Speak gently to the young-for they will have enough to bear; Pass through this life as best they may, 'tis full of anxious care. Speak gently to the aged one, grieve not the care-worn heart, Whose sands of life are nearly run; let such in peace depart.
Speak gently to the erring, know they may have toiled in vain; Perchance unkindness made them so; oh, win them back again. Speak gently, 'tis a little thing dropped in the heart's deep well; The good, the joy, that it may bring, eternity shall tell.
'Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home;
A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there,
Which, seek thro' the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere.
Cho.-Home, home, sweet, sweet home,
There's no place like home,
Oh, there's no place like home.
I gaze on the moon as I tread the drear wild,
And feel that my mother now thinks of her child ;
As she looks on that moon from our own cottage door,
Thro' the woodbine whose fragrance shall cheer me no more.
An exile from home, splendor dazzles in vain;
Oh, give me my lowly-thatch'd cottage again;
The birds singing gaily, that came at my call;
Give me them, and that peace of mind dearer than all.
Oft in the stilly night, ere slumber's chain hath bound me,
Fond mem'ry brings the light of other days around me,-
The smiles, the tears of boyhood's years, the words of love then
The eyes that shone, now dimmed and gone, the cheerful hearts
Cho. Thus, in the stilly night, ere slumber's chain hath bound me,
Sad mem'ry brings the light of other days around me.
When I remember all the friends so linked together,
I've seen around me fall, like leaves in wintry weather,
I feel like one who treads alone some banquet hall deserted, Whose lights are fled, whose garlands dead, and all but him departed.
WHEN THE MISTS HAVE ROLLED AWAY.
When the mists have rolled in splendor from the beauty of the hills, And the sunshine, warm and tender, falls in kisses on the rills, We may read love's shining letter in the rainbow of the spray; We shall know each other better when the mists have rolled away. Cho. We shall know as we are known, never more to walk alone; In the dawning of the morning, when the mists have rolled away.
If we err in human blindness, and forget that we are dust;
If we miss the law of kindness, when we struggle to be just:
Snowy wings of peace shall cover all the anguish of to-day,
When the weary watch is over, and the mists have rolled away.
When the mists have risen above us, as our Father knows his own,
Face to face with those who love us, we shall know as we are known:
Lo! beyond the orient meadows floats the golden fringe of day;
Heart to heart we'll bide the shadows, till the mists have cleared
[away
Speed away! speed away! on thine errand of light'
There's a young heart awaiting thy coming to-night;
She will fondle thee close, she will ask for the loved,
Who pine upon earth since the "Day Star" has roved;
She will ask if we miss her so long is her stay;
Speed away! speed away! speed away!
And, oh! wilt thou tell her, blest bird on the wing,
That her mother hath ever a sad song to sing;
That she standeth alone, in the still quiet night,
And her fond heart goes forth for the being of light,
Who had slept in her bosom, but who would not stay?
Speed away! speed away! speed away!
Go, bird of the sllver wing, fetterless now,
Stoop not thy bright pinions on yon mountain's brow:
But hie thee away, o'er rock, river and glen,
Aud find our young "Day Star" ere night close again;
Up! onward! let nothing thy mission delay:
Speed away! speed away! speed away!
FOREVER AND FOREVER
A maid reclined beside a stream, at fall of summer day,
And half awake and half a-dream, she watched the ripples play.
She mark'd the waters fall and heave, the deep'ning shadows
And heard, as darkened down the eve, the river's babbling song.
And thus it sung with tinkling tongue,that rippling, shadowy river,
"Youth's brightest day will fade away forever and forever."
The twilight past, the moon at last rose broadly o'er the night;
Each ripple gleams beneath her beams as wrought in silver bright,
The heaving waters glide along, but mingling with their voice,
The nightingale now pours his song, and makes the shades rejoice.
And thus he sung with tuneful tongue, that bird beside the river,
'When youth is gone, true love shines on, forever and forever."
WHEN SHALL WE MEET AGAIN.
When shall we meet again, meet ne'er to sever?
When will peace wreathe her chain round us forever? Our hearts will ne'er repose, safe from each blast that blows, In this dark vale of woes, never-no, never!
When shall love freely flow, pure as life's river?
When shall sweet friendship glow changeless forever? Where joys celestial thrill, where bliss each heart shall fill, And fears of parting chill, never-no, never!
Up to that world of light, take us, dear Saviour;
May we all there unite, blesséd forever;
Where kindred spirits dwell, there may our music swell,
And time our joys dispel, never-no, never!
Soon shall we meet again, meet ne'er to sever;
Soon shall peace wreathe her chain round us forever; Our hearts will then repose secure from worldly woes: Our songs of praise shall close, never-no, never.
