THE BUILDING OF THE HOUSE. CHARLES MACKAY. I HAVE a wondrous house to build, With all the jewels of the mine. - So small and modest, yet so great? How shall I fill its chambers bare With use, with ornaments, with state? My God hath given the stone and clay; No fairy bower this house must be, Symmetrical in all its parts: THE BUILDING OF THE HOUSE. Fit in its strength to stand sublime, Defiant of the storm and rain, I'll build it so, that if the blast 123 For its commodiousness and grace: Firm on the ground, — straight to the sky,— A meek, but goodly dwelling-place. Thus noble in its outward form, Within I'll build it clean and white; Not cheerless cold, but happy warm, No tortuous passages or stair, With three compartments furnished well, The first, a room wherein to deal In its pure texture, day by day. The second, for his wisdom sought, To virtuous or exalted end. A chamber lofty and serene, With a door-window to the green, Smooth-shaven sward, and arching bowers, Where lore, or talk, or song between May gild his intellectual hours. The third an oratory dim, But beautiful, where he may raise, Of love and gratitude and praise; And learn how little he may be, Such is the house that I must build; NEW YEAR'S DAY. O noble work of toil and care! O simple but most arduous plan! NEW YEAR'S DAY. 125 W. B. O. PEABODY. How fast the rushing files of years The messenger of joy and tears, While many a weary heart grows cold To see how soon the tale is told, The young heart wakes,-the young eye seems To catch new brightness from the gleams Of glorious and reviving beams That crown the New Year's day. This day reminds us of the past, A radiant current, bright and fast, And threw the shadow of their wrath To cloud the visions, sweet and strange, And teach us what a dreary change Bright as the good old winter blaze The rising of the New Year's sun Before the dawn was in the sky,— The very sound returns. Then, all that day, the sparkle played The stern old teacher kindly laid His week-day terrors by. The New Year's wish was warmly given; Of young emotions in their flow! And when, around the sounding blaze, |