 | Poems |  |
OUR FAIRIES.
There are fairies here about us,
That our home are brightening still,
That were dull and sad without us
Whom they come with joy to fill;
Perchance, their gold they've squandered,
And so can live no more
In Elf-land, and have wandered
For shelter through our door;
Blest is the roof above them;
We care not why they've come;
We know but that we love them,
These fairies of our home.
That our home are brightening still,
That were dull and sad without us
Whom they come with joy to fill;
Perchance, their gold they've squandered,
And so can live no more
In Elf-land, and have wandered
For shelter through our door;
Blest is the roof above them;
We care not why they've come;
We know but that we love them,
These fairies of our home.
One of them, but a baby,
Crows in its mother's arms;
Its mood, whate'er it may be,
That mood its mother charms;
It drinks at her dear bosom,
It laughs up in her eyes,
A blooming, rosy blossom,
Of but the tiniest size.
Blessed are the eyes above it,
To bless them it has come;
This baby, how we love it,
This fairy of our home.
Crows in its mother's arms;
Its mood, whate'er it may be,
That mood its mother charms;
It drinks at her dear bosom,
It laughs up in her eyes,
A blooming, rosy blossom,
Of but the tiniest size.
Blessed are the eyes above it,
To bless them it has come;
This baby, how we love it,
This fairy of our home.
One can but be entrancing
Our eyes with all he'll do;
Whatever, wife, is chancing,
Still he's a bliss to you;
Called, in some tongue he answers
That's known in Elfin land;
There, perhaps, the best of dancers,
Here, he can hardly stand;
With summer skies above him,
'Mongst bees he loves to roam;
Dear toddler, how we love him,
This fairy of our home!
Our eyes with all he'll do;
Whatever, wife, is chancing,
Still he's a bliss to you;
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That's known in Elfin land;
There, perhaps, the best of dancers,
Here, he can hardly stand;
With summer skies above him,
'Mongst bees he loves to roam;
Dear toddler, how we love him,
This fairy of our home!
A third, more staid, whom may be
We've seen for some eight years,
Teases and talks to baby,
And a small girl appears.
She speaks a tongue that's human,
She's here to act the part
Of a sweet little woman,
How dear, wife, to your heart!
O golden-curled, dear Mary,
No evil near you come,
You laughing, blue-eyed fairy
Of fairies of our home.
We've seen for some eight years,
Teases and talks to baby,
And a small girl appears.
She speaks a tongue that's human,
She's here to act the part
Of a sweet little woman,
How dear, wife, to your heart!
O golden-curled, dear Mary,
No evil near you come,
You laughing, blue-eyed fairy
Of fairies of our home.
The next—our home they fill full—
Like the most pert of boys,
Is still an urchin wilful,
And fills our days with noise;
Yet, darling of his mother,
He loves so well to kiss,
We'd have him just no other
Than all to us he is;
Though plain this one we see is
A something of a gnome,
Dear as the others he is,
This fairy of our home.
Like the most pert of boys,
Is still an urchin wilful,
And fills our days with noise;
Yet, darling of his mother,
He loves so well to kiss,
We'd have him just no other
Than all to us he is;
Though plain this one we see is
A something of a gnome,
Dear as the others he is,
This fairy of our home.
Another, somewhat bigger,
Has bent to mortal rule,
Can read, and seems to figure,
A boy, 'mongst boys at school;
He, mortal sports unheeding,
Will pore, of thought bereft
For all things else, still reading
Of Elf-land he has left.
Yet how can we reprove him!
To bless us, too, he's come,
We who so fondly love him,
This fairy of our home.
Has bent to mortal rule,
Can read, and seems to figure,
A boy, 'mongst boys at school;
He, mortal sports unheeding,
Will pore, of thought bereft
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Of Elf-land he has left.
Yet how can we reprove him!
To bless us, too, he's come,
We who so fondly love him,
This fairy of our home.
Another that still longer
To us the sun has shown,
For her our love seems stronger,
If stronger can be known;
Kate is her name 'mongst misses,
At school she sings and plays,
And wins from us, what kisses,
What smiles, and prayers, and praise!
Surely with her caressings
Our maiden here has come,
To fill our years with blessings,
Fair fairy of our home.
To us the sun has shown,
For her our love seems stronger,
If stronger can be known;
Kate is her name 'mongst misses,
At school she sings and plays,
And wins from us, what kisses,
What smiles, and prayers, and praise!
Surely with her caressings
Our maiden here has come,
To fill our years with blessings,
Fair fairy of our home.
But best and last, O maiden,
That mov'st before our sight,
A joy to us grief-laden,
A bliss in our delight;
May, O thou priceless treasure,
Best gift we ever knew,
Who shall the gladness measure,
The joy we find in you!
How our hopes brood above you!
Let tears—let sorrow come,
We'll laugh while we can love you,
Best fairy of our home.
That mov'st before our sight,
A joy to us grief-laden,
A bliss in our delight;
May, O thou priceless treasure,
Best gift we ever knew,
Who shall the gladness measure,
The joy we find in you!
How our hopes brood above you!
Let tears—let sorrow come,
We'll laugh while we can love you,
Best fairy of our home.
O fairies, never leave us!
O still breathe mortal breath!
O not of one, bereave us,
Thou fear whose name is Death!
These human blooms, O let them
Live on to summer here,
And not till winters fret them
Bid them to disappear!
Lord, leave them to caress us!
Through good, through ill to come,
Still let these dear ones bless us—
These fairies of our home!
O still breathe mortal breath!
O not of one, bereave us,
Thou fear whose name is Death!
These human blooms, O let them
Live on to summer here,
And not till winters fret them
Bid them to disappear!
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Through good, through ill to come,
Still let these dear ones bless us—
These fairies of our home!
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