"Somewhere the wind is blowing," I said, and toiled along
In torrid heat of noontide--the fancy made me strong.
Somewhere the wind is blowing, tho' where I gasp and sigh
No breath of air is stirring, nor cloud in burning sky.
Somewhere the thing we long for is on the earth's wide bound
Somewhere the sun is shining when winter locks the ground.
Somewhere the flow'rs are springing, somewhere the corn is brown,
Ready unto the harvest, to feed the hungry town.
Cho.-Somewhere the things that try us shall all have passed away,
And doubt and fear no longer hinder the perfect day.
Oh, brother, though the darkness over thy soul be cast
The earth is rolling sunward, and light shall come at last.
Somewhere the twilight gathers, and weary men lay by
The burden of the daytime, and wrapped in slumber lie.
Somewhere the day is breaking, and gloom and darkness flee;
Though storms our bark are tossing, somewhere's a placid sea.
And thus, I thought, 'tis always in this mysterious life,
There's always gladness somewhere spite of its pain and strife.
Somewhere the sin and sorrow of earth are known no more,
Somewhere our weary spirits shall find a peaceful shore.
FLOW GENTLY, SWEET AFTON,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise;
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.
Thou stockdove, whose echo resounds from the hill,
Ye wild whistling blackbirds in yon thorny den,
Thou green-crested lapwing, thy screaming forbear,
I charge you, disturb not my slumbering fair.
How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighboring hills
Far marked with the courses of clear winding rills;
There daily I wander, as noon rises high,
My flocks and my Mary's sweet cot in my eye.
How pleasant thy banks and green valleys below,
Where wild in the woodlands the primroses blow!
There oft, as mild evening creeps over the lea,
The sweet-scented birk shades my Mary and me.
Thy crystal stream, Afton, how lovely it glides,
And winds by the cot where my Mary resides!
How wanton thy waters her snowy feet lave,
As gath'ring sweet flowerets she stems thy clear wave!
Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, sweet river, the theme of my lays;
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.
Home again, home again, from a foreign shore!
And, oh, it fills my soul with joy, to meet my friends once more;
Here I dropped the parting tear, to cross the ocean's foam,
But now I'm once again with those who kindly greet me home.
Happy hearts, happy hearts, with mine have laughed in glee,
But, oh, the friends I loved in youth seem happier to me;
And if my guide should be the fate which bids me longer roam,
But death alone can break the tie that binds my heart to home.
Music sweet, music soft, lingers round the place,
And, oh, I feel the childhood charm that time cannot efface,
Then give me but my homestead roof, I'll ask no palace dome,
For I can live a happy life with those I love at home.
WHEN ALL THE WORLD IS YOUNG.
When all the world is young, lad, and all the trees are green,
And ev'ry goose a swan, lad, and ev'ry lass a queen;
Then hey for boot and saddle, lad! and round the world away;
Young blood must have its course, lad, and ev'ry dog his day.
When all the world is old, lad, and all the trees are brown,
And all the sport is stale, lad, and all the wheels run down;
Creep home, and take your place there, the spent and maimed
God grant you find one face there you loved when all was young.
DOUGLAS, TENDER AND TRUE.
Could ye come back to me, Douglas! Douglas!
In the old likeness that I knew,
I would be so faithful, so loving, Douglas!
Douglas, Douglas, tender and true.
Never a scornful word should grieve ye,
I'd smile on you sweet as the angels do,
Sweet as your smile on me shone ever,
Douglas, Douglas, tender and true.
Oh, to call back the days that are not!
Mine eyes were blinded, your words were few;
Do you know the truth now up in heaven,
Douglas! Douglas! tender and true?
I was not half worthy of you, Douglas,
Not half worthy the like of you;
Now all men beside are to me like shadows,
Douglas! Douglas! tender and true.
Stretch out your hand to me, Douglas! Douglas!
Drop forgiveness from heaven like dew,
As I lay my heart on your dead heart, Douglas!
Douglas! Douglas! tender and true.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind,
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
Cho. For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne;
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa ha'e run aboot the braes,
And pu'd the gowans fine;
But we've wandered mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne.
We twa ha'e sported i' the burn
Frae mornin' sun till dine,
But seas between us braid ha'e roared
Sin' auld lang syne.
And here's a hand, my trusty frier',
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
THE DEAREST SPOT.
The dearest spot of earth to me
Is home, sweet home;
The fairy land I've longed to see
Is home, sweet home.
There how charmed the sense of hearing,
There where hearts are so endearing,
All the world is not so cheering,
As home, sweet home.
Cho.-The dearest spot of earth to me
Is home, sweet home;
The fairy land I've longed to see
Is home, sweet home.
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