Your silent lessons, undescried

By all but lowly eyes:

For ye could draw th' admiring gaze
Of Him who worlds and hearts surveys:
Your order wild, your fragrant maze,
He taught us how to prize.

Ye felt your Maker's smile that hour,
As when He paused and own'd you good;
His blessing on earth's primal bower,

Ye felt it all renew'd.

What care ye now, if winter's storm

Sweep ruthless o'er each silken form?
Christ's blessing at your heart is warm,-
Ye fear no vexing mood.

Alas! of thousand bosoms kind,

That daily court you and caress,
How few the happy secret find
Of your calm loveliness!
"Live for to-day! to-morrow's light
To-morrow's cares shall bring to sight;
Go sleep, like closing flowers, at night,
And Heaven thy morn will bless."

CHILDREN'S THANKFULNESS.

"A joyful and a pleasant thing it is to be thankful."

WHY SO stately, maiden fair,

Rising in thy nurse's arms

With that condescending air;

Gathering up thy queenly charms,

Like some gorgeous Indian bird,

Which, when at eve the balmy copse is stirr'd,
Turns the glowing neck to chide

Th' irreverent foot-fall, then makes haste to hide
Again its lustre deep

Under the purple wing, best home of downy sleep?

Not as yet she comprehends

How the tongues of men reprove,

But a spirit o'er her bends,

Train'd in heaven to courteous love,
And with wondering grave rebuke

Tempers, to-day, shy tone and bashful look.--
Graceless one, 'tis all of thee,

Who for her maiden bounty, full and free,
The violet from her gay

And guileless bosom, didst no word of thanks repay.

Therefore, lo, she opens wide

Both her blue and wistful eyes,

Breathes her grateful chant, to chide
Our too tardy sympathies.

Little babes and angels bright—

They muse, be sure, and wonder, day and night,
How th' all-holy Hand should give,

The sinner's hand in thanklessness receive.

We see it and we hear,

But wonder not: for why? we feel it all too near.

Not in vain, when feasts are spread,

To the youngest at the board

Call we to incline the head,

And pronounce the solemn word.

Not in vain they clasp and raise

The soft, pure fingers in unconscious praise,-
Taught, perchance, by pictur'd wall

How little ones before the Lord may fall,

How to His lov'd caress

Reach out the restless arm, and near and nearer press.

Children in their joyous ranks,

As you pace the village street, Fill the air with smiles and thanks

If but once one babe you greet.

Never weary, never dim,

From thrones seraphic mounts th' eternal hymn.

Babes and angels grudge no praise:

But elder souls, to whom His saving ways

Are open, fearless take

Their portion, hear the Grace, and no meek answer make.

Save our blessings, Master, save

From the blight of thankless eye:

Teach us for all joys to crave

Benediction pure and high,

Own them given, endure them gone,

Shrink from their hardening touch, yet prize them won:

Prize them as rich odours, meet

For Love to lavish on His sacred feet;

Prize them as sparkles bright

Of heavenly dew, from yon o'erflowing well of light.

MILMAN.

THE HEBREW WEDDING.

To the sound of timbrels sweet,
Moving slow our solemn feet,
We have borne thee on the road,
To the virgin's blest abode;

With thy yellow torches gleaming,
And thy scarlet mantle streaming,
And the canopy above

Swaying as we slowly move.

Thou hast left the joyous feast,

And the mirth and wine have ceast ;

And now we set thee down before

The jealously-unclosing door;
That the favour'd youth admits,
Where the veiled virgin sits
In the bliss of maiden fear,
Waiting our soft tread to hear,
And the music's brisker din,
At the bridegroom's entering in:
Entering in a welcome guest
To the chamber of his rest.

CHORUS OF MAIDENS.

Now the jocund song is thine,
Bride of David's kingly line;

How thy dove-like bosom trembleth,
And thy shrouded eye resembleth

Violets, when the dews of eve

A moist and tremulous glitter leave

Hark! a brisker, merrier glee!
The door unfolds,-'tis he! 'tis he!
Thus we lift our lamps to meet him,
Thus we touch our lutes to greet him.

Thou shalt give a fonder meeting,
Thou shalt give a tenderer greeting.