SONGS and SONNETS From Appledore by Oscar Laighton “of library Champaign-u,^ Vk / VIEW FROM MRS. THAXTER'S GARDEN GATE SONGS FROM APPLEDORE BY OSCAR LAIGHTON WITH ILLUSTRATIONS wmmmmm upwl i drarv tfUOQ I HI I imu i J.IL bT 7 072Hy^ MDCCCCXVI COPYRIGHT, 1899 AND 1916, BY OSCAR LAIGHTON ALL RIGHTS RESERVED These sweet poems and rare illustrations of Appledore Island and the Laighton family were found recently in the storehouse of Houghton Mifflin Company. The pages still hold interest to the many lovers of the Isles of Shoals and they have been hound in loving memory of “Uncle Oscar” by his heirs. Rosamond Tliaxter Champernowne Farm Kittery Point . Maine Digitized by the Internet Archive , in 2017 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates https://archive.org/details/songsfromappledo00laig_0 PREFACE S INCE sleep sails far away when the heart is full of such sweet longing, I will venture to write you, dear, while the dew is yet falling and only the first rays of the dawn dare look with rosy light in your sacred window. The Islands are still sleeping in the em- brace of the quiet Ocean, though the glory of the uprushing Sun begins to gild the eastern cliffs of Appledore with ineffable splendor, and paint the sea and sky in ever changing shades of celestial color! Oh, the radiant happiness that comes with the advancing day ! Wild roses fill the enchanted air with delicate fragrance, and the sparrows sing as if they had but one moment in which to crowd the whole rap- ture of the morning ! Here, where the sea encircles the wave- 3 PREFACE washed shore like a caressing hand, and the murmur of the water reaches me with almost the sweetness of your dear voice, I will tell you how much I love you. 4 CONTENTS PAGE Song : “ Behold l this pearly glow of dawn " ... 9 Song : “ Sweet wind that blows o'er sunny Isles " . 1 1 Song : “ Warm blows the south wind over A ppledore " 1 3 Song : “ The clover blosso?ns kiss her feet " ... 15 At Sunset 17 Her Shawl - . 21 To Mary 23 Song: “ A storm is gathering in the air " ... 25 Alice Pierrepont 27 Southern Song 29 Song : “ The evening's splendor lights her face" . 31 A Song of Spring 33 Song: “ Listen, my sweet, the robins call" . 35 Southern Song 37 Song: “ Will you love me, Mary dear ? " .... 39 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS View from Mrs. Thaxter’s Garden Gate Frontispiece. A Sloop Yacht. White Island, looking Southwest from Apple- dore. Trap Dike, Appledore. Rocks at Appledore. Appledore House, built in 1848. Yacht Twilight. Star Island and the “Oceanic” from Appledore. Tuck Monument, Star Island. The Old Church on Star Island. Celia Thaxter’s Cottage. A Corner of Mrs. Thaxter’s Parlor. View from the Southeastern Point of Apple- dore. The Landing at Appledore. White Island. Stoneface, Star Island. Miss Underhill’s Chair, Star Island. 7 ILLUSTRATIONS Mrs. Thaxter’s Parlor. The Children’s Pond at Appledore. Hauling up the Boats for the Winter. Oscar Laighton. Honeymoon Cottage. Celia Thaxter. Cedric Laighton. In the Twilight. Landing at Appledore. Appledore. Isles of Spioals Coast Guard. Mary, Cedric Laigiiton’s Grandchild. 8 White Island, looking Southwest from Appledore. SONG Behold ! this pearly glow of dawn Dims all the star-gemmed fields of night, Curtains of darkness are withdrawn, And sunrise paints the clouds with light ! Awake! the morning greets the world With radiant sunshine on the deep! While ships go by with sails unfurled Are thy dear eyes still closed in sleep? These rays that on thy windows shine Carry my steadfast hope afar To sweeter days, when thou art mine, Soft nightfall, and the evening star! 9 Trap Dike, Appledore. ROCKS AT APPLEDORE APPLEDORE HOUSE, BUILT IN SONG Sweet wind that blows o’er sunny Isles The softness of. the sea, Blow thou across these moving miles News of my love to me. Ripples her hair like waves that sweep About this pleasant shore ; Her eyes are bluer than