Library of the best American literature / Containing the lives of our authors in story form, their portraits, their homes, and their personal traits, how they worked and what they wrote; choice selections from eminent writers, embracing great American poets and novelists, foremost women in American letters, distinguished critics and essayists, our national humorists, noted journalists and magazine contributors, popular writers for young people, great orators and public lecturers

by Unknown

EMORIES on memories! to my soul again

There come such dreams of vanished love and bliss

That my wrung heart, though long inured to pain,

Sinks with the fulness of its wretchedness:

Thou, dearer far than all the world beside!

Thou, who didst listen to my love’s first vow—

Once I had fondly hoped to call thee bride:

Is the dream over? comes that awakening now?

And is this hour of wretchedness and tears

The only guerdon for my wasted years?