THE DEATH OF THE FLOWERS.

249

VI.

98.

THE DEATH OF THE FLOWERS.

1. THE melancholy' days are come, the saddest of the year, Of wailing winds, and naked woods, and meadows brown

and sear. Heaped in the hollows of the grove, the withered leaves lie dead; They rustle to the eddying å gust, and to the rabbit's tread. The robin and the wren are flown, and from the shrub the jay, And from the wood-top caws* the crow, through all the gloomy day.

2. Where are the flowers, the fair young flowers, that lately sprung

and stood In brighter light and softer airs, a beauteous sisterhood ? Alas! they all are in their graves ; the gentle race of flowers Are lying in their lowly bed, with the fair and good of ours. The rain is falling where they lie ; but the cold November rain Calls not from out the gloomy earth the lovely ones again.

3. The wind-flower and the violet, they perished long ago, And the wild-rose and the orchis died amid the summer glow; But on the hill the golden-rod, and the aster in the wood, And the yěllow sun-flower by the brook, in autumn beauty stood, Till fell the frost from the clear cold heaven, as falls the plague

on men, And the brightness of their smile was gone from upland, glade,

and glen."

1 Měl an chol ý, low-spirited ; has no superior. In making tuese unhappy ; sad.

selections, the authors frankly con, * Wāil ing, moaning ; grieving fess the serious difficulty they have over; weeping loudly.

experienced in deciding, not what to 8 Eddy ing, moving circularly. take, but what to omit that bears

This reading-cars, instead of the name of William Cullen Bryant, calls-is sanctioned by the gifted Glāde, an open or cleared place author. This piece alone is sufficient in a forest or wood. to seal the reputation of a poet, who, Glěn, a retired and narrow vab at least, on this side of the Atlantic, ley; a narrow space between hills

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4. And now, when comes the calm, mild day, as still such days

will come, To call the squirrel and the bee from out their winter home, When the sound of dropping nuts is heard, though all the trees

are still, And twinkle in the smoky light, the waters of the rill, The south wind searches for the flowers, whose frāgrance late

he bore, And sighs to find them in the wood and by the stream 20 more.

5. And then I think of one who in her youthful beauty died, The fair, meek blossom that grew up and faded by my side; In the cold, moist earth we laid her, when the forest cast the leaf, And we wept that one so lovely should have a life so brief; Yet not unmeet it was that one, like that young friend of ours, So gentle and so beautiful, should perish with the flowers.

WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.

SECTION XXI

I.

99. PERPETUAL ADORATION.

HE turf’ shall be my frāgrant shrine ;'

My temple, Lord, that arch of thine ;
My censer's breath the mountain airs,

And silent thoughts my only prayers.
2. My choir shall be the moonlight waves,

When murmuring homeward to their caves ;
Or, when the stillness of the sea,

Even more than music, breathes of thee.
3. I'll seek, by day, some glade unknown,

All light and silence, like thy throne;

1

Squirrel, (skwůr rel).

sacred things are kept; an altar. * Turf, (térf).

• Cěns' er, a vase or pan in which Shrine, a case or bəx in which incense is burned.

SEASONS OF PRAYER.

251

And the pale stars shall be, at night,
The only eyes that watch

my

rīte.'
4. Thy heaven, on which 'tis bliss to look,

Shall be my pure and shining book,
Where I shall read, in words of flame,

The glories of thy wondrous name.
5. I'll read thy anger in the rack?

That clouds ăwhile the day-beam's track!
Thy mercy, in the ăzure hue

Of sunny brightness, breaking through.
6. There's nothing bright, above, below,

From flowers that bloom, to stars that glow,
But in its light my soul can see

Some feature of thy Deity!
7. There's nothing dark, below, above,

But in its gloom I trace thy love ;
And meekly wait that moment, when
Thy touch shall turn all bright again.

THOMAS MOORE.

II.

