Soft infant minds by kindness to allure,
And Sacred teachings from the Page of Truth,
To yield to God the first-fruits of their youth.
’Tis in the morning’s fresh and dewy hours
That richest incense rises from the flowers;
And childhood’s heart ’ere crime’s dark paths were known,
The sweetest piety to God has shewn.
Then aid our cause, our useful schools support,
Where throngs of “little ones” each day resort,
By mental nurture to expand the mind,