FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   806   807   808   809   810   811   812   813   814   815   816   817   818   819   820   821   822   823   824   825   826   827   828   829   830  
831   832   833   834   835   836   837   838   839   840   841   842   843   844   845   846   847   848   849   850   851   852   853   854   855   >>   >|  
rayer, His virtuous son to counsel, guide, and aid. And when he rose to bless, and wish him well, And bent a head with age and sorrow gray-- E'en when he breath'd a fond and last farewell, Half sad, half joyful, dashed his tears away. "And go," he said, "though I with mortal eyes Shall ne'er behold thy filial reverence more; But when from earth to heaven our spirits rise, The Hand that gave him shall my child restore. "I bid thee go, though human tears will steal From eyes that see the course thou hast to run; And God forgive me if I wrongly feel, Like Abraham call'd to sacrifice his son!" And he is gone, with ardent steps he prest Across the hills to where the vessel lay, And soon I ween upon the ocean's breast They saw the white sails bearing him away. And did he go unfriended, poor, alone? Did none of those who, in a favour'd land The shelter of the gospel tree had known, Desire to see its peaceful shade expand? 'Tis not for me to answer questions here-- Let ev'ry heart its own responses give, And those to whom their fellow-men are dear, Bestow the bread by which their souls may live! JOHN RAMSAY. The author of "Woodnotes of a Wanderer," John Ramsay, was born at Kilmarnock in 1802. With a limited school education, he was early apprenticed in a carpet manufactory in his native place. He afterwards traded for some years as a retail grocer. During his connexion with the carpet factory, he composed some spirited verses, which were inserted in the _Edinburgh Literary Journal_; and having subsequently suffered misfortune in business, he resolved to repair his losses by publishing a collected edition of his poetical writings, and personally pushing the sale. For the long period of fifteen years, he travelled over the country, vending his volume of "Woodnotes." This creditable enterprise has been rewarded by his appointment to the agency of a benevolent society in Edinburgh. FAREWELL TO CRAUFURDLAND. Thou dark stream slow wending thy deep rocky way, By foliage oft hid from the bright eye of day, I 've view'd thee with pleasure, but now must with pain, Farewell! for I never may see you again. Ye woods, whence fond fancy a spirit would bring, That trimm'd the bright pinions of thought's hallow'd wing, Your beauties will gladden s
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   806   807   808   809   810   811   812   813   814   815   816   817   818   819   820   821   822   823   824   825   826   827   828   829   830  
831   832   833   834   835   836   837   838   839   840   841   842   843   844   845   846   847   848   849   850   851   852   853   854   855   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

bright

 

Edinburgh

 
Woodnotes
 

carpet

 

verses

 
Journal
 

RAMSAY

 

author

 
inserted
 

Literary


collected

 

publishing

 

edition

 

poetical

 
writings
 

losses

 

repair

 

spirited

 

suffered

 

misfortune


business

 

resolved

 

subsequently

 

Wanderer

 

limited

 

personally

 

apprenticed

 

education

 

native

 
school

traded

 

Kilmarnock

 

Ramsay

 
connexion
 
manufactory
 
factory
 

During

 

grocer

 
retail
 

composed


Farewell

 
pleasure
 
hallow
 
thought
 

gladden

 

beauties

 
pinions
 

spirit

 

foliage

 

volume