University of Virginia Library

To Laurence Hutton, Amicus.

Wherever under the sun I wander,
The while I work my songs I ponder,
And seek to find a comrade true—
As Larry Hutton, staunch & true;
Nor have I, Larry, any misgiving
That Life, with Friendship, 's not worth living,
Though it be toilsome,—Friend, have you?
And I sing before I take my rest,
In every life three things are best,
Three things are best in every land—
Love, & work, & a Comrade's hand!

[Voila! dear Hutton]

Voila! dear Hutton,
You pressed the button—
We do the rest!
In this edition
Sins of omission
Are all confest:
To other pickin's
We 've added Dickens;
‘The Ivy Green’
Hath its demesne;
—In Adam's fall
We sinned all,
There's no perfection
Can scape correction,
But of all my sponsors
You are the best.