MATERNAL AFFECTION.
Now swiftly fled the shades of night,
Before the sun’s transparent light,
Fresh with the glitt’ring dews of morn,
More fragrant bloom’d the verdant thorn.
The tender Delia waking, smil’d,
And flew to clasp her lovely child;
Asleep the angel infant lay,
Fair as the glowing dawn of day.
A soothing lullaby she sung,
And o’er the cradle fondly hung:
What eye could view a fairer sight?—
How pure her innocent delight!
In happy wedlock early join’d,
A mother, with a virgin mind,
Just sev’nteen summers had she seen,
And tall and graceful was her mien.
She paus’d a while, and strove to trace
The father in her infant’s face;
‘How sweet,’ she cried, ‘a mothers bliss!
‘And sweet, oh sweet, my cherub’s kiss!
‘Sleep on! my babe, securely rest!
‘I feel thee mantling in my breast;
‘Sleep on, and with each hour improve—
‘My first—my only pledge of love!
‘How could I bear from thee to part,
‘Thou dearest treasure of my heart?
‘Yet, ah! I tremble when I know
‘What ills my babe must undergo!
‘What sickness, and what days of pain,
‘What chances too, must thou sustain?
‘How can I hope my child to save,
‘When thousands meet an early grave?
‘And must—ah must these busy fears
‘Still grow with thy encreasing years?
‘Must they my bosom still annoy,
‘And mingle with a mother’s joy?
‘Secure in the Almighty hand,
‘The offspring of his high command;
‘Will not his name become thy shield,
‘His terrors strong protection yield?
‘Unto the will of Heav’n resign’d,
‘Let doubt no more disturb my mid;
‘This precept soothes my troubles breast,
‘Whatever God ordains is best.
‘Sleep on—then sleep, my baby fair,
‘May Heav’n thy infant beauty spare.
‘Sleep on—sleep on, thy mother’s pride,
‘May Heav’n thy future being guide.’
NEW-YORK: Printed by JOHN BULL, No. 115, Cherry-Street, where every Kind of Printing work is executed with the utmost Accuracy and Dispatch.—Subscriptions for this Magazine (at 2s. per month) are taken in at the Printing-Office, and by E. MITCHELL, Bookseller, No. 9, Maiden-Lane.