Page:The Poets and Poetry of the West.djvu/595

O while the earth is rosy round,
 While mountain-tops are gray,
While rivulets dance unmeasured sound,
 And insect bevies play;

While summer-time is green and gold,
 While autumn's leaf is sere,
While mosses gather on the mould
 Where nature drops a tear;

While winter-time is Snowy fair—
 Like this unrivaled morn—
Let those who can, rejoice them there
 That they were farmers born.

THE SISTERS— A FABLE.

Two sisters, on a pleasant day.
 Went out a-doing good;
With all her might each worked away.
 And did the best she could.
And one was laughing all the while.
 As happy as a song;
The other was not seen to smile
 The whole day long—
For while, at each good deed of one,
 Birds sang, and roses blew.
At every thing.the other did
 Wasps swarmed, and prickles grew.

These sisters two, were Love and Pride,
 Unlike in heart and name;
Though long they labored side by side.
 Their work the very same.
From very different motives, though;
 Love, from good will, always.
While Pride—she cared for nothing, so
 She won a world of praise.
Love thought of others; how to make
 For all a pleasant way
Pride of herself; for her own sake,
 Of what the world would say.
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The path of Love was like herself,
 Of joy and beauty born;
The path of Pride was like herself,
 A trouble and a thorn.

THIS LITTLE LIFE.

A little bird, on a little tree,
 Is singing a little song;
While a little sock, for my little boy,
 I am knitting by little along.

A little crumb the little bird
 Its little birdie feeds;
A little bread and a little milk
 My little baby needs.

Then the little plans for these little ones
 With a little care are made.
And the little bird and the little babe
 In their little beds are laid.

To the little birdie's little nest
 Comes a little stray moonbeam;
To my little babie's little rest
 A little shining dream.

A little night, and the little day
 Is peeping a little in,
And the little work and the little play
 Of the little world begin.

A little while, and the little bird
 Is singing its little song;
A little while, and my little sock
 I am knitting by little along.

Then the little crumbs and the little cares
 For the little bird and boy,
The little dreams and the little prayers
 The little day employ—

Till little by little, the song is sung ;
 And, little by little, the stitches strung;
And the little bird and the little wife
 End, little by little, this little life.