A PHILOPENE. 47 A PHILOPENE. LINES WRITTEN ON PRESENTING A BOOK TO A YOUNG LADY, AS A PHILOPENE PRESENT LADY, accept this gift, An offering of the heart On Friendship's shrine; Its worth is small, its pages few, But still the gift is mine. Lady, accept the gift, And read, for him who gave, The Philopene ; And when afar his steps shall roam, To cheer with smiles thy quiet home, This little book be seen. ANON. 48 RETROSPECT. A RETROSPECT. THUS far life's little journey through, Here, on this little hillock placed, Yes; happy was my youthful day; My spring, like other springs, was gay, And now, though flying o'er my head Still Hope, in many a gloomy hour, Through many a weary mile, Has cheered me with the magic power But Hope, farewell! thy visions bright RETROSPECT. And shall I stay to watch thy flight, No! let me turn-it is enough- And pilgrim-like, with staff and shell, But wherefore should my courage fail, I see a little cheerful band; I hear their songs resound;- The sterile plain, the desert drear, And kindly would they welcome me : For they a fairer land can see, And brighter skies beyond. 49 50 A THOUGHT. O then, though fainting and distressed, There is a home, there is a rest, There is a heaven in view. JANE TAYLOR. A THOUGHT. My birth-day of nature I've oftentimes kept, Yet 't was all but a dream, for I slumbered and slept, But he pitied my soul-I awoke from my sleep— And He saved me in infinite love : A new birth-day my Saviour has taught me to keep, For again I was born from above. And now I believe that the God of all peace TO LAURA. 51 TO LAURA, TWO YEARS OF AGE. BRIGHT be the skies that cover thee, Child of the sunny brow- I know no fount that gushes out I would that thou might'st ever be That time might ever leave as free I would life were "all poetry" To gentle measure set, That nought but chastened melody I would-but deeper things than these |