 | THE SUCCESSFUL ADVOCATE. Water-drops |  |
2. THE SUCCESSFUL ADVOCATE.
“Father,—father, storms are sweeping,
Snows are drifting wild and drear,
Wintry winds to conflict leaping,
Do not leave us lonely here,”—
Half in fear, and half in gladness
Eyes with tearful lustre bright,
Still that voice implored in sadness,
“Father, go not forth to-night.”—
So the father staid, and with childish glee
His little daughter climbed his knee.
“Dearest father, what a pleasure
Thus thy smiling face to see,—
Lo, the babe, our blessed treasure,
How he wondering looks at thee:—
Mother's brow is bright with gladness,
Gentler seems the howling wind,
Home hath neither gloom, nor sadness,
While thou 'rt seated here so kind.”—
And the father bent with features mild
And pressed the lips of the loving child.
Snows are drifting wild and drear,
Wintry winds to conflict leaping,
Do not leave us lonely here,”—
Half in fear, and half in gladness
Eyes with tearful lustre bright,
Still that voice implored in sadness,
“Father, go not forth to-night.”—
So the father staid, and with childish glee
His little daughter climbed his knee.
“Dearest father, what a pleasure
Thus thy smiling face to see,—
Lo, the babe, our blessed treasure,
How he wondering looks at thee:—
Mother's brow is bright with gladness,
Gentler seems the howling wind,
Home hath neither gloom, nor sadness,
While thou 'rt seated here so kind.”—
And the father bent with features mild
And pressed the lips of the loving child.
28
“Father, father, mother weepeth,
Burdened with a secret care,
Every night, before she sleepeth
Is thy name upon her prayer:—
She, that cup of poison dreadeth
Which thy path with thorns hath sown,
Like an angry fiend it treadeth
On her comforts, and our own.”—
And the father took the pledge, whose sway
Was joy to the home where his treasures lay.
Burdened with a secret care,
Every night, before she sleepeth
Is thy name upon her prayer:—
She, that cup of poison dreadeth
Which thy path with thorns hath sown,
Like an angry fiend it treadeth
On her comforts, and our own.”—
And the father took the pledge, whose sway
Was joy to the home where his treasures lay.
| THE SUCCESSFUL ADVOCATE. Water-drops | |