Perchance thy well-aimed satire draws But in a heartless throng's applause Can it delight thee? surely, no; Its brightest smiles thou would'st forego, The fame its honours can bestow, Rather than wound another. Could'st thou its worthless praise obtain, O thou whose every nerve vibrates, Whose chords each passing breeze awakes, A living harp, whose trembling strings Now rapture thrills, now anguish wrings, While every whispering zephyr brings Some breath to swell the tone. Remember, feelings as refined, May round thy brother's heart be twined, Thus make this sacred maxim thine, A lip of purity. And He whose blameless life supplied Thy yielded heart would sweetly guide, And were its spirit felt aright, 'Twould shed around a hallowed light, And make this weary world as bright As aught 'neath heaven can be. S. A. Storrs. A Fragment. Thy love Shall chaunt itself its own beatitudes, After its own life-working. A child-kiss, Of service which thou renderest. E. B. Browning. Strength, Love, and Rest. TILL evermore for some great strength we pray, A strength whereon undoubting we may lean, To lean our heart upon another heart, So seek we still to end our life-long quest, That love which makes another's life our own, No love is perfect here, it leads us on To love's great source-the Uncreated One; Which sees, in all its happiness and bliss, O strength, O love and rest, the light that steals Thou art the light, the sunshine is from Thee; There lean our weary hearts, there ends our quest, L. R. Speak Gently. PEAK gently!—it is better far Speak gently!-let not harsh words mar Speak gently!-love doth whisper low The vows that true hearts bind; And gently friendship's accents flow, Affection's voice is kind! Speak gently to the little child, Its love be sure to gain; Teach it in accents soft and mild; Speak gently to the young; for they Will have enough to bear; Pass through this world as best they may, 'Tis full of anxious care! Speak gently to the aged one; The sands of life are nearly run, Let such in peace depart. Speak gently, kindly to the poor, They have enough they must endure, Speak gently to the erring! know Speak gently! He who gave His life Speak gently! 'tis a little thing Think Gently of the Erring. HINK gently of the erring; In some unguarded hour. Ye may not know how earnestly Until the hour of weakness came, And sadly thus they fell. |