3     It avails not， time nor place - distance avails not，     I am with you， you men and women of a generation， or ever     so many generations hence，     Just as you feel when you look on the river and sky， so I felt，     Just as any of you is one of a living crowd， I was one of a crowd，     Just as you are refresh'd by the gladness of the river and the     bright flow， I was refresh'd，     Just as you stand and lean on the rail， yet hurry with the swift     current， I stood yet was hurried，     Just as you look on the numberless masts of ships and the     thick- stemm'd pipes of steamboats， I look'd.     I too many and many a time cross'd the river of old，     Watched the Twelfth-month sea-gulls， saw them high in the     air floating with motionless wings， oscillating their bodies，     Saw how the glistening yellow lit up parts of their bodies and     left the rest in strong shadow，     Saw the slow-wheeling circles and the gradual edging toward     the south，     Saw the reflection of the summer sky in the water，     Had my eyes dazzled by the shimmering track of beams，     Look'd at the fine centrifugal spokes of light round the shape     of my head in the sunlit water，     Look'd on the haze on the hills southward and south-west-ward，     Look'd on the vapor as it flew in fleeces tinged with violet，     Look'd toward the lower bay to notice the vessels arriving，     Saw their approach， saw aboard those that were near me，     Saw the white sails of schooners and sloops， saw the ships     at anchor，     The sailors at work in the rigging or out astride the spars，     The round masts， the swinging motion of the hulls， the     slender serpentine pennants，     The large and small steamers in motion， the pilots in their     pilot- houses，     The white wake left by the passage， the quick tremulous whirl     of the wheels，     The flags of all nations， the falling of them at sunset，     The scallop-edged waves in the twilight， the ladled cups， the     frolicsome crests and glistening，     The stretch afar growing dimmer and dimmer， the gray walls     of the granite storehouses by the docks，     On the river the shadowy group， the big steam-tug closely     flank'd on each side by the barges， the hay-boat， the     belated lighter，     On the neighboring shore the fires from the foundry     chimneys burning

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