With conscious pride I view the band
Of faithful friends that round me stand,
With pride exult that I alone
Can join these scattered gems in one;
For they’re a wreath of pearls, and I
The silken cord on which they lie.
’Tis mine their inmost souls to see,
Unlocked is every heart to me,
To me they cling, on me they rest,
And I’ve a place in every breast;