Poems (Campbell)/On the Death of Henrietta Duncan, an Infant Cousin
ON THE DEATH OF HENRIETTA DUNCAN;AN INFANT COUSIN.
O'er the cold grave, where infant beauties rest, Soft let me pause, and drop the silent tear;The new-laid turf lies lightly on her breast, And guardian angels seem to hover near. Unhappy, she who gave thee birth, And fondly on thy beauties smil'd, Resigns thee to thy parent earth, And takes the last look of her child; And sure thou wast the sweetest flow'r, That deck'd thy sorrowing father's bow'r!
Dark and unlovely to thy infant view, Appear'd this life, for scarce the gift was giv'n,Ere with a smile thou bad'st the world adieu, And wing'd again thy spotless soul to Heav'n. But once I clasp'd thee to my breast, And fondly held thee in my arms; But once thy ruby lips I press'd, And gaz'd upon thy op'ning charms:— Yet that one look did win my heart, And from thee I was loth to part.
Heart-struck with sorrow, o'er thy little urn See thy sad mother bend, with streaming eye;But, ah! 'tis vain—'tis impious—thus to mourn Her child, a cherub in the starry sky!— When past is ev'ry wint'ry storm, And summer flow'rs begin to bloom, A simple fragrant wreath I'll form, And hang it on thy early tomb: While tears of soft regret bedew The turf that hides thee from my view.