100. SEASONS OF PRAYER..

10 prayer, to prayer !—for the morning breaks,

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His light is on all below and ăbove,
The light of gladness, and life, and love.
Oh, then, on the breath of this early air,

Send up the incense' of grateful prayer.
Rīte, the act of performing di- Earth, (érth), see Note 4,

p.

16. vine or solemn service, as appointed Air, (år), see Note 2, p. 16. by law, precept, or custom; a relig.

7 In' cense, the burning of some ious ceremony or usage.

sweet-smelling substance, practiced Răck, properly, moisture ; damp. in the worship of the gods of antiness; hence, thin, flying, broken quity, and to the true God, under clouds, or any portion of floating the Jewish dispensation. It is still vapor in the sky.

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2. To prayer!—for the glorious sun is gone,

And the găthering darkness of night comes on.
Like a curtain from God's kind hand it flows,
To shade the couch where his children repose.
Then kneel, while the watching stars are bright,

And give your last thoughts to the Guardian of night. 3. To prayer!—for the day that God has blessed

Comes tranquilly on with its welcome rest.
It speaks of creation's early bloom ;
It speaks of the Prince who burst the tomb.
Then summon the spirit's exalted powers,

And devote to Heaven the hallowed hours.
4. There are smiles and tears in the mother's eyes,

For her new-born infant beside her lies.
O hour of bliss ! % when the heart o’erflows
With rapture a mother only knows..
Let it gush forth in words of fervent* prayer ;

Let it swell up to heaven for her precious care.
5. There are smiles and tears in that găthering band,

Where the heart is pledged with the trembling hand.
What trying thoughts in her bosom swell,
As the bride bids parents and home farewell!
Kneel down by the side of the tearful fair,

And strengthen the perilous hour with prayer. 6. Kneel down by the dying sinner's side,

And pray for his soul through Him who died.
Large drops of anguisho are thick on his brow,-
Oh, what is earth and its plčasures now!
And what shall assuage his dark despair,

But the penitent cry of humble prayer ?
7. Kneel down at the couch of departing faith,

And hear the last words the believer saith.

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Guardian, (går de an), keeper; 4 Fer' vent, earnest; warm. protector; here means,

God.

Anguish, (ång' gwish), extreme Exalted, (egz ált' ed), very high; pain either of body or mind; bitter superior.

Bliss, happiness in the highest • Assuage, (as swaj), soften ; les legree; heavenly joy.

sorrow.

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ADDRESS TO THE DEITY.

253

He has bidden ădieu to his earthly friends;
There is peace in his eye that upward bends
There is peace in his calm, confiding air ;

For his last thoughts are God's, his last words prayer. 8. The voice of prayer at the sable’ bier !

A voice to sustain, to soothe, and to cheer.
It commends the spirit to God who gave ;
It lifts the thoughts from the cold, dark grave;
It points to the glory where he shall reign,

Who whispered, “Thy brother shall rise again."
9. The voice of prayer in the world of bliss !

But gladder, purer, than rose from this.
The ransomed shout to their glorious King,
Where no sorrow shades the soul as they sing;
But a sinlèss and joyous sõng they raise,

And their voice of prayer is eternal praise. 10. Awake! ăwāke! and gird up thy strength,

To join that holy band at length.
To Him who unceasing love displays,
Whom the powers of nature unceasingly praise ;
To Him thy heart and thy hours be given ;
For a life of prayer is a life of heaven.

HENRY WARE, JR.

III.

101. ADDRESS TO THE DEITY.

GOD

OD of my life, and Author of my days,

Permit my feeble voice to lisp thy praise,
And, trembling, take upon a mortal tongue
That băllowed name, to harps of sěraphs* sung :
Yět here the brightest seraphs could no more
Than vail their faces, tremble, and adore.
Worms, angels, men, in every different sphere,

Are equal all ; for all are nothing here. * Prayer, (prår), see Note 2, P.

16. * Sěr aph, an angel of the highest 2 Sā' ble, dark ; black.

order. ? Biēr, a carriage, or a frame for Sphere, (sfer), orb or star; world ; carrying the dead to the grave.

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