p. 198The 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.

p. 198

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.

p. 199Bold chanticleer, arrayed In velvet plumage gay, With many an amorous dame, Fierce strutted o’er the way; And motley ducks Were waddling seen, And drake with neck Of glossy green.

p. 199

The latch I gently raised, And oped the humble door; An oaken stool was placed On the neat sanded floor; An aged man Said with a smile,  “You’re welcome, sir:  Come rest a while.”

His coarse attire was clean, His manner rude yet kind: His air, his words, and looks Showed a contented mind; Though mean and poor, Thrice happy he, As by our tale You soon shall see.

But don’t expect to hear Of deeds of martial fame, Or that our peasant mean Was born of rank or name, And soon will strut, As in romance, A knight and all In armour glance.

p. 200I sing of real life; All else is empty show— To those who read a source Of much unreal woe:  Pollution, too, Through novel-veins, Oft fills the mind With guilty stains.

p. 200

Our peasant long was bred Affliction’s meagre child, Yet gratefully resigned, Loud hymning praises, smiled, And like a tower He stood unmoved, Supported by The God he loved.

His loving wife long since Was numbered with the dead His son, a martial youth, Had for his country bled; And now remained One daughter fair, And only she, To soothe his care.

The aged man with tears Spoke of the lovely maid; How earnestly she strove To lend her father aid, And as he ran Her 

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