88 THE ORPHANS. "Indeed," the wan starved Mary said, "Till Henry eats, I'll eat no more; For yesterday I got some bread, He's had none since the day before." My heart did swell, my bosom heave, And pressed the clay-cold hand of each. With looks that told a tale of woe, Before my father went away, "But then poor mother did so cry, And looked so changed I cannot tell: She told us that she soon would die, And bade us love each other well. “She said that when the war was o'er, Perhaps we might our father see; But if we never saw him more, That God our Father still would be! THE ORPHANS. "She kissed us both, and then she died, "But when my father came not here, I thought, if we could find the sea, "We hand in hand went many a mile, "But when we reached the sea, and found "So we returned to mother's grave, "Then since no parent we have here, That God, our Father, may be found? 89 90 THE MAY-FLY. "He lives in heaven, mother said, I think, perhaps, she 'll send Him here." "And God shall be your Father still, 'Twas He in mercy sent me here; To teach you to obey His will, Your steps to guide, your hearts to cheer." THE MAY-FLY. LITTLE May-fly, The sun's in the sky, The thrifty bee Hums in the tree, And the bird sings in the bower. Little May-fly, Both you and I Should bless the God of heaven, By whom the flower, The sun and the bower, For our delight were given. ANON. The morn has but just look'd out and smiled, When he starts from his humble grassy nest, And is up and away, with the dew on his breast, And a hymn in his heart, to yon pure, bright sphere, To warble it out in his Maker's ear. Ever, my child, be thy morn's first lays Tuned, like the lark's, to thy Maker's praise. 92 WHAT IS THAT, MOTHER. "What is that, mother?" The dove, my son: And that low, sweet voice, like a widow's moan, In friendship as faithful, as constant in love, "What is that, mother ?" Proudly careering his course with joy, His wing on the wind, and his eye on the sun, on. Boy, may the eagle's flight ever be thine, "What is that, mother ?" He is floating down from his native grove, He is floating down by himself to die: |