JnoW'.SttmS^n, (4o3 '1 these ''IPanaering €ftord$" that have floated through the strings of different literary instruments, during an otherwise busy profess- ional life, are gathered by request, merely to recall to a few intimate friends some varied human hopes, experiences, trials, sentiments and affections, still lingering about a maturing harper and his harp. J. w. s. [COPYRIGHTED.] ''HE UbWX^Y^ CONGRESS, I Onf Copy Receiveo ^CT. 5 1903 INDEX. COfY 8. PAGE My Southern Nightingale 3 The Spirit's Hour 4 Christ Tide 6 Damascus 6 The Magi 7 Stronger Than Death— Spiritual Comradeship 8 St. Valentine 9 Ruth 10 Arma Virumque 11 The Victor 12 13 Garlands 14 Boanerges 15 Commanded 16 17 Feste Burg 18 Freedom 19 Victory of Trenton 20 Elephantis 21 Self Reliance 22 Caiaphas 23 Two Ways 24 Stephen Stoned 25 The Living Church 26 Magdalen 27 John Brown's Grave 28 A Vision 29 II Penseroso 30 Buonarotti's Madonna and Child 31 Stabet Mater 32 His Time— Esperanza—Hespera— Precaution 33 A Contrast— The Lily and The Rose 34 " " " " 35 Gavin and Babbie 36 II INDEX. Japanese Lilies 37 Buddha Bell . 38 Japanese Nocturne 39 FireFlies 40 Rest 41 Stars of Midsummer 4'2 Orpheus 43 Voices 44 45 Great Hearted 46 Easter Resurgit 47 Spring Bug] es 48 Spring Snow 49 March Breezes , 50 My Artist Palette 51 " 52 Whip-po'will 53 Robin Red 54 Beauty or Love 55 Maidenhood 56 Her Challenge 57 58 Sweet Briar 59 All Three... 60 Southern Nightingales 61 The Full Moon and the Bird 62 Love's Waiting 63 Little Love Cries 64 Sparkles.. 65 Gay or Grave 66 The Covering of Dreams 67 Love's Wedding Ring 68 Her Secret 69 Our Wedding Hour 70 One Instant 71 Love's Passion 72 73 Love's Canticle 74 The Woodland Wound 75 " 76 Slumbers 77 Peace 78 INDEX. Ill Pregnancy 79 80 Evolving 81 Harvest Moon 82 Aucassin and Nicolette 83 84 Memory 85 The Last Swan 86 Longing and Flight , 87 Dove Wings 88 L'Aille Volante 89 90 The Visitor... 91 " , 92 Homeward . . . 93 Eagles 94 Dante and Beatrice 95 II Paradiso 96 Segments 97 Thought and Action 98 Head and Heart 99 My Home 100 Sweet Wild Rose 101 One White Rose 102 God's Tokens 103 Ministering Angels 104 Martha's Spirit 105 " 106 My Oversoul 107 Consolation 108 Sheaves 109 Ixion 110 Affliction Ill 112 November 113 The Latter Rain 114 Those Forms Celestial 115 116 Winter Stars 117 " —The Diamond ...118 Follow Thou Me 119 The Bird and the Grave 120 DEDICATED TO MfiRTHH-GfiBRIELLE (IN HEAVEN) Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/wanderingchordsp01stim mv Southern nigbtingak. 3 HEARD thj' tender voice, sweet Love, That called erstwhile, across the void ; It dropped— like moonlight— from above When faith and hope were nigh destroyed: It came and settled like a balm Within my bosom— still and calm. The world had proved too rude and wild, Too brutal far for birds of peace ; Too dank and bleak lor nature's child, And almost made fond love to cease ! But thy sweet notes awoke the air And bade me banish all despair ! The days had grown too sad for me ! I loved the long nights deep and clear When stars drooped down and came so near! Then love sang low, and rich, and free! —I know the fragrance of the year ! -I keep Thy Voice-in heart and ear! thi Spirit's l)Otir. Y mocking bird, full oft, in vesper twilight still. Croons in a low refrain, to south winds soughing by; And tunes his glowing throat to echo back each trill Of far off fading notes, from warblers in the sky. When every murmuring chord bus sunk beneath my reach He sits, alert there still, himself the sound to teach So with that "still small Voice" that broods o'er poet soul, So sacred sweet and low— mysteriously shy! Ye cannot catch its call, nor hear the chariot roll When fanning seraph wings and thundering hosts go by. Except in holy tryst ye wait— nor deaf nor blind- Like weird .Eolean harp wooed by the whispering wind. Then breathe the mystic spells that haunted Orlean's maid; The trump that summoned Troy ; tlie Sibyl leaves for Rome! Then drops the Manna Dew; then breaks the Magie Bread, While thousand souls are fed that to the master come ! Then John on Patmos hears— then Paul by wayside sees The heavenly Light of Life, while fainting to their knees ! €bri$t tide. p OND friend, accept