Boggy solitudes of Nantucket . , born to joy and pleasance,Thou dost not toil nor spin,But makest glad and radiant with thy presenceThe meadow and the linn. The wind blows, and uplifts thy drooping banner. And round thee throng and runThe rushes, the green yeomen of thy manor, The outlaws of the sun. 32 BOGGY SOLITUDES OF NANTUCKET * Thou art the iris, fair among the fairest,Who armed with golden winged with the celestial azure bearestThe message of some god. What impulse stirs the feathery grasses,And dips along their wavering line ;While, as the sudden tremor passes,Two strange sweet
Boggy solitudes of Nantucket . , born to joy and pleasance,Thou dost not toil nor spin,But makest glad and radiant with thy presenceThe meadow and the linn. The wind blows, and uplifts thy drooping banner. And round thee throng and runThe rushes, the green yeomen of thy manor, The outlaws of the sun. 32 BOGGY SOLITUDES OF NANTUCKET * Thou art the iris, fair among the fairest,Who armed with golden winged with the celestial azure bearestThe message of some god. What impulse stirs the feathery grasses,And dips along their wavering line ;While, as the sudden tremor passes,Two strange sweet eyes look up to mine?Eyes with a more than human pleasing,So poet-deep, so maiden-shy!Till all my soul is drowned in gazing,O rare blue eyes! My spirit flow^er, my heaven-sent blossom,I held your secret in my hand,I caught and held you to my bosom,I thought to know and fatal haste! Thou hast undone , yet, unsolved the mystery lies—They closed, and shut the wonder from me,Those deep, dark eyes! CHAPTER III. T seems strange thereare no two bogs ex-actly alike. Naturedoes not repeat her-self, there being ever-varying c o m b i n a-tions. One thing iscertain, the greatesttreasures, such as weare seeking, are usu-ally found in the leastpromising bogs. Of-ten there is a network of blackberry bram-bles which are forbidding to most of us, whileamong these will rise the stately brake. Bayand black alder, a member of the holly family,which will have its bright red berries after theleaves turn black and fall, will be mingledwith clammy azalea, clethra, sassafras, or oc- 35 36 BOGGY SOLITUDES OF NANTUCKET casionally a wild black cherry, aspen, orwillow, all bound together by the wild pinkmorning glory (bindweed) or the iron armof the fox grape. However, patience is sure to be rewarded,and you will soon be admitted an honoredguest into marvelous rooms or bowers car-peted with velvety moss, or perhaps cranberryblossoms or berries on their slender, trailing,wiry stems; o
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