It came to pass we know not when or how;
—Well, are we quite as glad and thankful now?
Or can we scarce the rising wish suppress,
That we were honored with the whole success?

There is an Eye that marks the wars of men,
With strict impartial, analyzing ken;
Our motely creeds, our crude opinions, lie
All, all unveiled to that omniscient eye.
He sees the softest shades by error thrown,
Marks where His truth is left to shine alone;
Decides with most exact, unerring skill,
Wherein we differ from His word and will.
No specious names nor reasonings to His view,
The false can varnish, or deform the true;
Nor vain excuses e'er avail to plead,
The right of theory for the wrong of deed.
Before that unembarrassed, just survey,
What heaps of refuse must be swept away!
How must its search from every creed remove
All but the golden grains of truth and love :
Yet, with compassion for our feeble powers!
For oh! His thoughts and ways are not as ours!

FAITH IN HUMANITY.

TUPPER.

Confidence in man, even to the worst and meanest,

Hath power to overcome his ill, by charitable good. Fling thine unreserving trust even on the conscience of a culprit,

Soon wilt thou shame him by thy faith, and he will melt and mend :

The nest of thieves will harm thee not, if thou dost bare

thee boldly;

Boldly, yea and kindly, as relying on their honor :

For the hand so stout against aggression, is quite disarmed by charity;

And that warm sun will thaw the heart casehardened by long frost.

Treat men gently, trust them strongly, if thou wish their

weal;

Or cautious doubts, and bitter thoughts will tempt the best to foil thee.

Believe thee well in sanguine hope, and thou shalt reap the better;

But if thou deal with men so ill, thy dealings make them

worse.

Despair not of some gleams of good still lingering in the darkest,

And among vetrans in crime, plead thou as with their children :

So astonied at humanities, the bad heart long estranged, Shall even weep to feel himself so little worth thy love: In wholesome sorrow will he bless thee; yea and in that spirit may repent;

Thus, wilt thou gain a soul in mercy given to thy faith.

THE LAW OF LOVE.

FRENCH.

Pour forth the oil,-pour boldly forth;

It will not fail, until

Thou failest vessels to provide,
Which it may largely fill.

Make channels for the streams of love,
Where they may broadly run;
And love has overflowing streams,
To fill them every one.

But if at anytime thou cease,
Such channels to provide,
The very founts of love for thee

Will soon be parched and dried.

For we must share, if we would keep
That blessing from above;
Ceasing to give, we cease to have;
Such is the law of love.

LOVE OF ALL THINGS.

(On reading Wordsworth's Sonnets in defence of Capital Punishment.)

LOWELL.

The love of all things springs from love of one;
Wider the soul's horizon hourly grows,

And over it with fuller glory flows

The sky-like spirit of God; a hope begun

In doubt and darkness neath a fairer sun

Cometh to fruitage, if it be of Truth;

And to the law of meekness, faith and truth,

By inward sympathy, shall all be won:

This thou shouldst know, who from the painted feature

Of shifting Fashion, couldst thy brethren turn
Unto the love of ever youthful nature,
And of a beauty fadeless and eternal;
And always 'tis the saddest sight to see
An old man faithless in Humanity.

THE BALM OF SPEECH.

ANONYMOUS.

The hum of insects, as they throng
The summer sunbeam's glorious way;

The soaring skylark's early song;

The nightingale's mellifluous lay;

The murmur of the peaceful wave;
The valley breezes, gently sighing,
The wind's wild voice in mountain cave;
And Echo from her cell replying ;-

The soft Æolian lyre, whose notes
Upon the lonely muser rise;

The church-bell's hallowed tone, that floats
Like music from the distant skies ;-

Could never make my spirit feel
So rapt above this lower sphere,
As when Affection's accents steal,
All musical upon mine ear.

The harmonies of mortal art,

And e'en of nature's varied strain,
Ne'er touch, as when another's heart
Reveals in words our own again.

O! may the melody of speech

Sing to me, while on earth I rove;

And may the last faint tones that reach
My dying ear be those of Love!

MERCIFUL TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS.

BULFINCH.

66 Go, and sin no more."-JESUS.

Benignant Savior! 'twas not thine
To spurn the erring from thy sight,
Nor did thy smile of love divine,
Turn from the penitent its light.

Oh then, shall we, who own thy name,
A brother's fault too sternly view,

Or think thy holy law can blame

The tear to sin's deep suffering due?

May we while human guilt awakes

Upon our cheek the indignant glow,
Yet spare the offender's heart, that breaks
Beneath its load of shame and woe.

Conscious of frailty, may we bend
In pity to affliction's prayer,
And strive the suppliant to defend

From further sin, or dark dispair

And when our own offences weigh
Upon our hearts with anguish sore,
Lord let thy sparing mercy say,

Like Jesus, "Go, and sin no more.'