The wind-flower and the violet, they perished long ago, And the brier-rose and the orchis died amid the sum mer glow; But on the hill the golden-rod, and the aster in the wood, And the yellow sunflower by the brook, in autumn beauty stood, Till fell the frost from the clear, cold heaven, as falls the plague on men, And the brightness of their smile was gone, from upland, glade, and glen. And now, when comes the calm, mild day, as still such days will come, To call the squirrel and the bee from out their winter home, When the sound of dropping nuts is heard, though all the trees are still, And twinkle in the smoky light the waters of the rill, The south wind searches for the flowers whose fra grance late he bore, And sighs to find them in the wood and by the stream no more. And then I think of one who in her youthful beauty died, The fair, meek blossom that grew up and faded by my side : In the cold, moist earth we laid her, when the forest cast the leaf, And we wept that one so lovely should have a life so brief; Yet not unmeet it was that one, like that young friend of ours, So gentle, and so beautiful, should perish with the flowers. 206 THE CORAL GROVE. THE CORAL GROVE. - Percival. DEEP in the wave is a coral grove, A HAPPY LIFE. - Sir Henry Wolton. . How happy is he born and taught, That serveth not another's will; Whose armor is his honest thought, And simple truth his utmost skill; Whose passions not his masters are; Whose soul is still prepared for death, Untied unto the world by care of public fame or private breath; Who envies none that chance doth raise, Nor vice; hath ever understood How deepest wounds are given by praise, Nor rules of state, but rules of good; Who hath his life from rumors freed; Whose conscience is his strong retreat; Whose state can neither flatterers feed, Nor ruin make oppressors great ; Who God doth late and early pray More of his grace than gifts to lend ; And entertains the harmless day With a well-chosen book or friend. This man is freed from servile bands Of hope to rise or fear to fall; Lord of himsell, though not of lands, And having nothing, yet hath all. 208 GOOD TEMPER. VIRTUE. KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM. -- Cowper. KNOWLEDGE and Wisdom, far from being one, SINCE trifles make the sum of human things, The sturdy rock, for all his strength, By raging seas is rent in twain; With little drops of drizzling rain; Vea, man himself, unto whose will All things are bounden to obey, Doth fade at length, and fall away. But Virtue sits, triumphing still, Upon the throne of glorious Fame; Yet hurts he not his virtuous hame. Who is the honest man? He that doth still and strongly good pursue, To God, his neighbor, and himself, most true; Whom neither force nor frowning can Unpin, or wrench from giving all their due. Whose honesty is not Who rides his sure and even trot, Who, when great trials come, All being brought into a sum, |