EPILOGUE..

ARE there no sympathies, no loves between us?
Is my hope vain ?—I have not vext thee long,
Nor lent thee thoughts from God and good that wean us,
Nor given thee words that warp from right to wrong:
And if, at times, my too trinmphant song

Hath seem'd self-praise,-doth it indeed demean us
That when a man feels hotly at his heart

The quick spontaneous fire of thoughts and words,
He will not play the hypocrite's ill art,
Flinging aside the meed his Mind affords ?
No! with all gratitude and humbleness
I claim mine own; nor can affect to scorn
A gift, of my Creator's goodness born

Which is my grace and glory to possess,

HACTENUS:

SUNDRY OF MY LYRICS HITHERTO

HACTENUS.

THE NEW YEAR.

THE old man he is dead, young heir!

And gone to his long account;

Come! stand on his hearth, and sit in nis chair, And into his saddle mount!

The old man's face was a face to be fear'd,
But thine both loving and gay;

O, who would not choose for that stern white bea
A bright young cheek alway?

The old man he had outlived them all,
His friends, he said, were gone;

But hundreds are wassailing now in the hall,
And true friends every one!

The old man moaned both sore and long

Of pleasures past, he said;

But pleasures to come are the young heir's song,

The living, not the dead!

The old man babbled of old regrets.

Alack! how much he owed;

But the young heir has not a feather of debts

His heart withal to load!

The old man used to shudder, and seem

Remembering secret sin;

But the happy young heir is as if in a dream, -
Paradise all within!

Alas! for the old man, where is he now?
And fear for thyself, young heir;
For he was innocent once as thou,
As ruddy, and blithe, and fair:

Reap wisdom from his furrowed face,

Cull counsel from his fear;

O, speed thee, young heir, in gifts and in grace,
And blessings on thee,-New Year!

ALL'S FOR THE BEST.

(To the same music as Never Give Up.")

ALL'S for the best! be sanguine and cheerful,
Trouble and sorrow are friends in disguise,
Nothing but Folly goes faithless and fearful,
Courage for ever is happy and wise:
All for the best,-if a man would but know it,
Providence wishes us all to be blest,

This is no dream of the pundit or poet,
Heaven is gracious, and All's for the best!

All for the best. set this on your standard,
Soldier of sadness, or pilgrim of love,

Who to the shores of Despair may have wander❜d,
A way-wearied swallow, or heart-stricken dove :
All for the best!-be a man but confiding,
Providence tenderly governs the rest,
And the frail bark of his creature is guiding
Wisely and warily, all for the best.