All ye perturbed souls, that go,
With restless footsteps to and fro,
Running here, and scudding there,
Backward, forward, everywhere —
Ye who haste, in double time,
From every region, every clime,
Hold, one moment — pray ye, stay,
And harken what I’ve got to say:
Restless spirits, tranquil sleep,
Invade not ye my sacred keep;
Come not to Niagara Fall,
To scribble nonsense, scratch and scrawl.
Go, your footsteps trespass, rude,
On my awful solitude —
Go, ye little reptiles vain,
Go, and get ye home again.
Source: Table Rock Album and Sketches of the Falls and Scenery Adjacent. Buffalo: Steam Press of Thomas and Lathrops, copyright by Jewett, Thomas & Co.,1856c.1848
This link takes you to the scanned version of the 1855 version of Table Rock Album from the Hathi Trust
See the Table of Contents of the Table Rock Album on this site.