80 MEMORIAL MEETING; 



From a considerable collection of English translations 

 made by English, Scotch and Irish writers of note as well 

 as by Mr. Brooks, I selected as best suited to my purpose 

 one which I will read, and, lest my local partiality might 

 mislead me as to the quality of Mr. Brooks' work, I con- 

 sulted competent critics on the spot, including the family 

 of the German poet himself, and found that they shared my 

 preference. I read, from the published proceedings of the 

 occasion, Mr. Brooks's version of 



THE EMIGRANT'S DEPARTUEE. 

 Ye men, that from your necks set down 



Your heavy baskets on the earth 

 Of bread, from German corn baked brown, 



By German wires, on German hearth, 



And you, with braided tresses neat, 

 Black Forest maidens, slim and brown, 



How careful, on the sloop's green seat, 

 You set your pails and pitchers down ! 



Ah! oft have home's cool, shady tanks 

 Those pails and pitchers filled for you ! 



By far Missouri's silent banks 

 Shall these the scenes of home renew, 



The stone rimmed fount, the village street, 

 Where oft ye stooped to chat and draw, 



The hearth, and each familiar seat, 

 The pictured tiles your childhood saw ! 



Soon, in the far and wooded west, 

 Shall log-house walls therewith be graced : 



Soon many a tired and tawny guest 

 Shall sweet refreshment from them taste : 



From them shall drink the Cherokee, 



Faint with the hot and dusty chase. 

 No more from German vintage ye 



Shall bear them home in leaf-crowned grace ! 



Oh say ! Why seek ye other lands? 



The Neckar's vale hath wine and corn : 

 Full of dark firs the Schwarzwald stands : 



In Spessart rings the Alp-herd's horn ! 