the deep Round rocky Appledore. Her sweet breast shames the scattered spray Soft kissed by early light : I dream she is the dawn of day That lifts me out of night ! n YACHT TWILIGHT STAR ISLAND AND THE “OCEANIC” FROM APPLEDORE SONG Warm blows the south wind over Apple- dore ! The northern gales that whirled the winter main In leagues of foam, rage round these Isles no more ; Through melting haze summer drifts north again. And thou art here — O, radiant is the day ! The clover blooms, our lonely Isles grow fair, Soft sunshine falls across the slumbering bay, The sparrow’s song fills the enchanted air. Sweet, when you turn your lovely eyes on me I feel the winter’s sorrow disappear, As dawn divine makes glad a storm-swept sea ! You are my Sun, my Song, my Summer, Dear. 3 TUCK MONUMENT, STAR ISLAND THE OLD CHURCH ON STAR ISLAND SONG The clover blossoms kiss her feet, She is so sweet. While I, who may not kiss her hand, Bless all the wild flowers in the land. Soft sunshine falls across her breast, She is so blest. I ’m jealous of its arms of gold, O, that these arms her form might fold ! Gently the breezes kiss her hair, She is so fair. Let flowers and sun and breeze go by, — O dearest ! love me, or I die. i5 CELIA THAXTER’S COTTAGE A CORNER OF MRS. THAXTER’S PARLOR AT SUNSET Come thou with me, dear love, and see the day Die on the sea, and o’er the distant land This last faint glow of twilight fade away, The while I hold in mine thy gentle hand. The lessening light gleams on yon leaning sail ; Slowly the sun has sunk beyond the hill, And sombre night in silence draws her veil Over us two, and everything grows still, Save when the tide, with constant ebb and flow Of wandering waves that greet the stead- fast shore Flashes fair forms of foam that falling throw Their arms of snow round lovely Apple- dor e. 7 View from the Southeastern Point of Appledore. AT SUNSET Faint, like a dream, comes the melodious cry Of far-off wild fowl calling from the deep, The rosy color leaves the western sky, Over the waves are spread the wings of sleep. Silent a meteor falls into the night Sweeping its silver shower across the stars ; Low down Arcturus sinks with waning light, High in the east climbs up the shining Mars. And whispering by us with a silent kiss Comes the sweet south wind o’er the slumbering sea. Thou dearest, can such perfect joy as this Be always mine, to drift through life with thee ? 9 THE LANDING AT APPLEDORE HER SHAWL Dearest, where art thou ? In the silent room I find this wonder of some foreign loom, Thy silken shawl, whose lines of loveliness The matchless beauty of thy form caress. Delicate raiment, shall I dare infold All these warm kisses mid thy threads of gold ? Oh, hold them close her icy heart above, Melting its winter into summer’s love ! Beneath her coldness fonder still I grow, As violets bloom along the edge of snow. Through my sad heart there drifts a hope divine, O’er seas storm-swept shall softer mornings shine ; So love may dawn for me while at thy feet I wait, and kiss thy garment’s hem, my sweet. 21 White Island. Stoneface, Star Island TO MARY Sweet are these flowers, yet Mary is more fair ; Shaded with goldenrod her sun-kissed hair. I look in her blue eyes and can forget The Heaven reflected in this violet — Or, sweeter still, behold the lovely grace Of this fair dawn of roses in her face Fresh as the first anemones that swing Their tinted petals in the winds of Spring. O storms of life, that bend us all like reeds, Spare this dear lily blooming o’er the weeds ! O time, that all her unknown future holds, Make soft the gales while this sweet bud unfolds, So she may grow like wild flowers in our land, Pure as these blossoms in her gentle hand. 23 MISS UNDERHILL’S CHAIR, STAR ISLAND MRS. THAXTER’S PARLOR SONG A storm is gathering in the air, The gulls fly high in circles wide, Deep murmurs usher in the tide Foaming o’er rocks all brown and bare. These