There are elegant works of art,
And beautiful paintings by man,
And hundreds of things in the mart,
Beautiful in color and plan.
Even pretty insects there are,
And thousands of beautiful birds
With plumage that glistens afar,
And beautiful cattle in herds.
Wild beasts that roam over the plain
Are often beautiful to see;
But cannot be used for man’s gain
As the beautiful horse can be.
There are men of honor and worth,
And women beautiful and mild;
But the handsomest thing on earth
Is a beautiful little child.
THE NURSE.
Among all the duties of life,
A most difficult place to fill,
Is that of the invalid nurse,
To the suffering thousands ill.
The sacrifice is very great,
That nurses are required to make,
And there is no reason to doubt,
’Tis made for humanity’s sake.
A desire to comfort the sick,
Must ever be the ruling thought,
For without a merciful heart,
The work can never well be wrought.
Sweet pleasures are at her command,
In which she seldom can take part;
She has consecrated herself,
To the grand work that fills her heart.