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Emma Lazarus.

1849-1887.

REMEMBER.

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth; while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."

ECCL. xii., I.

Remember Him, the only One,

Now, ere the years flow by,-
Now, while the smile is on thy lip,
The light within thine eye.

Now, ere for thee the sun have lost
Its glory and its light,

And earth rejoice thee not with flowers,
Nor with its stars the night.

Now, while thou lovest earth, because
She is so wondrous fair

With daisies and with primroses,

And sunlit, waving air;

And not because her bosom holds
Thy dearest and thy best,
And some day will thyself infold
In calm and peaceful rest.
Now, while thou lovest violets,

Because 'mid grass they wave,

And not because they bloom upon

Some early shapen grave.

Now, while thou lovest trembling stars,
But just because they shine,

And not because they 're nearer one
Who never can be thine.

Now, while thou lovest music's strains,
Because they cheer thy heart,
And not because from aching eyes

They make the tear-drops start.
Now, while thou lovest all on earth,
And deemest all will last,

Before thy hope has vanished quite,
And every joy has past;
Remember Him, the only One,

Before the days draw nigh

When thou shalt have no joy in them, And praying, yearn to die.

Sarah Orne Jewett.

1849.

DISCONTENT.

Down in a field, one day in June,
The flowers all bloomed together,
Save one, who tried to hide herself,
And drooped, that pleasant weather.

A robin who had soared too high,
And felt a little lazy,

Was resting near a buttercup

Who wished she were a daisy.

For daisies grow so trig and tall
She always had a passion
For wearing frills about her neck
In just the daisies' fashion.

And buttercups must always be

The same old tiresome color,
While daisies dress in gold and white,
Although their gold is duller.

"Dear robin," said this sad young flower, "Perhaps you'd not mind trying

To find a nice white frill for me,
Some day when you are flying?"

"You silly thing!" the robin said;
"I think you must be crazy!

I'd rather be my honest self
Than any made-up daisy.

You 're nicer in your own bright gown, The little children love you;

Be the best buttercup you can,

And think no flower above you.

"Though swallows leave me out of sight,

We'd better keep our places; Perhaps the world would all go wrong With one too many daisies.

"Look bravely up into the sky,
And be content with knowing
That God wished for a buttercup,
Just here where you are growing."

Charles Francis Richardson.

1851.

LOVE.

If suddenly upon the street

My gracious Saviour I should meet,
And He should say, "As I love thee,
What love hast thou to offer me?"
Then what could this poor heart of mine
Dare offer to that heart divine?

His eye would pierce my outward show,
His thought my inmost thought would know;
And if I said, "I love Thee, Lord,"
He would not heed my spoken word,
Because my daily life would tell
If verily I loved Him well.

If on the day or in the place
Wherein He met me face to face,
My life could show some kindness done,
Some purpose formed, some work begun,
For His dear sake, then it were meet
Love's gift to lay at Jesus' feet.

Madame Guyon.

GOD THE FOUNTAIN OF LOVE TO HIS
CHILDREN.

I love my God, but with no love of mine,
For I have none to give ;

I love Thee, Lord; but all the love is Thine,
For by Thy life I live.

I am as nothing, and rejoice to be

Emptied, and lost, and swallowed up in Thee.

Thou, Lord, alone, art all Thy children need, And there is none beside;

From Thee the streams of blessedness proceed;
In Thee the bless'd abide.

Fountain of life, and all-abounding grace,
Our source, our centre, and our dwelling-place!
Translator unknown.

Unknown.

TWO ANGELS.

Two angels came and spoke to me;

The face of one was full of beauty.

The other wore a sadder look;

And these their names were: Joy and Duty.

I said to Joy: "I'll follow thee

Wherever thou shalt go to lead me;

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