Stones from The Quarry or, Moods of Mind. By Henry Browne [i.e. Henry Ellison] |
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THE CHILD OF THE GUTTER AND THE
CHILD OF THE FIELDS. |
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 | Stones from The Quarry |  |
THE CHILD OF THE GUTTER AND THE CHILD OF THE FIELDS.
He plays among the wild flowers, and, like these,His young, fresh life gives out a perfume sweet
And natural; the birds make music meet
To teach him his first lesson: then he sees
(School'd by example) wise toil of the bees,
Of mole the engineering: low and bleat,
Sunset and sunrise, seasons change and fleet,
Man's work and Nature's grace in all degrees!
He plays in alleys foul, a child of sin;
No flowers sees, nor hears the song of bird;
Nor Nature's threshold treads, still less within
Her holy temple; act unclean and word
Defile; “Man” fallen from his origin;
“God” more in cursing than in blessing heard!
| Stones from The Quarry | |