I HAVE KNOWN THEE IN THE SUNSHINE.
I
I have known thee in the sunshine
Of thy beauty and thy bloom,
I have known thee in the shadow
Of thy sickness and thy gloom;
I have lov'd thee for thy sweet smile,
When thy heart was light and gay;
But, alas! I lov'd thee better,
When the smile had pass'd away.
II
When we first met, thou wert sporting
With the proud ones of the earth,
And I thought thee only made for
Night of music and of mirth.
But thy virtue dwelt in secret,
Like a blossom that has furl'd
All its sweet leaves, from the notice
And the sunshine of the world.
