Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: LINES TO A LADY, WHO PRESENTED THE AUTHOR WITH AN ORNAMENTAL ALMS-BOX, PAINTED FOR HIM AT HIS REQUEST. r 11 HANKS for the offering that you send, Bare working of the dainty lirush ; Yet shall I wholly thank thee, friend, When such sad thoughts upon me rush ? Our scanty alms are weak, I ween, To stem the ills that round us lie : So deep the shadows fall, unseen Our little lanterns droop and die. From day to day we peer about Beside the stream of human woe ; So noisy is the world's vain rout, Unmissed may thousands come and go. Yet watchers in the furthest creek That dents the ocean's boundless shore Have dreams that lips may never speak, Have thoughts that grow from more to more. And oft the lamp that specks the dark From the poor fisher's cabin far May homeward light some staggering bark, And give more hope than moon or star. Some shipwrecked boy that nearing home A moment dreams a mother's kiss; Now lashed upon the greedy foam May see—and oh, what dawn of bliss ! So is it with our kindly deeds, If love light up our cabin here; Wherever human sorrow bleeds, Wherever falls the silent tear ; There may the watcher stand and wait Unheeded, while the tempests roll; But doubtless through the storms of fate The still small voice is in the soul. Some breaking heart will feel the ray And grope from darkness into light: Some wanderer hail the guiding sway, Till day-star crown the lagging night. So gracious seems the gift you send, In hope I drop my slender alms ; If Spring one generous dew-drop lend, Some bud drinks in the healing balms. And if one soul grow strong once more, Or one faint heart get nobler power, Then take the wealth of Ormus' shore And tell me which the better dower.LOVE'S REMEMBRA...