WITH COPIES OF THE AUTHOR'S WRITINGS. <br /> <br />Friend of mine! whose lot was cast <br />With me in the distant past; <br />Where, like shadows flitting fast, <br /> <br />Fact and fancy, thought and theme, <br />Word and work, begin to seem <br />Like a half-remembered dream! <br /> <br />Touched by change have all things been, <br />Yet I think of thee as when <br />We had speech of lip and pen. <br /> <br />For the calm thy kindness lent <br />To a path of discontent, <br />Rough with trial and dissent; <br /> <br />Gentle words where such were few, <br />Softening blame where blame was true, <br />Praising where small praise was due; <br /> <br />For a waking dream made good, <br />For an ideal understood, <br />For thy Christian womanhood; <br /> <br />For thy marvellous gift to cull <br />From our common life and dull <br />Whatsoe'er is beautiful; <br /> <br />Thoughts and fancies, Hybla's bees <br />Dropping sweetness; true heart's-ease <br />Of congenial sympathies;-- <br /> <br />Still for these I own my debt; <br />Memory, with her eyelids wet, <br />Fain would thank thee even yet! <br /> <br />And as one who scatters flowers <br />Where the Queen of May's sweet hours <br />Sits, o'ertwined with blossomed bowers, <br /> <br />In superfluous zeal bestowing <br />Gifts where gifts are overflowing, <br />So I pay the debt I'm owing. <br /> <br />To thy full thoughts, gay or sad, <br />Sunny-hued or sober clad, <br />Something of my own I add; <br /> <br />Well assured that thou wilt take <br />Even the offering which I make <br />Kindly for the giver's sake.<br /><br />John Greenleaf Whittier<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/remembrance-54/
