And with the idle gallows rope
The young child played.
Where the doomed victim in his cell
Had counted o'er the weary hours
Glad school girls, answering to the bell,
Came crowned with flowers.
Reflections.
How pleasant it is to be at home,
Surrounded by those we love;
How sweet to list to words of cheer
That softly fall on the listening ear
Like the notes of a cooing dove.
How the soft caress of a loving hand
Can dry the eyes that weep!
How the mind is eased and the pulses thrill