96
ALL THINGS PASS AWAY.
In morning's life I hailed the flowers
That glittered in my sunny path;
And smiled as passed the golden hours,
Which youth in all its freshness hath.
That glittered in my sunny path;
And smiled as passed the golden hours,
Which youth in all its freshness hath.
But soon a blight came sweeping o'er,
And on its wings brought sad decay:
The drooping flowers now bloomed no more,
But withered, leaf by leaf, away.
And on its wings brought sad decay:
The drooping flowers now bloomed no more,
But withered, leaf by leaf, away.
I saw two little parent wrens
Construct their nicely fashion'd nest,
With moss from off the neighbouring fens,
Wherein their callow young might rest.
Construct their nicely fashion'd nest,
With moss from off the neighbouring fens,
Wherein their callow young might rest.
A little chirping brood they came,
And filled the parents' hearts with glee,
All anxiously they fed the same,
And joyous hopped from tree to tree.
And filled the parents' hearts with glee,
All anxiously they fed the same,
And joyous hopped from tree to tree.
A groop of school-boys, wandering by,
With eager gladness snatched the prize,
Unheedful of the parent's cry,
Nor let one pitying thought arise.
With eager gladness snatched the prize,
Unheedful of the parent's cry,
Nor let one pitying thought arise.
I saw a little smiling child
At play before its parents' door;
All flushed with ruddy health it smiled,
And blooming looks of joy it wore.
At play before its parents' door;
All flushed with ruddy health it smiled,
And blooming looks of joy it wore.
