XXII.

KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.

TURN, turn the hasty foot aside,

Nor crush the helpless worm:

The frame thy wayward looks deride
Required a God to form.

The common Lord of all that move,
From whom thy being flowed,
A portion of his boundless love
On that poor worm bestowed.

The sun, the moon, the stars, he made
To all his creatures free;

And spreads o'er earth the grassy blade
For worms as well as thee.

Let them enjoy their little day,
Their lowly bliss receive:
Oh! do not lightly take away
The life thou canst not give.

Gisborne.

XXIII.

"Not to myself alone,"

The little opening flower transported cries,
"Not to myself alone I bud and bloom:
With fragrant breath the breezes I perfume,
And gladden all things with my rainbow dyes.
The bee comes sipping every eventide
His dainty fill;

The butterfly within my cup doth hide
From threatening ill."

"Not to myself alone,"

The circling star with honest pride doth boast,"Not to myself alone I rise and set:

I write upon Night's coronal of jet

His power and skill who formed our myriad host; A friendly beacon at heaven's open gate,

I gem the sky,

That man may ne'er forget in

His home on high."

"Not to myself alone,"

every fate

The heavy-laden bee doth murmuring hum, —
"Not to myself alone, from flower to flower,
I rove the wood, the garden, and the bower,
And to the hive at evening weary come.
For man, for man, the luscious food I pile
With busy care,

Content if I repay my ceaseless toil
With scanty share."

"Not to myself alone,"

The soaring bird with lusty pinion sings, "Not to myself alone I raise my song:

I cheer the drooping with my warbling tongue,
And bear the mariner on my viewless wings;
I bid the hymnless churl my anthem learn,
And God adore;

I call the worldling from his dross to turn,
And sing and soar."

"Not to myself alone,"

The streamlet whispers on its pebbly way,
"Not to myself alone I sparkling glide:
I scatter health and life on every side,
And strew the fields with herb and floweret gay;
I sing unto the common, bleak and bare,
My gladsome tune;.

I sweeten and refresh the languid air
In dusty June."

"Not to myself alone."

O man! forget not thou-Earth's honored priest,
Its tongue, its soul, its lip, its pulse, its heart-
In Earth's great chorus to sustain thy part.
Chiefest of guests at Life's ungrudging feast,
Play not the niggard; spurn thy native clod,
And self disown;

Live to thy neighbor, live unto thy God,
Not to thyself alone.

Hymns for Mothers and Children

XXIV.

EVERY LITTLE HELPS.

UPPOSE a little twinkling star,

SUP

Away in yonder sky,

Should say, "What light can reach so far

From such a star as I?

Not many rays of mine so far

As yonder earth can fall:
The others so much brighter are,
I will not shine at all."

Suppose a bright-green leaf, that grows

Upon the rose-bush near,

Should say, "Because I'm not a rose,
I will not linger here;"

Or that a dew-drop, fresh and bright
Upon that fragrant flower,
Should say, "I'll vanish out of sight
Because I'm not a shower."

Suppose a little child should say, "Because I'm not a man,

I will not try, in word or play,

To do what good I can."

Dear child, each star some light can give, Though gleaming faintly there;

Each rose-leaf helps the plant to live;

Each dew-drop keeps it fair.

And our good Father who's in heaven,
And doth all creatures view,

To every little child has given

Some needful work to do.

Kind deeds towards those with whom

Kind words and actions right,

you

live,

Shall, 'mid the world's worst darkness, give

A little precious light.

Hymns for Mothers and Children.

XXV.

LITTLE DEEDS.

OT mighty deeds make up the sum

Of happiness below;

But little acts of kindliness,

Which any child may show.

A merry sound to cheer the babe,
And tell a friend is near;

A word of ready sympathy
To dry the childish tear;

A glass of water timely brought;
An offered easy-chair;

A turning of the window-blind

That all may feel the air;