All that He loves and blesses; The Lord in darkness be your light, Your help in need, your shield in fight, Your comfort in distresses; Your hope through every future breath, And your eternal joy in death! ON THE FIRST LEAF OF MISS J.'s ALBUM. WHAT thoughts, beyond the reach of thought Shall in succession here be brought From depths no eye can see! Those thoughts are now upon their way, Like light from stars unseen, Though, ere they reach us, many a day And year may intervene : Thoughts, which shall spring in friendship's breast, Or genius touch with fire; Thoughts, which good angels may suggest, Or God himself inspire. Such, o'er these pages pure and white, By many a willing hand, Be writ in characters of light, And here unfading stand! That she who owns the whole may find, Reveal'd in every part, The trace of some ingenuous mind, The love of some warm heart. TO MARY. MARY!—it is a lovely name, Of three, who bare that name of old: -Mary, the mother of our Lord, Mary, who sate to hear his word, And Mary Magdalen, to whom Christ came, while weeping o'er his tomb; These to that humble name supply A glory which can never die. Mary! my prayer for you shall be, SHORT-HAND. STANZAS ADDRESSED TO E. P. THESE lines and dots are locks and keys, On the small tablet of your heart, There the bright pages of GOD's book, Where you alone have power to look, Could nature's mysteries all be found, Less were the sum of truth reveal'd, Through heaven, and earth, and sea express'd, Than would be written, sign'd, and seal'd, Once and for ever, in your breast. 1828. THE BLANK LEAF. FAIR page! the eye that looks on thee -May He, to whom that eye belongs, Whose is that eye? -Just now 'tis mine, 182.5. |