The touch of flame--the illuminating fire--the loftiest look at last, O'er city, passion, sea--o'er prairie, mountain, wood--the earth itself; The airy, different, changing hues of all, in falling twilight, Objects and groups, bearings, faces, reminiscences; The calmer sight--the golden setting, clear and broad: So much i' the atmosphere, the points of view, the situation whence we scan, Brought out by them alone--so much (perhaps the best) unreck'd before; The lights indeed from them--old age's lambent peaks. [_Old Age's Lambent Peaks_] Thanks in old age--thanks ere I go, For health, the midday sun, the impalpable air--for life, mere life, For precious ever-lingering memories, (of you, my mother dear--you, father--you, brothers, sisters, friends), For all my days--not those of peace alone--the days of war the same, For gentle words, caresses, gifts from foreign lands, For shelter, wine and meat--for sweet appreciation, (You distant, dim unknown--or young or old--countless, unspecified, readers belov'd, We never met, and ne'er shall meet--and yet our souls embrace, long, close and long); For beings, groups, love, deeds, words, books--for colors, forms, For all the brave strong men--devoted, hardy men--who've forward sprung in freedom's help, all years, all lands, For braver, stronger, more devoted men--(a special laurel ere I go, to life's war's chosen ones, The cannoneers of song and thought--the great artillerists--the foremost leaders, captains of the soul): As soldier from an ended war return'd--as traveller out of myriads, to the long procession retrospective, Thanks--joyful thanks!--a soldier's, traveller's thanks. [_Thanks in Old Age_] _Prais'd be the fathomless universe, For life and joy, and for objects and knowledge curious, And for love, sweet love--but praise! praise! praise! For the sure-enwinding arms of cool-enfolding death._ [_When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd_] INDEX Acharon Society, 60 Aldrich, T. B., 139 Anthropometric Society, 204 "Auntie, Blind," 1, 2, 3 Bell, Dr., 192 "Blind Auntie," 1, 2, 3 Bolton, Mr., 171 Bonsall, Mr., 197 Bruno, Guido, 195, 206 Bucke, Dr. R. M., IX, 102, 103, 105, 106, 108, 109, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 158, 173, 177 Button, Miss, 168 Camden _Post_, 197 Carrot, Judge Howard, 197 Childs, George W., 13 "Coddie," 162 Cooper Hospital, 190 Davis, Capt. L. J., 4, 190 Davis, Mary O., _passim_ Donaldson, Blaine, 49 Donaldson, Thomas, 1, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 21, 30, 37, 38, 39, 47, 48, 49, 52, 61, 100, 103, 111, 113, 119, 127, 146, 172, 175 Duckett, Wm., 69 Ellis, Sarah, V Fritzinger, Capt., 4, 5, 11, 25, 62 Fritzinger, Henry M., 119, 163, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194 Fritzinger, Mrs., 3, 18, 68 Fritzinger, Walt Whitman, 164