Produced by David Starner, William Flis, and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team. [Illustration: (Freeman E. Miller.)] OKLAHOMA AND OTHER POEMS BY FREEMAN E. MILLER, A.M., PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN THE AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF OKLAHOMA TERRITORY. BUFFALO CHARLES WELLS MOULTON 1895 * * * * * COPYRIGHT, 1895, BY FREEMAN E. MILLER, A.M. PRINTED BY CHARLES WELLS MOULTON, BUFFALO, N.Y. * * * * * _TO_ _JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY,_ _IN AFFECTIONATE_ _MEMORY OF OTHER DAYS._ _Our dearest joys forever flow_ _From fountains of the Long Ago,_ _That from the heights of pleasures past_ _Flood all the present valleys vast,_ _And with eternal glees provide_ _The future's endless ocean tide._ * * * * * _To ope each cage where a heartless age_ _Hath chained the birds of singing,_ _Till Love's own glee that is fond and free_ _Shall laugh where they are winging,--_ _Such is my wish. 'Tis true, hold I,_ _That songs, like birds, in bondage die._ * * * * * CONTENTS. OKLAHOMA 9 THE RACE FOR HOMES 15 AT PERRY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1893 19 "SING ME A SONG, O WIND." 21 A CHRISTMAS CAROL 24 YEARS THAT ARE TO BE 26 IF WE DON'T OR IF WE DO 28 DEAR SONGS OF MY COUNTRY 30 JULY FOURTH 33 "O, GENTLE SHADES OF QUIET WOODS." 35 LOVE 37 WINTERS ON THE FARM 39 "O, WEAK AND WEARY WORLD." 41 EX ANIMA 43 "LO, ALL THE AGE IS RANK WITH WRONG." 45 "LOVE, THOU GAYEST FANCY-WEAVER." 47 THE FARMER 49 "NATURE HAS A THOUSAND CHOIRS." 51 THE WORKINGMAN 53 GIVING AND FORGIVING 55 "O, SACRED SOULS THAT GRANDLY SING." 57 CHRISTMAS TIME 59 TRUEST HEROES ARE UNKNOWN 61 IF WE BUT KNEW 62 HOPE 64 DESPONDENCY 66 IF LOVE WERE KING 68 "SING ME THE OLD SONGS, MOTHER." 69 TWO LIVES 71 "AWAY, AWAY, FROM THE SULTRY WAYS." 72 SPINSTERHOOD 74 "SWEET FAIRIES FROM THE ISLES OF SONG." 75 STANZAS 77 "MAKE THE MOST OF THIS LIFE." 78 "THE SONGS THAT MOTHER USED TO SING." 80 "QUAFF THE GLASS, THE WINE IS RED." 81 GOOD-NIGHT 83 LIVE LIFE WITH LOVE 84 DISCONTENT 86 STANZAS 87