Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Homesick O far white cloud, slow floating o'er the plains Down to the bosom of the shining sea, Unloose my homesick spirit from its chains, And bid me in thy wanderings follow thee! Fain would I follow to the sunset hills, Purple and misty in the changing glow, As down the west the lingering radiance thrills, While o'er the east the twilight shadows grow. Thou'lt spread thy pinions to the fresh'ning wind; The waves will chant to thee their low refrain — That old sweet song that ever seems to find In human hearts a vaguely answering strain. Should kindly eyes that mine were wont to greet Uplift to thee, slow floating to thy rest, This message from the absent one repeat: "Old scenes are fairest; old, tried friends are best.'' Falling Leaves Fading, fluttering, flying, The last bright leaves drop down,- Springtime's verdant glory, Autumn's radiant crown,— To lie in wind-swept masses, Withered, sere, and brown. Bright was their twinkling beauty When summer mornings broke And in the drowsy coverts The feathered songsters woke, While from all haunts of nature Her myriad voices spoke, Or when, through hazy autumn, They wore their changing glow, In russet, gold, and crimson Flitting to earth below, To lie, at last, in silence Under a shroud of snow. Life, thy beauty withers; Like the trees thou art: Fading, fluttering, flying, Summer hopes depart, And lo! the snow of winter Falls upon the heart. Vacation Song Come, lads and lasses, A soft wind is blowing, Rustling the alders Beside the brook growing Summer has found us, And nature rejoices. 'Leave the dull schoolbooks ! " Cry all the glad voices. Down in the meadows Are buttercups shining; Bright in the hedges The wild roses ...