Poems of Home and Country/Childhood Memories
Part I.—HOME.
FAMILY PICTURES.
I. DOMESTIC BEGINNINGS.
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES.
OH, no, they shall not be forgot,
Those days of simple truth,—
The harmless sports and noisy joys
Of boyhood and of youth;
Chorus.
But when upon those early scenes
We suffer thought to dwell,
We'll drink to their dear memory from
The pure, the pure deep well.
We wander o'er each scene anew,
We tread each hallowed spot
Where time in giddy gladness flew,—
Oh, can they be forgot!
Chorus.
Roll back, roll back the tide of cares,
Roll back the swelling sea;
An hour we'll give to think upon
Our days of youthful glee;
Chorus.
But ah! those cheerful scenes are gone,
Their joys fled fast away;
The friends of our bright boyhood's morn,—
Oh, tell me, where are they!
Chorus.
Bereaved, but bowing to our lot,
Our onward path we tread,
As mournfully we gather up
The mantles of the dead.
Chorus.
The places where our youth was spent;
The friends who now are not;
The scenes we loved, those joyous hours,—
They shall not be forgot.
Chorus.