Thou art where billows foam, Thou art around us in our peaceful home, Thou art where friend meets friend, Beneath the shadow of the elm to rest ; Thou art where foe meets foe, and trumpets rend The skies, and swords beat down the princely crest. Leaves have their time to fall, And stars to set;- but all, MRS. HEMANS. A BOOK. I'm a strange contradiction ; I'm new, and I'm old, I am heavy and light.- the flute; I sing without voice, without speaking confute ; I'm English, I'm German, I'm French, and I'm Dutch; Some love me too fondly, some slight me too much ; I often die soon, though I sometimes live ages, And no monarch alive has so many pages. MRS. H. MORE. SPRING. THE bleak winds of winter are past, The frost and the snow are both gone,, And the trees are beginning at last their green leafiness on. To put The snow-drop, like ivory white, The crocus, as yellow as gold, The hepatica, hardy and bright, Have ventured their bloom to unfold. And, sweeter than these, in the lane, On its warm, shelter'd bank may be found, The violets in blossom again, Shedding spring's richest odours around. The primrose and cowslip are out, And the fields are with daisies all gay ; While the butterflies, flitting about, Seem glad in the sunshine to play. Not more glad than the bee is to gather New honey to store in his cell ; He too is abroad this fine weather, To rifle cup, blossom, and bell. The goldfinch, and blackbird, and thrush, Are brimful of music and glee ; And the rook has built his in a tree. The lark's home is hid in the corn, But he springs from his low nest- on high, And warbles his welcome to morn, Till he seems like a speck in the sky. Oh! who would be sleeping in bed When the skies with such melody ring, And the bright earth beneath him is fed With the beauty and fragrance of spring ? BARTON. WEEP NOT FOR ME. WHEN the spark of life is waning, Weep not for me; Weep not for me ; Weep not for me. When the pangs of death assail me, Weep not for me; Weep not for me; soul to sever, Weep not for me. DALE. WHAT IS THAT, MOTHER? What is that, mother? The Lark, my child, The morn has just look'd out, and smild, When he starts from his humble, grassy nest, And is up with the dew on his breast And a hymn in his heart, to yon pure bright sphere, What is that, mother ? The Dove, my son,And that low, sweet voice, like the widow's moan, Is flowing out from her gentle breast, Constant and pure, by that lonely nest, As the wave is pour'd from some crystal urn, For her distant dear one's quick return. Ever, my son, be thou like the dove, In friendship as faithful, as constant in love. What is that, mother? The Eagle, boy, Proudly careering his course of joy, Firm, in his own mountain vigour relying, Breasting the dark storm, the red bolt defying ; His wing on the wind, and his eye on the sun, He swerves not a hair, but bears onward, right on. Boy, may the eagle's flight ever be thine, Onward and upward, true to the line. What is that, mother? The Swan, my love.He is floating down from his native grove, No lov'd one now, no nestling nigh ; He is floating down by himself to die. Death darkens his eye, and unplumes his wings, Yet the sweetest song is the last he sings. Live so, my love, that when death shall come, Swan-like and sweet it may waft thee home. DOANE. THE DAISY. Not worlds on worlds, in phalanx deep, Need we to show that * God is here; The daisy, fresh from nature's sleep, Tells of His hand in lines as clear. For who but He who arch'd the skies, And pours the day-spring's living flood, Wondrous alike in all He tries, Could raise the daisy's purple bud; Mould its green cup, its wiry stem, Its fringéd border nicely spin, And cut the gold-embosséd gem That, set in silver, gleams within ; And fling it unrestrain'd and free, O’er hill and dale, and desert sod ? That man, where'er he walks, may see In every step the hand of God. GOOD. TO-MORROW How sweet to the heart is the thought of To-morrow, anguish! The few verbal alterations that are made in this volume from the original poems, are marked in italics. |