The dreams
Two dreams came down to earth one nightFrom the realm of mist and dew;One was a dream of the old, old days,And one was a dream of the new.
One was a dream of a shady laneThat led to the pickerel pondWhere the willows and rushes bowed themselvesTo the brown old hills beyond.
And the people that peopled the old-time dreamWere pleasant and fair to see,And the dreamer he walked with them againAs often of old walked he.
Oh, cool was the wind in the shady laneThat tangled his curly hair!Oh, sweet was the music the robins madeTo the springtime everywhere!
Was it the dew the dream had broughtFrom yonder midnight skies,Or was it tears from the dear, dead yearsThat lay in the dreamer's eyes?
The other dream ran fast and free,As the moon benignly shedHer golden grace on the smiling faceIn the little trundle-bed.
For 't was a dream of times to come--Of the glorious noon of day--Of the summer that follows the careless springWhen the child is done with play.
And 't was a dream of the busy worldWhere valorous deeds are done;Of battles fought in the cause of right,And of victories nobly won.
It breathed no breath of the dear old homeAnd the quiet joys of youth;It gave no glimpse of the good old friendsOr the old-time faith and truth.
But 't was a dream of youthful hopes,And fast and free it ran,And it told to a little sleeping childOf a boy become a man!
These were the dreams that came one nightTo earth from yonder sky;These were the dreams two dreamers dreamed--My little boy and I.
And in our hearts my boy and IWere glad that it was so;He loved to dream of days to come,And I of long ago.
So from our dreams my boy and IUnwillingly awoke,But neither of his precious dreamUnto the other spoke.
Yet of the love we bore those dreamsGave each his tender sign;For there was triumph in his eyes--And there were tears in mine!
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