Che Forest Moss. By forest fountains hast thou seen Where banks are clad in mosses green, As when upon a velvet lawn, But in the moss a sunshine dwells No gloomy sky can hide; In hearts where sorrow's shadow lies, And happy, in a world like this, Where clouds so often frown, The heart, that, like the forest moss, Hath sunshine of its own. EDWARD BROWN. GOOD, kind, true, holy words, dropt in conversation, may be little thought of, but they are like seeds of flower, or fruitful tree, falling by the wayside, borne by some bird afar, haply thereafter to fringe with beauty some heretofore barren mountain-side, or make some nook of the wilderness to rejoice. 1 My Soul and I. STAND still, my soul, in the silent dark Alone in the shadow drear and stark What, my soul, was thy errand here? Or heaping up dust from year to year? Speak, soul, aright in His holy sight And steadily on thee through the night: What hast thou done, Oh soul of mine, Hast thou wrought His task, and kept the line What silent all!-art sad of cheer? Art fearful now? When God seemed far and men were near, Aha! thou tremblest!-well I see Thou'rt craven grown. It is so hard with God and me Summon thy sunshine bravery back Oh, wretched sprite! Let me hear thy voice through this deep and black Abysmal night. What hast thou wrought for Right and Truth, From the golden hours of bright-eyed youth, Ah, soul of mine, thy tones I hear, Like far, sad murmurs on my ear, "I have wrestled stoutly with the Wrong, From beneath the footfall of the throng "Wherever Freedom shivered a chain, To Error amidst her blended train, Ah, soul of mine! ah, soul of mine! Thy deeds are well, Were they wrought for Truth's sake or for thine? "Of all the work my hand hath wrought Beneath the sky, Save a place in kindly human thought Go to, go to for thy very self Those for fame, the miser's for pelf, MY SOUL AND I. And where art thou going, soul of mine? And whither this troubled life of thine Evermore doth tend? What daunts thee now?-what shakes thee so? "I see a cloud like a curtain low "Whither I go I cannot tell; High as the Heaven and deep as Hell "I see its shadow coldly enwrap Sadly they enter it, step by step, "They shrink, they shudder, dear God! they kneel They shut their eyes on the cloud, but feel "In vain they turn from the dread Before For while gazing behind them evermore "Yet, at times, I see upon sweet pale faces, A light begin To tremble, as if from holy places, And shrines within. 303 "And at times methinks their cold lips move As if somewhat of awe, but more of love "I call on the souls who have left the light I bend mine ear to that wall of night, "But I hear around me sighs of pain And a sound like the slow, sad dropping of rain- "Ah, the cloud is dark, and day by day, I must pass beneath it on my way Ah, soul of mine! so brave and wise Fronting so calmly all human eyes, Now standing apart with God and me, Gazing vainly after the things to be, But never for this, never for this, For the craven tear is but selfishness, |