"The Fringed Gentian"
author unknown
as seen in L. M. Montgomery's Emily Series

Lift up thy dewy, fringed eyes,
O little Alpine Flower!
The tear that trembling on them lies
Has sympathetic power
To move my own; for I, too, dream
With thee of distant heights,
Whose lofty peaks are all agleam
With rosy, dazzling lights.

Where aspirations, hopes, desires,
Combining, fondly dwell --
Where burn the never-dying fires
Of genius' wondrous spell.
Such towering summits would I reach,
Who climb and grope in vain;
O little flower! the secret teach --
The weary way make plain.

Who dreams of wider spheres revealed
Up higher, near the sky,
Within the valley's narrow field
Cannot contented lie;
Who longs for mountain breezes rare,
Is restless down below --
Like me, for stronger, purer air
Thou pinest, too, I know.

Then whisper blossom, in thy sleep,
How I may upward climb
The Alpine path so hard, so steep,
That leads to heights sublime?
How may I reach that far-off goal
Of true and honored fame,
To write upon its shining scroll
A woman's humble name?