 | Rhymes with reason and without |  |
174
THE LITTLE GRAVE REVISITED.
Friendship seeks the little grave;
Spring's gay glories o'er it wave,
Sunshine rests upon the scene,
Freshly bright, the grass is green.
Spring's gay glories o'er it wave,
Sunshine rests upon the scene,
Freshly bright, the grass is green.
Here summer clouds their drops may shed,
Like tears, above this lowly bed;
And zephyrs whisper notes of woe
For the loved one who sleeps below.
Like tears, above this lowly bed;
And zephyrs whisper notes of woe
For the loved one who sleeps below.
Here flowers may their fragrance pour,
Meet offering for a holy hour,
And songs of birds, in cadence clear,
Seem angel tones our hearts to cheer.
Meet offering for a holy hour,
And songs of birds, in cadence clear,
Seem angel tones our hearts to cheer.
Friendship seeks the little grave,
Autumn's tokens o'er it wave,
Nature's richest hues are seen,
Brightly mingled gold and green.
Autumn's tokens o'er it wave,
Nature's richest hues are seen,
Brightly mingled gold and green.
No tablet marks the sacred spot
Our pilgrim steps have hereward brought;
The turfy hillock only shows
Where she, the loved, doth still repose.
Our pilgrim steps have hereward brought;
The turfy hillock only shows
Where she, the loved, doth still repose.
175
We sighing muse upon the past,
On joys too pure and high to last,
And grief, that fell with chilling blight
When her bright sun went down in night;—
On joys too pure and high to last,
And grief, that fell with chilling blight
When her bright sun went down in night;—
Faded, as fades the glow of day,
Passed, as pass spring flowers away,—
From earth's corruption heavenward fled,
More blest than we who mourned her dead.
Passed, as pass spring flowers away,—
From earth's corruption heavenward fled,
More blest than we who mourned her dead.
Friendship seeks the little grave,
Leafless branches o'er it wave,—
Winter's snow usurps the scene,
No more now the grass is green.
Leafless branches o'er it wave,—
Winter's snow usurps the scene,
No more now the grass is green.
Returning spring-time shall restore
Its genial garniture once more;
Again shall brightest verdure wave
Above the little silent grave.
Its genial garniture once more;
Again shall brightest verdure wave
Above the little silent grave.
Unlike the season's changeful hue,
Our memory shall be always true;
Forever there shall fondly dwell
Her image that we loved so well.
Our memory shall be always true;
Forever there shall fondly dwell
Her image that we loved so well.
Still we'll seek the little grave,
From which affection could not save,
And grasp the hope that sundered love
Shall reünited be above.
From which affection could not save,
And grasp the hope that sundered love
Shall reünited be above.
| Rhymes with reason and without | |