CROSSING THE BROOK.

SHRINK not, thou little trembler; place thy foot
Firmly upon the rock, and let thy heart
Still its swift pulses.-Thou hast naught to fear,
For is she not beside thee, with her eye
Solicitous to find thee out the trace,

And guard thee from all danger?—she to whom
Thou art the jewel, given in gracious hour
By the benevolent Providence. Now

One little step, and on the velvet bank,

Thick with its yielding grass and mazy flowers, Wooing all senses open to delight,

Thou art in safety.

Thou hast travell'd far,

With much misgiving, though with little need, For I that loved thee would have rather been Rack'd with stern pains myself, than risk'd

by me,

Beheld thee made the prey of any hurt
Of frame or spirit, howsoever light.

Look back upon thy journey. See yon tree, Its root thrust out, and swelling with the stream, Gave the first foothold when thou leftst the bank. Then came the trickling waters to thy knees, Climbing, until in terror thou didst cry,

Save me, oh mother!' and thy shrinking limbs Task'd all my strength to bear thee to yon rock, On which thou took'st so very long a rest, And left at last with such unwillingness. And so thy perils, with a few strides more, Are ended, and thou now begin'st to smile At thy own terrors.

Henceforth thou wilt learn And when I teach thee there is naught to fear, Step firmly, with a heart all confidenceThat the great God, and she whose love to thee, Though with no power like his, is not less great, Will keep thee from all danger and alarm, If thou wilt heed their language.

Now look up

And kiss me-kiss thy mother, my sweet boy, 'Tis all that, in return, thou now canst give; But every mother looking on her child, As I on thee, this moment, will have said, 'How much, how very much to her it is!'

K.