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Leaves From Australian Forests

by Henry Kendall
DEDICATION.

To her who, cast with me in trying days,
Stood in the place of health and power and praise;-

Who, when I thought all light was out, became
A lamp of hope that put my fears to shame;-

Who faced for love's sole sake the life austere
That waits upon the man of letters here;-

Who, unawares, her deep affection showed,
By many a touching little wifely mode;-

Whose spirit, self-denying, dear, divine,
Its sorrows hid, so it might lessen mine, -

To her, my bright, best friend, I dedicate
This book of songs. 'Twill help to compensate

For much neglect. The act, if not the rhyme,
Will touch her heart, and lead her to the time

Of trials past. That which is most intense
Within these leaves is of her influence;

And if aught here is sweetened with a tone
Sincere, like love, it came of love alone.

CONTENTS
PREFATORY SONNETS

..
1

THE HUT IN THE BLACK SWAMP
..

3
SEPTEMBER IN AUSTRALIA

..
7

GHOST GLEN
..

10
DAPHNE

..
13

THE WARRIGAL
..

16
EUROCLYDON

..
19

ARALUEN
..

24
AT EUROMA

..
28

ILLA CREEK
..

30
MOSS ON A WALL

..
33

CAMPASPE
..

36
ON A CATTLE TRACK

..
39

TO DAMASCUS
..

42
BELL BIRDS

..
45

A DEATH IN THE BUSH
..

48
A SPANISH LOVE SONG

..
58

THE LAST OF HIS TRIBE
..

60
ARAKOON

..
62

THE VOYAGE OF TELEGONUS
..

65
SITTING BY THE FIRE

..
74

CLEONE
..

76
CHARLES HARPUR

..
78

GOD HELP OUR MEN AT SEA
..

81
COOGEE

..
83

OGYGES
..

87
BY THE SEA

..
92

SONG OF THE CATTLE HUNTERS
..

93
KING SAUL AT GILBOA

..
95

IN THE VALLEY
..

101
TWELVE SONNETS

..
103

SUTHERLAND'S GRAVE
..

115
SYRINX

..
118

ON THE PAROO
..

121
FAITH IN GOD

..
125

MOUNTAIN MOSS
..

127
THE GLEN OF ARRAWATTA

..
130

EUTERPE
..

139
ELLEN BAY

..
143

AT DUSK
..

145
SAFI

..
148

DANIEL HENRY DENIEHY
..

153
MEROPE

..
156

AFTER THE HUNT
..

160
ROSE LORRAINE

..
161

Page: 1
I.

I PURPOSED once to take my pen and write,
Not songs, like some, tormented and awry

With passion, but a cunning harmony
Of words and music caught from glen and height,

And lucid colours born of woodland light
And shining places where the sea-streams lie.

But this was when the heat of youth glowed white,
And since I've put the faded purpose by.

I have no faultless fruits to offer you
Who read this book; but certain syllables

Herein are borrowed from unfooted dells
And secret hollows dear to noontide dew;

And these at least, though far between and few,
May catch the sense like subtle forest spells.

Page: 2
II.

So take these kindly, even though there be
Some notes that unto other lyres belong,

Stray echoes from the elder sons of song;
And think how from its neighbouring native sea

The pensive shell doth borrow melody.
I would not do the lordly masters wrong

By filching fair words from the shining throng
Whose music haunts me as the wind a tree.

Lo, when a stranger in soft Syrian glooms
Shot through with sunset, treads the cedar dells,

And hears the breezy ring of elfin bells
Far down be where the white-haired cataract booms,

He, faint with sweetness caught from forest smells,
Bears thence, unwitting, plunder of perfumes.

Page: 3
LEAVES FROM AUSTRALIAN FORESTS

THE HUT BY THE BLACK SWAMP
NOW comes the fierce North-Easter, bound

About with clouds and racks of rain,
And dry, dead leaves go whirling round

In rings of dust, and sigh like pain
Across the plain.

Now Twilight, with a shadowy hand
Of wild dominionship, doth keep

Strong hold of hollow straits of land,
And watery sounds are loud and deep



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