BY THE REV. E. W. BARNARD.
COME with a poet's eye, and parent's heart,
And bless your bounteous Maker!-There they sit,
Beneath yon towering elms-a goodly boy
Aud gentle girl-their little arms around
Each other's necks entwining, as if loth
To play at worldly games, and minding only
Love, ceaseless love, the business of heaven.
Glows not thine heart within thee at the sight?
Ha! nobler visions come-and hark! the voice
Of more than earthly music! Angel forms,
Twin spirits, hovering o'er that infant pair,
Illume, like sunshine, the disparting skies,
So bright, so fond their smile!—And higher still,
(Such social charity prevails in heaven)
Cherub and seraph troop around to hear
The guardians sing their gracious benison.
These, hand in hand, poised on their snow-white wings, Alternate sing, and at each choral pause
Lift up to One Unseen their waving palms,
And draw down blessings. O'er their innocent charge
In plenteous shower the ready blessings fall,
To mortal vision like ethereal dews,
Odours, or rarest flowers, or costly gems,
Or stars of mildest lustre :-Beautiful,
And passing speech, in plenteous shower they fall;
And ever and anon the ministering spirits,
With looks that show unutterable love,
Bend o'er the infants, and resume their song.
CHORUS.-Strew about, strew about!
1st Ang. Dews from an immortal wing, Little bosoms nourishing;
Smiles of an immortal glow,
Making goodly seed to grow;
CHORUS. Strew about, strew about!
2nd Ang. Drops of radiance glittering bright
From the face of orient light,
Ripening every plant of worth,
Till it bud and blossom forth;
CHORUS. Strew about, strew about!
1st Ang. Flowers that hand of Poet never May from heaven's pastures sever;
Richer theirs than rose's hue!
Sweeter they than violet blue!
CHORUS.-Strew about, strew about!
2nd Ang. Gems that in profusion gay,
Fearing nothing of decay,
Over heart and over brow
Ever bloom as fresh as now;
CHORUS.-Strew about, strew about!
1st Ang. Gladsome health to fire the eye, And paint the cheek of infancy; Doubtless zeal, and guileless love, Manhood's rugged heart to move;
CHORUS.-Strew about, strew about!
2nd Ang. Lowly thought, and holy fear, Studious peace, and conscience clear, Aud grace divine, to make them be Meet for Angels' company;
CHORUS. Strew about, strew about!
COME under my wing, there is room enough yet,
And though cribbed in our space, we'll ne'er grumble
But by patient contrivance console ourselves still,
And the warmth of our hearts shall defy every ill;
We will peep at the world like a snail from his shell,
Or as some lonely hermit looks out from his cell,
To wonder and grieve at the turmoil and strife
Men make about trifles, and call it their life ;-
Or we'll send out our fancy, to bring us in sport
From the fields or the camp, from the city or court:
'Tis fancy that colours the future, the past;
And though the bright vision's too fleeting to last,
'Tis the bank of our hope, which we draw on for joy-
The prospect of pleasure without its alloy.
If honours and wealth do not fall to our share,
We are free from the pangs of ambition and care:
While nature has charms, and the body has health,
The footsteps of Time overtake us by stealth;
We heed not his pace, whether rapid or slow,
And content, when he calls, we are ready to go.
|