So oft when Sabbaths bade us rest,
And heavenly zeal inspired your breast,
Obedient to the high behest
You preached to
all,
Whilst God your zealous efforts blessed,
And owned your
call.
The very thought my soul inspires,
And kindles bright her latent fires;
My Muse feels heart-warm fond desires,
And spreads her
wing,
And aims to join th’ angelic choirs,
And sweetly sing.
May rosy Health with speed return,
And all your wonted ardour burn,
And sickness buried in his urn,
Sleep many years!
So, countless friends who loudly mourn,
Shall dry their
tears!
Your wailing flock will all rejoice
To hear their much-loved shepherd’s voice,
And long will bless the happy choice
Their hearts have
made,
And tuneful mirth will swell the noise
Through grove
and glade.
Your dearer half will join with me
To celebrate the jubilee,
And praise the Great Eternal Three
With throbbing
joy,
And taste those pleasures pure and free
Which never cloy.
THE HAPPY COTTAGERS.
One sunny morn of May,
When dressed in flowery green
The dewy landscape, charmed
With Nature’s fairest scene,
In thoughtful
mood
I
slowly strayed
O’er hill
and dale,
Through
bush and glade.
Throughout the cloudless sky
Of light unsullied blue,
The larks their matins raised,
Whilst on my dizzy view,
Like dusky motes,
They
winged their way
Till vanished
in
The
blaze of day.
The linnets sweetly sang
On every fragrant thorn,
Whilst from the tangled wood
The blackbirds hailed the morn;
And through the
dew
Ran
here and there,
But half afraid,
The
startled hare.
The balmy breeze just kissed
The countless dewy gems
Which decked the yielding blade
Or gilt the sturdy stems,
And gently o’er
The
charmed sight
A deluge shed
Of
trembling light.
A sympathetic glow
Ran through my melting soul,
And calm and sweet delight
O’er all my senses stole;
And through my
heart
A
grateful flood
Of joy rolled
on
To
Nature’s God.
Time flew unheeded by,
Till wearied and oppressed,
Upon a flowery bank
I laid me down to rest;
Beneath my feet
A
purling stream
Ran glittering
in
The
noontide beam.
I turned me round to view
The lovely rural scene;
And, just at hand, I spied
A cottage on the green;
The street was
clean,
The
walls were white,
The thatch was
neat,
The
window bright.