes that midway to the plain,
Lie wrapped in stormy clouds and driving rain,
Art slowly crumbling 'neath such wintry wear,
And deep ravines appear like wrinkled scar.

some of the best philosophers have been poets, and some of the best poets, philosophers.

“Now, having through the contemplation of this exalting theme, raised your minds to this higher plane of thought, it would be almost criminal in me not to bring home to your moral sense the virtues of character shadowed forth in rock and crystal, sea and plain. For reasons already assigned you will also indulge me for expressing these elevating sentiments in the inspirational form of rhyme and rhythm. Therefore I proceed with an Apostrophe to Nature, and Appeal to Man.

[blocks in formation]

68 Roll on, thou restless, endless ocean, roll!
Thy boundless depths but symbolize man's soul;
Heaving thy troubled breast with tidal wave,
As man's is from the cradle to the grave.

69 Thy tides to sun and lunar orb respond:

Thy streams to tropic heat, and flow beyond
Where Winter's realm, begirt with ice-bound shores,
Receives with gladness all thy thermal stores.

70 So Man, by heavenly forces tempest tried.
Developed, finds his nature parified,

And overflowed with sympathy and love,
Seeks out the erring ones and points above.

71 The winds may dash thy waters 'gainst the rocks,
Thy billows surge and roar with earthquake shocks;
Yet, Hurricane but singeth Nature's psalm-
That Action purifies thee for thy calm."

72 Oh Soul, take courage; labor is thy life;

Thy purity is also born of strife;

Like all things else, self-action makes thee pure,
Thy ceaseless efforts make thy victory sure.

73 Though foaming passion splashes through thy breast,
'Tis highest billows bear the silver crest.

The maddest floods that o'er thee dash in rage,
But mark the forces that create thee sage.

74 Then meet the rolling waters of despair,
With firmness born of trials, toil and care.
Thus fortified thon sailest o'er life's Main,

With nought to fear from Maelstrom's whirling train.

75 Oh, Rock-bound cliffs that gird an island shore,
Charmed by the music of old ocean's roar,
Learn we a lesson from thy steadfast stand:
Deep art thou anchored 'neath the shifting sand.

76 Storms shake thee not. Thy brow the lightning's bolt
Defies, while all the elements revolt.

Yet when the sunlights thee in glory lave,
Thou smilest back from 'neath the placid wave.

77 Oh thou, my Soul, stand cliff-bound for the right;
Not all the powers of darkness thee affright.

When passion's waves do storm thee blow on blow,
Let Reason's cliff say, "Thus far shalt thou go."

78 And when with love-light's joy thine eye shall beam,
And all thy form with happy halos gleam,

The sea of passion stilled beneath thy feet,
Shall mirror up thy loveliness complete.

79 Now to the mountain's dizzy height we look,
To read what there is penned in Nature's book,-
Sublimity and grandeur here control,

And find response in elevated soul.

80 Thy snow-crowned summits raise their hoary heads
Above the clouds that bathe thy water-sheds.
The very folds that weave thy frosty shrouds,
Are crystallized from rare air, not from clouds.

81 Thy torrents leap from crag to crag adown;

The foaming cataract hides the bluff's dark frown;
But melted frosts that feed thy purest streams,
Flow down from where perpetual sunshine gleams.

82 Oh Soul! canst thou not rise above thy care,
And breathe the calmness of that purer air?
Hold up thy head above the storms of life,
To fairer, rarer heights where comes no strife.

83 Then shall thy streams of gladness ever flow
To bless thy boon companions here below;
Not sorrow's waters these pure heights alloy,
Thy fountains gush and flow with tears of joy.

84 Thou rocky slopes that midway to the plain,
Lie wrapped in stormy clouds and driving rain,
Art slowly crumbling 'neath such wintry wear,
And deep ravines appear like wrinkled scar.

85 But Nature smites thee in thy solitude,

That teeming plains may bring forth fruit and food.
Thy rocks dissolved recuperate the soil,

And only thus reward the hand of toil.

86 Oh, Spirit of Advance! what lesson here,
To give thee courage or dispel thy fear?
'Tis this: Above the paths thy fathers trod,
Thou standest in the presence of thy God.

87 Searching for higher, grander truths to know,
To feed the poverty of mind below,

Thou workest all unhonored and alone,-
God melts thy heart as Nature melts the stone.

88 'Mid storms of desolation, mists of doubt,
Thy spirit struggles and thy soul cries out,
"O, for a living ground of certitude,
And inspiration from Infinitude!"

89 Born of thy suffering, daring Reason's strain,
Conditions rise that sensitize the brain;
Thenceforth thy mind is open to receive
The thoughts that hoary sage or poet give.

90 Pour out thy heavenly treasures to the world;
The flag of moral progress be unfurled!

Beneath this banner thou shalt win the prize,-
Establish rapport between earth and skies.

91 The teeming walks of life thy succor need,
To stimulate pure thoughts, and lessen greed;
A reason-tested faith their soul uplifts,
Nor longer floats with superstition's drifts.

92 'Mid pleasant valleys flow earth's noble streams,
With curving, winding grace of beauty's dreams;
The rippling rills, the singing brooks, forth leap
To cause the river's grand majestic sweep.

93 Oh, Mighty River, run thy shining course,
Thou beauteous emblem of life's hidden force!
Bear on thy noble fleets of industry,

And scatter joy from mountain base to sea.

94 Around each swelling curve thy waters glide
Silent and deep along the outer side;
But next the inner shore on shingly beach,
The laughing wavelets to the daisies reach.

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