eemed once a paradise to me.
But that was ere my eye had ever seen
These thousand miles of treeless prairie-green.

XI.

Nay, this is not the prairie that I saw
In youth's mirage; 'twas fairer far than this.
For youth's imagination knows no law,
And soars to heights of future-coming bliss,
In lands where gladness reigns eternally,
Too bright, too beautiful, alas! to be.

XII.

For each his load of pain and woe must bear,
And each must feel the weight of Sorrow's hand,
And each will sometimes bow in deep despair,
And 'neath his burden think he cannot stand.
But strength will come to each in time of need,
For they whom grief destroys are few indeed.

XIII.

Thus youth's bright visions vanish all away,
And nought remains save memory. And we
Can calmly watch them thus dissolve, and say:--
"'Tis better thus; 'tis best they should not be."
For Time has shown us, in his onward flight,
That all our visions were too grossly bright;

XIV.

That, had the dreams we cherished come to pass,
We should not be the men that now we are;
That what we saw through youth's bright distance-glass
Was but a trinket shining as a star;
That selfish pleasure, with its gaudy gleams,
Alone illumed the brightest of our dreams.

XV.

And we have learned that 'tis not all to be
Self-seeking pleasure-hunters; higher far
Are works of kindliness and charity
Which we can do, whate'er our frailties are.
And we have learned that pain and sorrow, though
Unwelcome guests, have each a work to do.

XVI.

And so we grieve or sorrow not to see
Our visions melt away like Winter's snow;
But rather thank we all our God that He
Sent forth the edict that it should be so;
And humbly bless, with gratitude sincere,
The hand that led us to a higher sphere.

XVII.

Farewell! thou vast and fertile prairie-land.
Farewell! Not long so dreary wilt thou be;
Already man, with ever-busy hand,
Is cultivating and enriching thee;
And with the wealth of this, thy virgin soil,
Thou well rewardest him for all his toil.

XVIII.

In cloudy height surrounding me, uprear
The Rocky Mountains their uncounted heads.
And mountains, mountains only now appear,
So thickly clustered that the sun but sheds
Upon their highest peaks his morning light,
While all below is hidden from his sight.

XIX.

Here rise their sky-aspiring pinnacles
In barren ruggedness and majesty;
While here some verdure-covered height