And for thine honored form how fit the place,
Where childhood's ear instruction would receive;
Preside o'er all, lend all our efforts grace,
To learn God's love, and on his word believe.
Thy Master's faithful servant! Who, in love,
Took little children in his arms to bless;
While looking down from his bright home above,
Through thee diffusing peace and holiness;
May his pure spirit ever with us dwell,
Shedding o'er all our thoughts its heavenly ray;
Our hearts attune the song of praise to swell,
And o'er our darkness pour eternal day.
And when thou'rt left alone, to bear the name
Of him whose faithful emblem thou art made,
May thou through ages still endure the same,
Though all around thee shall decay and fade.
May his dear memory, which through thee shall live
Long in the places which his love has blest,
Shine as a beacon, life and light to give,
And hope at last in God's eternal rest.
SUSAN'S REPENTANCE AND APPEAL TO HER ELDER SISTER.
I once knew two sisters, the only companions of a widowed mother, who, though they had no relatives and but very few friends, and should therefore have been the more closely united in heart, were in the habit oftener of harshly rebuking and blaming, than of encouraging, assisting, and comforting each other. I often wondered at this, as they both had many estimable traits of character, and could only account for it, not excuse it, by the fact, that they had been much separated in early life, and, since their reunion, had had to encounter many obstacles, and bear the weight of many heavy disappointments. I confidently hoped and believed that the good sense of one or both of them, would in time lead them to see their error, and the sin of thus fretting and irritating each other. Nor was I disappointed. The younger, whose conscience was the most sensitive, first made the discovery, and immediately began trying to remedy the evil, and to induce her sister to aid her in the endeavor. Imagining some of her thoughts and feelings, I have put them in rhyme.
We have done wrong, dear sister; and I'm very sad to-day:
For I have felt how far we've strayed from wisdom's blessed way;
Have felt how much of angry strife hath dwelt within our hearts,
And how, when that has entered in, Life's happiness departs.