CHILD'S MORNING HYMN. 'Hé wakeneth morning by morning; he wakeneth mine ear to hear."-Isa., i. 4. THE morning, the bright and the beautiful morning A gladness which nothing but morning can bring. The earth is awaking, the sky and the ocean, The river and forest, the mountain and plain; The city is stirring its living commotion, And the pulse of the world is reviving again. And we too awake, for our heavenly Father, Who soothed us so gently to sleep on his breast, And made the soft stillness of evening to gather Around us, now calls us again from our rest. But ere to our labors and duties returning, We hasten to give him the praise that is meet, And in solemn devotion, the first hours of morning, Out freest and freshest, we lay at his feet. 170 CHILD'S MORNING HYMN. Then, happy in heart, not a moment delaying, But eager and active, we haste to the school. How pleasant its lessons, how short seems the day; Its hours are but moments, they fly off so lightly, When we are so busy, so cheerful, and gay. Then away to the school in the sweet summer morn ing, God's blessing upon us, his light on our road; And ere the fair skies of life's dawning be dim, TO M. L. B. No night descend on thee: Daybreak be ever thine; With fresh and rosy hours, Calm sunshine of the morn, Odors, and dews, and flowers. Light dwell in thee, and thou No wrinkle on thy brow, Thine eye still blue and bright. One long sweet spring be thine, With buds still bursting through, Fresh blossoms every hour, And verdure fair and new. 172 TO M. L. B. Peace be thy gentle guest, His Spirit fill thy soul, And cast out every sin, His own deep joy impart, And make a heaven within. THE TWO ERAS OF THE LAND. Or old they sung the song of liberty, They sung it upon mountain and on plain, They poured it on the morning's genial gale, And the rich stream-breeze from each fragrant vale The peasant sang it in his straw-roofed cot, The blithe blue morning's newly-wakened ray |