these Christmas lines from me, qI^ Borne on the gentle wings of modest minstrelsy. For Love is like the ever-verdant pine More fresh and deathless as the days decline. See how serene and peacefully it stands, Made all the fairer by the whitening lands. Look! Dost thou watch the winter solstice grow; Orion's diamonds gleam— the Pleiad tapers glow; The shimmering moon mount through her mystic skies Leading the beacon lights of Paradise? Hush ! Dost thou note how every crystal rill, Each pearly brook, each limpid lake, lies still? Each blithesome bird, each flower in forest glade? And over Earth her snowy mantle laid! Hark! Hear it burst— the chime of Christmas bells! O'er mistletoe and holly seraphs breathe their spells! He comes! with love aglow and pity warm; A million cherub hearts cling to His holy arm ! 'Tis Love that lives and reigns with Life Divine! All hearts are one tonight— so mine with thine. ["Not disobedient to the Heavenly Vision. '^ Blble.J TTac ACH soul, upon the path of life, beholds A Revelation \ And the fair "Beulah Land" unfolds To each one's station. The sacred spirit comes, with thrilling voice. And lo— a Vision ! Then is the hour of holy choice- Decision ! faint soul of man, by mystic angels led Obedient be, and ready; ^, safely, bravely by The Master led, March steady! Thus shall thy Way of joy grow strong' In full endeavor ; AHd thy bright path through Heaven pfolong^ Forever ! tbc magK (bT HE magi came at Christmas Tide, * J_ Into the night, with gifts resplendent ! Coursers, camels, robes of pride, Wealth of satellites dependent. They came with pomp, they came from far And followed fast, the "Morning" Star. Lo! in a cradle made of hay A monarch from the heavens lay. Was it a king, in glory dight ? No! 'twas a Child, in pink and white ! It, too, had traveled alone from far. And came in the arms of the "Evening" Star. Which of the twain shall we worship most, The star with the train and the splendid host, The star of Triumph, the star of Power? Or the star that twinkles at twilight hour. The Love Star tender ? now watch and see. It is the Magi that bend their knee ! Ah! splendors of wisdom, pride and wealth; Glories of genius, knowledge, health ; Powers of busy brain and feet; All of the treasures of earth complete; Spirit of Beauty and Ix)ve ! at last At Thy tiny feet all crowns are cast ! stronger t\)m Oeatii, ♦ I I RIFT winter winds ! Drive ohilling frosts ! (^<::^ The strength of love is what it costs. The strain we bear for our Ideal Is that which proves us true and real. For love is not that fleeting name Feeding itself on Passion's flame ; But that serene, celestial Fire lu which our baser selves expire ! It is the pure unsullied snow That journieth whore the winds blow. It Cometh -whence? It goeth -whither? Ah ! 'tis a shaft from God's own quiver ! Its wing is wide— its flight is lorn And deathless is its Death Song! Spiritual eomradesbiu. V^ WEET friend, so fair, serene and pure, ^.^.^^ I turn to thee as toward my compass sure, Not with the flickering flame of vain desire But for the soul's deep fountains to inspire ! I dare not covet— As with evening star I watch, I wonder, and I worship— from afar! (O'i RUE deathless Love is not *i That breeze that comes and goes, Mor is it that faint fragrance That fadeth from the rose. Nor is it that still beauty That haunts in pearly shell ; Nor soft and trembling music —So sweet— that there doth dwell. Ah me ! It is that Something That grows within a seed ; That struggles up to Beauty, To Fragrance, Music, Deed! Still in those roots 'tis living! 'Tis slumbering in the shade ! It cannot pass nor perish ! For not by earth 'twas made. Rutin A Y /here thou goest I would go! VV With the rise or fall of tide, In the ebbing or the flow, Where thou bideat I'd abide ! Nothing other would I know, Over earth or under sea ; Nothing that the world can show Would I share apart from thee! On thy breast my heart would lean ; In thine arms —beside thy cheek! Nothing half so dear hath been, Bravely true and tender meek ! Oh, beloved, I am thine, Though the stars fall from their skies! All the constellations shine In the vortex of thine eyes ! When the angel choirs ring And the trump of God '