And love and mercy, from thy tongue
For ever preach to Time.

"All human wishes most desire,
All last they would resign,
All fondest love can long to give,
My little one, be thine.

The purest good that man can know,
To thee, my boy, be given;
And be thy every act on earth
A deed to win thee heaven!"

Taint him not with mortal sin,

That heaven's palms his hands may win,

That heaven's gates he enter in,

Of God's favour sure,

Pure as he is pure!

If he wander from the right,
O through error's darksome night,
On to heaven's eternal light,

Guide, O guide his way
To heaven's perfect day!

CRADLE SONGS.

IV.

SLEEP, boy, sleep-sleep!

For the day is for waking-for rest the night,
And my boy must learn to use each aright;
Let him toil in the day, and steep

Through the night his senses in slumber sound,
To fit him to work when day comes round!
Sleep, boy, sleep-sleep!

Sleep, boy, sleep-sleep!

For my boy must be strong of body and limb,
To do all I'd have to be done by him;

Let his slumbers be sound and deep,
That stout of arm and of heart he may grow,
Both hot to do and keen to know;

Sleep, boy, sleep-sleep!

Sleep, boy, sleep-sleep!

For no puny son must I have-not I,

Made through his days but to crouch and sigh,
To bend and to weakly weep;

No-my man must be strong to battle with care,
The bravest to do, and the boldest to dare;
Sleep, boy, sleep—sleep!

Sleep, boy, sleep-sleep!

Yes, thy mother, my boy, would have thee one
By whom this old world's best work is done,
One who on its dullards shall sweep,

[strife,

If it must be, through storm-if it must be, through To still freer thoughts and to still purer life;

Sleep, boy, sleep-sleep!

THE STORY OF A MOTHER.

FROM HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN.

THERE the little one lay, white and dying,
And beside its bed, with sorrow wild,
Wailed the mother, unto heaven crying,

'Spare my baby! spare, O God, my child!"

Then the darkness, death, arose before her,
Laid its hand upon her baby's heart;
And, a nameless anguish creeping o'er her,
From her infant saw she life depart.

It was dead, and fixed before her eye was
That dear face that on her should have smiled;
But a moment dumb with grief, her cry was
Straight, "O God! O give me back my child !"

Then it was as if God willed to send her
Answer to the wail that from her rose;
And it seemed as if, with accents tender,

Death breathed, "Fate, what might have been, disclose !"

And with anguish that she might not smother,
Looked she through the distant years with awe,
All the child had lived to, saw the mother;
All its grown-up life the mother saw.

And she saw her babe, her heart's dear treasure,
Fated, not to peace and joy, alas!
Fated, not to know a pure life's pleasure,

But through want, and woe, and guilt to pass.

Then the mother knew her human blindness,
And, even through her tears, she brightly smiled,
Blessed be God!" she cried, "that in His kindness,
Bore from earth, and sin, and shame, my child!"

25

CRADLE SONGS.

V.

SLEEP, baby, sleep!
Cease thy bitter crying!
In the cold earth deep,
Deep in death's long sleep,
O that we were lying!
Sleep, baby, sleep!

Sleep, baby, sleep!

Let's forget to-morrow

Comes, when we must bear Scorn, and want, and care, Waking but for sorrow! Sleep, baby, sleep!

Sleep, baby, sleep! Thy poor mother pity! Worn and faint, she hears No voice her life that cheers In all this great, hard city; Sleep, baby, sleep!

Sleep, baby, sleep!

Thou hast thy mother only;
Cold and still lies he

Who worked for thee and me,

And left us, boy, how lonely!

Sleep, baby, sleep!

Sleep, baby, sleep!
Faint and, God! how weary!
Let these eyes, how blest!
Baby mine, in rest,

Forget this world so dreary!

Sleep, baby, sleep!

Sleep, baby, sleep! Heed not mother's crying! O boy, by God's will, We were cold and still, With thy father lying! Sleep, baby, sleep!

MOTHERS' SONGS.

I.

Look into mother's eyes
Beaming above you!
Only one, baby mine,

So much can love you!
One, but one gaze alone
Such love is giving,
Baby, into our own
While we are living ;
Look into mother's eyes

Beaming above you!
No other eyes as much
Ever shall love you.

Drink in that love now yours! That shall change never ; Like God's, that love endures Now and for ever;

Baby, in after days,

O let no morrow
Ever, of yours, that gaze
Sadden with sorrow!
Laugh into mother's eyes
Beaming above you!
But one, beneath the skies,
So much can love you.

In God's good time, may be,
In years before you,
Other dear eyes you'll see,
Bend in love o'er you ;