Rural Lays and Sketches Author:John Prince Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CAPE ANN HARBOR, ON A SUMMER AFTERNOON. With gently refluent waves, The sandy beach and headland's stony verge, Where, with loud din, in storms, the waters... more » surge, Now lovingly the ocean laves. Far out beyond this placid tide,— Where sunlight burnishes the azure bay, Beyond where breakers toss their gleaming spray, Light skins aud out-bound vessels glide. A lone sea-gull floats through the air, Fanning his heated sides, while mirrored .utp In waves that slightly heave in tranquil sleep, Is seen his form, snow-white and fair. Near yon bluff's edge the light-house stands, Like some tall man, in loose, white mantle dressed, Wooing the breeze that, o'er each wavelet's crest, Glides gently to the shining sands. O'er land and water, all around, Unruffled, save by murmurs from the street, Calm stillness broods ; and Summer's sweltry heat Shimmers above yon battered mound, Like memories, that thickly o'er The old, dilapidated ramparts throng — Thoughts of the days, long past, when tyratltwrong Was driven, humbled, from our shore. The fort. Blithely, upon a breezy day, Have I beenTborne far o'er the billows' swell, While round the prow of our fleet" Little Nell," The rippling, dancing waves would play ; And gazing back upon the scene, Of wind-swept waters, half in light, half shade, Circling strand, where mingle toil and trade, And roofs, and spires, and hill-side green, Have felt the rapturous thrill inspired By Nature's scenes. Yet not for this alone, But for hearts here responding to my own, Have I, long time, this spot admired. A pleMure-boil, THE TINY STREAM. Through a sloping vale A little streamlet glided), Telling a merry tale, As o'er its bed it slidelh. In mimic waterfalls, Down jaggy rocks it rushes ; O...« less