This page needs to be proofread.
WEIGHING THE BABY. 135
He did not count the baby s smile, The love born with the helpless one ;
He did not weigh the threads of care Of which a woman s life is spun.
No index tells the mighty worth
Of little Baby s quiet breath, Or heart-beat s ruddy metronome,
Uncounted till it stops in death.
Nobody weighed the baby s soul,
For here on earth no weights there be
That could avail. God only knows Its value through eternity.
Only eight pounds to hold a soul That seeks no angel s silver wing,
But shrines itself in human guise Within this fair and helpless thing.
O mother, sing your merry note !
O father, laugh, but don t forget From Baby s eyes looks out a soul
To be in Eden s light reset !
�� �