 | Songs of Religion and Life |  |
231
The Garden:
TO A YOUNG LADY ON HER BIRTHDAY.
Maiden, on thy father's garden
Thou dost look, and thou dost see
Growths of green and golden beauty
Many, but their types are three;
One the tree, the strong, tall-bodied,
Branching forth with arms of power,
One with foodful root or fruitage,
One with fragrant-blooming flower.
Thou dost look, and thou dost see
Growths of green and golden beauty
Many, but their types are three;
One the tree, the strong, tall-bodied,
Branching forth with arms of power,
One with foodful root or fruitage,
One with fragrant-blooming flower.
Maiden, all things are a symbol;
Tree, and flower, and foodful weed
Quaintly preach a pictured lesson,
If thine eyes are wise to read.
Lend thy hearing; sixty summers
Not in vain have wisdomed me;
I will show thee what the garden
Quaintly teaches me and thee.
Tree, and flower, and foodful weed
Quaintly preach a pictured lesson,
If thine eyes are wise to read.
232
Not in vain have wisdomed me;
I will show thee what the garden
Quaintly teaches me and thee.
In the tree behold thy father;
Strongly built is he to stand
In the brunt of life unshaken
With an eye of cool command.
In the tempest's face he tosses
Forth his arms; and gentle things
Gather round his bole, and glory
In the lordship of his wings.
Strongly built is he to stand
In the brunt of life unshaken
With an eye of cool command.
In the tempest's face he tosses
Forth his arms; and gentle things
Gather round his bole, and glory
In the lordship of his wings.
In the foodful herb, thy mother
Finds meet symbol, by whose care
All the household fed and nourished
Stands so firm, and shows so fair.
She is toiling late and early,
Working where no eye can see,
Like the root, 'neath earthy covert
Growing healthful food for thee.
Finds meet symbol, by whose care
All the household fed and nourished
Stands so firm, and shows so fair.
233
Working where no eye can see,
Like the root, 'neath earthy covert
Growing healthful food for thee.
And thou, laughing Henrietta,
What remains for thee? the flower;
Growth the fairest and the sweetest
In the green redundant bower.
And the flower with fragrant blossom
That so aptly symbols thee,
What with pictured text it preaches
Hear, thou dainty maid, from me.
What remains for thee? the flower;
Growth the fairest and the sweetest
In the green redundant bower.
And the flower with fragrant blossom
That so aptly symbols thee,
What with pictured text it preaches
Hear, thou dainty maid, from me.
Youth is lovely; cherish beauty;
'Tis thy dower; not in vain
God with lavish blooms of beauty
Spanned the slope, and sowed the plain.
Goodness is the soul of beauty;
Cherish goodness; it will shine
Through the glooms of life the darkest,
Like bright rubies in a mine.
'Tis thy dower; not in vain
God with lavish blooms of beauty
Spanned the slope, and sowed the plain.
234
Cherish goodness; it will shine
Through the glooms of life the darkest,
Like bright rubies in a mine.
Loveliest flowers have sweetest fragrance;
Let sweet fragrance flow from thee,
Vivid breath of pure emotion,
Flame from smoky passion free.
Lowly reverence, gentle pity,
Every gracious thought benign
From the loving heart of woman
That makes human life divine.
Let sweet fragrance flow from thee,
Vivid breath of pure emotion,
Flame from smoky passion free.
Lowly reverence, gentle pity,
Every gracious thought benign
From the loving heart of woman
That makes human life divine.
Maiden, thou hast heard the lesson,
As my tongue had strength to tell,
Typed for thee, in flowery garden;
Take it now, and use it well.
Wingèd words are lightly spoken,
With the breath the sermon dies;
But the precept of the moment
Tasks a lifetime to the wise.
As my tongue had strength to tell,
Typed for thee, in flowery garden;
Take it now, and use it well.
235
With the breath the sermon dies;
But the precept of the moment
Tasks a lifetime to the wise.
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