erect his glorious stature,
Kindling the sky from his ruddy face.

{39}

Across the hills the cattle call,
As black the boding shadows fall;
Zigzag the lightning writes its message
That's thundered forth from the mountain wall.

From out the overhanging frown
The loosened rain comes rattling down!
The swallow's gone, the daisy cowers--
But joy to fields in their tan and brown!

The burnished cypher of the sky
Now lets the loud-tongued thunder die.
Nature's delight, a timeless rapture,
Glows in her face and rekindled eye.

{40}

The "trees of God," the prophet said,
Great trees, with sap, and laurelled head;
Ay, trees of God! all strength, all beauty,
Wove by invisible Hand and thread,--

With anchors flexed as lissome withe;
With boles like mighty monolith;
These arms of brawn, outstretched in power
To brave the storms that would test their pith!

Lords of the scene in blasts and calms,
The breath of life within their palms,
They rhythmic sway in choral murmur
While seas and suns chant their rolling psalms.

{41}

The flecks of gold that glorify
The forest floors to loving eye,
Withdraw from me,--a splendor lingers
On trees of God, in their crowns on high.

And as the arch with stars is sprent,
I hear balm-dew from firmament
Drip richly from their whispering leafage
To soothe the fields to a sweet content.

In bloom of dark they softly stir,
Till arrowy dawn the shadow-blur
Dispels--God's tingling kiss of morning
On oak and maple and pine and fir.

{42}

The ideal is a lifting sky
Wherein my soul may upward fly;
It moveth as I onward journey,
Solace of heart and the light of eye.

Spirit to spirit! Thus is wrought
All that uplifts the world of thought
Or wings the soul with aspiration,
By which the life to its height is brought.

Great souls the mount of vision trod,
While plumy fire their sandals shod;
They saw the unseen and eternal.
O life is life when 'tis seen in God!

{43}

The spirit firm and swelling soul
Are heart of noble self-control,
Sources of power transmuting danger
To clarion-call to the man as whole.

'Tis courage helms the bark that's tost
By wild typhoon, or swept by frost,
While sailing life's surprising ocean,--
Strike sail to fear and the bark is lost.

O muse, thou sing'st no siren strain