University of Virginia Library

[O the merry wind, and the merrier rain]

O the merry wind, and the merrier rain,
And welcome indeed is the spring again!
Though fierce from the north the swift gust flies,
And the drops fall cold from the cloudy skies,
And the snow-streaked fields lie still and dead,
And harshly the crow calls overhead,—
The willows are bursting their shining buds,
And the roadsides gleam with their silver studs,
And down by the river their boughs they hold
To the gray sky, glowing like ruddy gold;
And the alder catkins are swinging free,
And toss like the children's locks in glee.
Look up at the maple's crimsoning tips,
Red as the children's cheeks and lips!
O merry the wind and merry the rain
That blustering brings us the spring again!

[How better far than a golden floor]

How better far than a golden floor
The children find the bare earth once more!
The frost had locked it so safe and fast,
But April has found the key at last;
Her warm hand has unlocked it all,
And here are treasures for great and small!
The snow no longer our business stops,
Plenty of room now for marbles and tops!
And, children, when you are tired of play,
Come over the fields to the woods away,
Where sweet at sunset the hyla sings,
Like a quaint brown bird that has lost its wings.
Come to the brook where the cowslips stout
Their broad bright leaves push bravely out.
Listen, the robin is calling loud;
Look at his gay red breast so proud!
Feel how the wind blows soft and warm,—
Who would believe it could bluster and storm!
The days are growing so still and fair,
'Tis pleasant only to breathe the air;
And life is lovely in field or street,
For beauty springs beneath April's feet.