Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE LIGHT GUITAR. The light guitar, the light guitar— I hear its tinkling sound afar, Where underneath the evening star The dance is wheeling; And many a laugh, and many a shout The busy echoes toss about, Till joyous with the merry rout The hills are pealing. The light guitar—I know it well; I heard it first when evening fell Around the vine-embowered well By Rhone's broad river. Joy to thy valleys, gay Provence ! Thou sunny paradise of France ; Carols at eve, and song and dance Are thine forever. The light guitar—it sends me where A living glory fills the air, And all of gay and bright and fair Is full to flowing. Below me sleeps the purple sea, Above me clouds of amber flee, And gold on every tower and tree And spire is glowing. The light guitar—its warning sound Maiden and youth are thronging round, With song and shout, and leap and bound— No dream of sorrow. Away with grief, away with care ! Glad thoughts alone are welcome there ; They care not, if or dark or fair May rise the morrow. Then glory to the light guitar— Its holiest time the evening star, When liquid voices echo far By rock and river. O! might such heavenly nights be mine, Where overhead the rambling vine Lets quivering through the bright moonshine By Rhone forever. THE VINTAGE DANCE. Come, the dance, the dance— Night is nigh us : How the shades advance ! Soon joy will fly us : Be happy while we may ; Dull cares, away, away! Be only song and play, As time speeds by us. Our vintage all is in ; Our vats o'erflowing— Now wake the merry din, Eyes, cheeks, all glowing. We owe the generous vine A pledge of best old wine, And clustering ivy's twine, And flowers new blowing. Pluck, pluck the autumn flowers, And deftly twine the...