"THƠ LOST TO SIGHT, TO MEM'RY DEAR."

[Many inquiries have been made and peculiar pains taken to ascertain the origin of the line above, but without result in a printed slip just received from Mr. John Bartlett, author of "Familiar Quotations," containing the poem given below, he says, "The following song was 'composed for and sung by Mr. Augustus Braham. The words and music are by George Linley (a song writer and composer), who was born in 1798, and died in 1865. It is not known when the song was written. It was set to music and published by Cramer, Beale & Co., London, about 1848." This information is interesting, so far as it goes, but does not the quotation date much farther back? Can Mr. Bartlett, or any reader of the Transcript, give us some information on this point?]

Tho' lost to sight, to mem'ry dear,

Thou ever wilt remain;

One only hope my heart can cheer,
The hope to meet again.

Oh! fondly on the past I dwell,

And oft recall those hours

When, wand'ring down the shady dell,
We gathered the wild-flowers.

Yes, life then seem'd one pure delight,
Tho' now each spot looks drear;
Yet, tho' thy smile be lost to sight,
To men'ry thou art dear,

To mem'ry thou art dear.

Oft in the tranquil hour of night,
When stars illume the sky,
I gaze upon each Orb of Light,
And wish that thou wert by;

I think upon that happy time,
That time so fondly lov'd,

When last we heard the sweet bells chime,
As thro' the fields we rov'd.

Yes, life then seem'd one pure delight,

Tho' now each spot looks drear;

Yet, tho' thy smile be lost to sight,

To mem❜ry thou art dear,

To mem❜ry thou art dear.

ΤΟ

REZIN A. WIGHT, Esq.

I have gathered a posie of other men's flowers, and nothing but the thread
that binds them is mine own. MONTAIGNE.

FIFTH EDITION.

BOSTON:

LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.

T