The Doctor's Window (Paperback)

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: T Morituri Salutamus HE wild-eyed March has come again With frightened face and flying feet, And hands just loosed from winter's chain Outstretched the reluctant spring to greet. From her bleak hills across the lea. She sweeps with tresses backward blown, And far out on the homeless sea The maddened billows hear her moan. The leaves are whirled in eddying drifts Or hunted down the barren wold, Where timidly the crocus lifts Her shaken cap of green and gold. Above the dark pool's ruffled breast The swallow skims on glancing wing. And from yon brown elm's towering crest l hear the amorous mock-bird sing. lt leans above the gabled roof That crowns the long hill's fallow side, A summer shelter, shower proof When June shall flaunt her leafy pride; But naked yet, in wintry guise lts trailing masses sweep the ground, The bare trunk lifted to the skies A mark for many a league around. His sire had planted it when first He made this woodland wild his own: Beneath its boughs his youth was nursed, And with its growth himself had grown To manhood, and to riper years; One on whom God had set his sign, The well-beloved of all his peers, But by the poor deemed half divine. The good old Doctor! mild as wise, With pleasant jest for all he met. The kindly humor in his eyes Flashed through the lips so gravely sweet. Firm hand, big heart and ample brain Toughened by battles fought and won, Scarred with the wind and winter rain, And bronzed by many a summer sun. Not largely learned in useless lore, Nor dully studious overmuch, Saved by the sturdy wit he bore From making other's wit his crutch. But many a chllding mother owned His ready skill, and many a wife Whose hope or stay in anguish groaned. O...