precious Isles are anchored fast, Storm-swept by many a northeast gale That rends the bolt rope from the sail, And breaks in twain the groaning mast! O love, my heart is like the sea, Surging with every gale that blows, Longing for winds that bring the rose, The happy summer-time and thee. 2 5 THE CHILDREN’S POND AT APPLEDORE ALICE PIERREPONT Above her grave the sparrow sings With radiant joy, summer is near, Fresh hope the lovely south wind brings Oh, could it wake you, Alice, dear ! Once more I see her matchless grace Through tears I cannot yet restrain ; Dear visions of her blessed face, I hear her gentle voice again ! O memory of a woman sweet, So true, so beautiful and brave, Let me draw near with reverent feet And lay these wild flowers on thy grave s The first anemones that sway Their blossoms in the winds of May. 27 HAULING UP THE BOATS FOR THE WINTER OSCAR LAICHTON HONEYMOON COTTAGE SOUTHERN SONG Sunlight in the window shines, Blue jays calling from the pines, Mammy must be up betimes Working for her baby. Dearest must not stay in bed, Sun-kist clouds are overhead, Banks of roses blushing red Waiting for my baby. Soft the Southern breezes blow, Daddy’s working with his hoe, That will make the cotton grow For my darling baby. Harvest time will soon be here, Drifted snow the fields appear, Mammy ’ll make a dress this year For her little baby. Blessed Southland calm and fair, Song and fragrance fill the air With enchantment everywhere For my precious baby. 2 9 CELIA THAXTER CEDRIC LAIGHTON IN THE TWILIGHT SONG The evening’s splendor lights her face, Shading with gold her sun-kist hair, It falls on pearly folds of lace And all the sweetness nestled there. I thought her exquisite by day, Yet, in these waning shades of light, When twilight embers fade to gray, She seems more beautiful at night. Dear love, the darkness veils the land, Softly the vesper sparrow sings, And while I hold thy gentle hand I would not change my place with kings ! 3 1 LANDING AT APPLEDORE A SONG OF SPRING The rapture in the thrush’s song A golden thought of summer brings, Of love and hope, while days grow long Woven with the sweet whir of wings! Sparrows are piping in the hedge, Roses their darling buds unfold, And splendid, at my garden’s edge, The yellow jonquils spill their gold! Dearest, I cannot fold despair When every joy on earth draws near, This music in the radiant air Sings in my song “ I love you dear” 33 APPLEDORE SONG Listen, my sweet, the robins call! Through melting haze the bluebird flies, Pansies beside my garden wall Look up to heaven in thine eyes. From far-off fragrant fields there blows The south wind’s exquisite caress, It whispers with the radiant rose Of thy diviner loveliness. Oh, thou art sweet as morning air When heralds of the smiling spring Spread their bright banners everywhere, And wild with joy the robins sing! 35 ISLES OF SHOALS COAST GUARD SOUTHERN SONG The peach trees are blooming, the air is divine, And sweetly the mocking birds sing! Red roses are swaying in softest sunshine, All nature is greeting the spring. Yet, something more fair, in this beautiful land, I find in my fond heart to-day, This dear Southern lassie, I hold by the hand, Is sweeter than blossoms of May ! I love thee brave Southland, thou home of the rose, Thy mocking bird’s chorus of pride, This fragrance of heaven that over thee blows, But dearer the girl at my side. 37 MARY, CEDRIC LAIGHTON’S GRANDCHILD SONG Will you love me, Mary dear? Keep your answer for awhile, Wait until your lips can smile And this frown shall disappear. Mary’s face is sweet and fair, Yet my courage seems to flee When she turns her eyes on me Through the tangles of her hair. Answer me, dear love, to-day While I fold your hands in mine Closer still, as warm sunshine Woos the precious buds of May! 39 (Slfre iHitierfifiDe CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS U . S , A DATE DUE DEMCO, INC. 38-2931