And fires of love were kindled then,
That burn on warmly yet.
Oh, pleasantly the stream of life
Pursued its constant flow,
In the days when we were pioneers,
Fifty years ago!
4. We felt that we were fellow-men:
We felt we were a band
Sustained here in the wilderness,
By Heaven's upholding hand.
And when the solemn Sabbath came,
We gathered in the wood,
And lifted up our hearts in prayer
To God, the only Good.
Our temples then were earth and sky:
None others did we know,
In the days when we were pioneers,
Fifty years ago.
5. Our forest life was rough and rude,
And dangers closed us round,
But here, amid the green old trees,
Freedom we sought and found.
Oft through our dwellings wintry blasts
Would rush with shriek and moan:
We cared not-though they were but frail,
We felt they were our own!
Oh, free and manly lives we led,
'Mid verdure or 'mid snow,
In the days when we were pioneers,
Fifty years ago.
6. But now our course of life is short;
And as, from day to day,
We're walking on with halting step,
And fainting by the way,
Another land, more bright than this,
To our dim sight appears,
And on our way to it we'll soon
Again be pioneers!
And while we linger, we may all
A backward glance still throw
To the days when we were pioneers,
Fifty years ago.
CXLVIII.-THE VOICE OF WISDOM.
WISDOM took up her harp, and stood in place
Of frequent concourse-stood in every gate,
By every way, and walked in every street;
And, lifting up her voice, proclaimed: "Be wise,
Ye fools! be of an understanding heart.
Forsake the wicked: come not near his house:
Pass by: make haste: depart, and turn away.
Me follow-me, whose days are pleasantness,
Whose paths are peace, whose end is perfect joy."
The Seasons came and went, and went and came,
To teach men gratitude, and as they passed,
Gave warning of the lapse of time, that else
Had stolen unheeded by. The gentle flowers
Retired, and, stooping o'er the wilderness,
Talked of humility, and peace, and love.
The Dews came down unseen at evening-tide,
And silently their bounties shed, to teach
Mankind's unostentatious charity.
With arm in arm the Forest rose on high,
And lesson gave of brotherly regard.
And, on the rugged mountain-brow exposed,-
Bearing the blast alone,-the ancient oak
Stood, lifting high his mighty arm, and still
To courage in distress exhorted loud.
The flocks, the herds, the birds, the streams, the breeze,
Attuned the heart to melody and love.
4. Mercy stood in the cloud, with eye that wept
Essential love; and from her glorious bow,
Bending to kiss the earth in token of peace,
With her own lips, her gracious lips, which God
Of sweetest accent made, she whispered still,
She wispered to Revenge :- -“Forgive, forgive!"
The Sun rejoicing round the earth, announced
Daily the wisdom, power, and love of God.
The Moon awoke, and from her maiden face,
Shedding her cloudy locks, looked meekly forth,
And with her virgin stars walked in the heavens,
Walked nightly there, conversing as she walked,
Of purity, and holiness, and God.
In dreams and visions, Sleep instructed much.
Day uttered speech to day, and night to night
Taught knowledge: silence had a tongue: the grave,
The darkness, and the lonely waste, had each
A tongue that ever said-" Man! think of God!
Think of thyself! think of eternity! "
Fear God, the thunders said: fear God, the waves:
Fear God, the lightning of the storm replied:
Fear God, deep loudly answered back to deep.
In the tempest of life, when the wave and the gale
Are around and above, if thy footing should fail,—
If thine eye should grow dim, and thy caution depart,-
"Look aloft," and be firm, and be fearless of heart.
If the friend who embraced in prosperity's glow,
With a smile for each joy, and a tear for each woe,
Should betray thee when sorrows, like clouds, are arrayed,
'Look aloft" to the friendship which never shall fade.
Should the visions which hope spreads in light to thine eye,
Like the tints of the rainbow, but brighten to fly,
Then turn, and, through tears of repentant regret,
"Look aloft" to the Sun that is never to set.
Should they who are nearest and dearest thy heart,—
Thy friends and companions,—in sorrow depart,
"Look aloft" from the darkness and dust of the tomb,
To that soil, where "affection is ever in bloom."
And, O! when Death comes in his terrors, to cast
His fears on the future, his pall on the past,
In that moment of darkness, with hope in thy heart,
And a smile in thine eye, "LOOK ALOFT," and depart.
CL. THE LIGHT OF HOME.
My boy, thou wilt dream the world is fair,
And thy spirit will sigh to roam;
And thou must go-but never, when there,
Forget the light of home.
Though pleasure may smile with a ray more bright,
It dazzles to lead astray:
Like the meteor's flash, 'twill deepen the night,
When thou treadest the lonely way.
But the hearth of home has a constant flame,
And pure as vestal fire:
"Twill burn, 'twill burn forever the same,
For nature feeds the pyre.
The sea of ambition is tempest-tost,
And thy hopes may vanish like foam;
But when sails are shiver'd, and rudder lost,
Then look to the light of home.
And there, like a star through the midnight cloud,
Thou shalt see the beacon bright;
For never, till shining on thy shroud,
Can be quenched its holy light.
The sun of fame, 'twill gild the name,
But the heart ne'er felt its ray;
And fashion's smiles, that rich ones claim,
Are but beams of a wintry day.
And how cold and dim those beams must be,
Should life's wretched wanderer come!
But, my boy, when the world is dark to thee,
Then turn to the light of home.
1. Ar midnight in his guarded tent,
The Turk was dreaming of the hour,
When Greece, her knee in suppliance bent,
Should tremble at his power:
In dreams, through camp and court, he bore
The trophies of a conqueror:
In dreams, his song of triumph heard:
Then wore his monarch's signet ring:
Then pressed that monarch's throne,—a king;
As wild his thoughts, and gay of wing,
As Eden's garden bird.
2. An hour passed on,-the Turk awoke;— That bright dream was his last :
He woke to hear his sentries shriek:
"TO ARMS! they come! the GREEK! the GREEK!"
He woke to die 'midst flame and smoke,
And shout, and groan, and saber-stroke,
And death-shots falling thick and fast
As lightnings from the mountain cloud;
And heard, with voice as trumpet loud,
Bozzaris cheer his band;
"Strike-till the last armed foe expires!
Strike—for your altars and your fires!
Strike-for the green graves of your sires!
GOD, and your native land!"
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