Turn thine eyes to earth and heaven! Clothed the earth, and cleared the skies, For thy pleasure or thy food: Pour thy soul in gratitude! MARY HOWITT. 3. PERSEVERE. Drive the nail aright, boys, Hit it on the head; Strike with all your might, boys, While the iron's red. When you've work to do, boys, They who reach the top, boys, Standing at the foot, boys, How can you get up, boys. Though you stumble oft, boys, Never be down-cast; Try, and try again, boys, You'll succeed at last. 4. ONLY A SOLDIER. Unarmed and unattended walks the Czar Through Moscow's busy street one winter day. The crowd uncover as his face they see: "God greet the Czar!" they say. Along his path there moved a funeral, A wretched sledge, dragged by one weary man Slowly across the snow. And on the sledge, blown by the winter wind, And he who drew it bent before his load The emperor stopped, and beckoned to the man. "Who is't thou bearest to the grave?" he said. "Only a soldier, sire!" the short reply, "Only a soldier, dead." "Only a soldier!" musing, said the Czar: He bent his head, and silent raised his cap; The passers of the street, all wondering, Still as they went, the crowd grew ever more, 5. THE SKY-LARK. Bird of the wilderness, Blithesome and cumberless, Sweet be thy matin o'er moorland and lea! Blest is thy dwelling-place Oh to abide in the desert with thee! Wild is thy lay and loud, Far in the downy cloud; Love gives it energy, Where, on thy dewy wing, Where art thou journeying? Thy lay is in heaven, thy love is on earth. O'er fell and fountain sheen, O'er the red streamer that heralds the day; Over the rainbow's rim, Musical cherub, soar, singing, away! Then, when the gloaming comes, Sweet will thy welcome and bed of love be! Blest is thy dwelling-place Oh to abide in the desert with thee! JAMES HOGG. I remember, I remember The roses, red and white, I remember, I remember Where I was used to swing, And thought the air must rush as fresh To swallows on the wing: That is so heavy now, And summer pools could hardly cool The fever on my brow! I remember, I remember The fir-trees dark and high; I used to think their slender tops It was a childish ignorance, But now 'tis little joy To know I'm farther off from heav'n Than when I was a boy. T. HOOD. 7. SUNSHINE. I love the sunshine every where I love it when it streameth in I love it where the children lie I love it on the breezy sea, To glance on sail and oar, While the great waves, like molten glass, Come leaping to the shore. I love it on the mountain-tops, And half a kingdom, bathed in light, Lies stretching out below. How beautiful on little streams, When sun and shade at play, Make silvery meshes; while the brook How beautiful, where dragon-flies Are wondrous to behold, With rainbow wings of gauzy pearl, And bodies blue and gold! |