Oswego Daily Times (Oswego, New York)
18 Aug. 1898, p. 6
In the realm of the soul dwell the blessings of life;
There desire is felt not, nor torment and strife.
The peace thy soul craves is there to be found,
There the treasures of life are with diadems crowned,
There are our loved ones who long since are dead,
And there the sweet dreams on which our youth fed.
The things that are tangible are not always real;
The prizes of life to the senses appeal;
The marmoreal beauty of dreams cannot fade,
Nor can wither the images by the soul made—
Thy soul will achieve without labor or tears
What thy flesh vainly chases through long phantom years.
—Benjamin De Casseres.
Notes
Also published in the following newspapers:
- Newton Daily Republican (Newton, Kansas) on Aug. 30, 1898
- Cortland Evening Standard (Cortland, New York) on Sept. 16, 1898
The poem was likely published even earlier and syndicated to these and other newspapers.