Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

72

DAYS OF MY YOUTH.

My kite-how fast and far it flew ;
Whilst I, a sort of Franklin, drew
My pleasure from the sky!

'T was papered o'er with studious themes,
The tasks I wrote-my present dreams
Will never soar so high.

My joys are wingless all, and dead;
My dumps are made of more than lead;
My flights soon find a fall:

My fears prevail, my fancies droop,
Joy never cometh with a whoop,
And seldom with a call!

My football's laid upon the shelf;-
I am a shuttlecock myself,

The world knocks to and fro.
My archery is all unlearned,
And grief against myself has turned
My arrows and my bow.

No more in noontide sun I bask;
My authorship 's an endless task;
My head 's ne'er out of school.
My heart is pained with scorn and slight,
I have too many foes to fight,

And friends grow strangely cool!

The very chum, that shared my cake,
Holds out so cold a hand to shake,

It makes me shrink and sigh-
On this I will not dwell and hang,
The changeling would not feel a pang
Though these should meet his eye.

[blocks in formation]

No skies so blue, or so serene

As then; no leaves look half so green

As clothed the play-ground tree!

All things I loved are altered so,
Nor does it ease my heart to know
That change resides in me!

Oh, for the garb that marked the boy-
The trowsers made of corduroy,

Well ink'd with black and red ;-
The crownless hat-ne'er deemed an ill,-
It only let the sunshine still
Repose upon my head!

Oh, for the riband round the neck!
The careless dogs' ears apt to deck
My book and collar both!

How can this formal man be styled
Merely an Alexandrine child,
A boy of larger growth?

Oh, for that small beer anew?

And (Heaven's own type) that mild sky blue
That washed my sweet meals down;

The master even-and that small Turk
That fagged me!-worse is now my work;
A fag for all the town!

Oh, for the lessons learned by heart!
Ay, though the very birch's smart

Should mark those hours again;
I'd "kiss the rod," and be resigned
Beneath the stroke-and even find
Some sugar in the cane!

73

74

THE RATS AND THE BARLEY.

The Arabian Nights, rehearsed in bed;
The Fairy Tales, in school-time read
By stealth, 'twixt verb and noun!
The angel form that always walked
In all my dreams, and looked and talked
Exactly like Miss Brown!

The "omne bene"-Christmas come!
The prize of merit won for home-
Merit had prizes then!

But now I write for days and days,

For fame-a deal of empty praise,

Without the silver pen!

Then home, sweet home; the crowded coach-
The joyous shout-the loud approach;

The winding horns, like rams';
The meeting sweet, that made me thrill;
The sweetmeats, almost sweeter still,
No "satis" to the "jams."

When, that I was a tiny boy
My days were full of joy,

My mates were blithe and kind—
No wonder that I sometimes sigh,
And dash the tear-drop from my eye,
To cast a look behind.

THE RATS AND THE BARLEY.

SOME Rats, having found a sack of barley deposited in the corner of a garret, enjoyed themselves every day, in feasting abundantly upon it, till it was all gone. The winter now set in, but they had no provision, and

COLUMBUS.-RESENTMENT.

75

"How

none could they get at in the neighborhood. foolish were we," said one of them, "that we did not eat less at a time, and then we might have had plenty to last us all the winter.".

COLUMBUS.

WHEN Columbus, after having discovered the Western Hemisphere, was, by order of the king of Spain, brought home from America, in chains, the captain of the ship, who was intimately acquainted with his character, his knowledge and his talents, offered to free him from his chains, and make his passage as agreeable as possible. Columbus rejected his friendly offer, saying, "Sir, I thank you; but these chains are the rewards and honors for my services from my king, whom I have served as faithfully as my God; and as such, I will carry them with me to my grave."

RESENTMENT.

RESENTMENT may be distinguished into anger and revenge. Anger is the pain we suffer, upon the receipt of an injury, or an affront. Revenge is the inflicting of pain on the person who has injured or offended us. When prompted to resentment, we should particularly advert to the following reflections; the possi bility of mistaking the motives from which the conduct that offends us proceeded; how often our own offences have been the effect of inadvertence, when they were construed into indications of malice; that the object of our resentment is suffering, perhaps, under a contrition, which he is ashamed, or wants opportunity, to confess; how ungenerous it is to triumph, by coldness

[blocks in formation]

or insult, over a spirit already humbled in secret; that the returns of kindness are sweet, and that there is neither honor, nor virtue, nor utility in resisting them.

EXERCISE.

WITHOUT the regular exercise of the body, its health cannot be maintained; the body becomes weak, the countenance pale and languid, and the spirits depressed and gloomy. Regular bodily exercise, on the contrary, creates a healthy appetite, invigorates the powers of digestion, causes sound and refreshing sleep, a freshness of the complexion, and cheerfulness of the spirits; it wards off disease, and tends to preserve the vigor of both mind and body to an advanced age.

During the winter season, active exercise in the open air preserves the warmth of the body, and renders it less susceptible to the influence of cold, and less dependent for its comfort on artificial heat. The periods of the day best adapted to exercise are, early in the morning, and towards the close of the day.

Walking is the most beneficial and most natural exercise, because, in the erect position, every part of the body is free from restraint, while by the gentle motion communicated to each portion of it, in the act of walking, free circulation is promoted. Next to walking, riding on horseback is the kind of exercise to be preferred.

Many other species of exercise may be considered as contributing to the support of health; such as working in the garden, or in the fields, running, leaping, dancing, and swimming.

« AnteriorContinuar »