General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1917 Original Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Subjects: Poetry / General Poetry / American / General Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: ASPIRATION BOOKS ASPIRATION WTHIN the meadow of Time’s book Let my song be the laughing brook That sings along its silver way As ‘t were a dryad gone astray, Seeking by music’s balm to bless The hunger of its loneliness. Let all my lines like ripples run Forever mirroring the sun; Gay as the light lisp of a leaf, Unmarred by any gust of grief; Sweet as the soft south wind that blows Its tender love-song to the rose. So, later, if my rhymes be read By maid or youth, it may be said: No melancholy strain he knew; His skies were always bright and blue. Life seemed for him to slip along As smoothly as his limpid song, Which, in its grace and simple art, Echoes the gladness in his heart. THE FLY-LEAF TO THE READER FRIEND, stay your steps awhile before You pass within the open door; Bethink you in what manner you Shall greet the host; consider, too, How to a feast of all his best The author here invites his guest, To taste his meat and drink his wine, On every dish to freely dine. And, mind you, when you come to sit Before the board whereon his wit And wisdom are all spread to make A meal for your mind’s stomach’s sake, To bear yourself with dignity And treat your host with courtesy. If any dish before you placed By any chance offend your taste, Or if the food seem wanting aught Of proper seasoning, say naught. Eat quietly, and when you go Forget not gratitude to show; And, being gone, if y…