When the Chief Shepherd shall appear, And of his charge, watched over here, AN EARLY DEATH. Death The portal, opening into Paradise; Where grace, that in the bud was here below, Francis Taylor; 1658. We may to our companion go, And strive to lessen anguish thus, While softened sorrows freely flow But he will ne'er return to us. We may, recalling all the charms, And solid worth, that made him dear, Fold round his form affection's arms, And seem to hold the spirit here. But no that spirit is away; We only clasp insensate dust; That soars in uncreated day, This waits the rising of the just. Here, now, at brief corruption's claim, And can it be, the cheek of bloom, Which spake of bliss, and days, and health, Is pillowed in the darksome tomb, To glut the worm's insatiate wealth? And can it be, that eye of light Which flashed out boyhood's hope, is dim? And shades of everlasting night Have lowered, and settled down on him? And can it be, that dulcet voice, Which captive held Refinement's throng, And wakened tears, and bade rejoice, Reveals no more the soul of song? We fondly ask, if all that gave To parents, friends, associates, joy, We ask, dear youth! and from the sod Thy home, and find an answer there. THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. I GAZED Upon the mountain's top, So dark, magnificent, and proud. Can this strong mountain from its base And scatter forth its dust, like hail They may remove, these mountains may These hills, that pillar up the skies, Yea, saith the Lord, they shall depart— THE LEGACY. The following is the closing paragraph of Patrick Henry's will: "I have now disposed of all my property to my family; there is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that is the Christian religion. If they had this, and I had not given them one shilling, they would be rich; and if they had not this, and I had given them all the world, they would be poor." HE willed them lands, and tenements, and gold,- Till their predestined course, like his, was run; And each to others should the same devise, Leaving for self the legend, "Here he lies." All that he had, save one unpurchased gem, Of God were blank without it, 'tis not bold All that he had, save that, the lord of which, And sad inheritor, than penury, worse, All that he had - My God! what were it all, What the broad universe thou fashionedst well, To that, which, hell possessing, hell we'd call Heaven; without which, heaven would be a hell? Nothing! and infinitely less than nought,Without the treasure worlds have never bought. He could devise lands, tenements, and gold,- He could not give them the immortal gem, This was beyond the orator's control;— Yet they may have it; - thou mayst have it ;- I And see it lessen;-but, with added grace, |