From the flower-wreathed porch comes winging,
Like a bird, dear Dora, singing,
To my side so fondly clinging-
Ah, how soon to part!
Fair, pale rose! too early blowing;
Child of beauty, bright and glowing!
Sweetest thoughts and fancies flowing
Ever from her heart.
Summers six, with shade and shining,
Passed, when, without plaint or pining,
On her couch of death reclining,
Cousin Dora lay.
Short we had her in possession,
Yet she has fulfill'd her mission;
Called to Heaven, we bow submission—
She has passed away!
BLEST Sabbath bells; blest Sabbath bells!
My heart with solemn rapture swells;
I come! I come! how blessed there,
How joyful in the house of prayer
The anthem swells.
'Tis Christmas tide; ring, blessed bells! The angels' song your anthem swells"To us this day a child is given,
A Saviour born, the Christ from Heaven!" Ring, blessed bells!
Glad marriage bells! glad marriage bells!
Ring out your joyous music tells
That love and beauty, hand in hand,
Before the holy altar stand
Their vows to tell.
Your merry chimes ring, jocund bells!
A father's heart exulting swells,
A mother's arms embrace her boy,
The heir is born-ring out the joy,
Each chiming bell!
Sad passing bell! sad passing bell!
Sad hearts bereaved will throb and swell;
Ring out a knell, some dear one's dead,
The clay is cold, the spirit fled,
Ring out the knell !
Toll, slowly toll, sad funeral bell!
We bring the dead in earth to dwell-
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
We give till God shall call the just;
Cease, tolling bell!
Peal, peal ye loud, triumphant bells!
For victory peal-the tumult swells;
The reeling air is stunned and thrilled,
Peal, loudly peal for thousands killed!
Say, is it well?
O pealing bells! O pealing bells!
With pity, grief, and horror swells
My heart, when pealing from afar
I hear the tocsin bell of war,
And carnage fell.
Ring out, ring out! O warning bell!
At morn upon the waters fell
A blinding fog, ring out and tell
Of danger near: they pass; all's well; Still sailing on.
O warning bell! mute was thy tongue When o'er the dark waves wildly rung A crash-a shriek of wild despair; Two vessels met, but one is there Alone, alone!
Placed on a rock, a warning bell,
Rung out when ocean winds would swell,
Warning the sailor from the rock,
Where else his ship, with deadly shock,
Would meet her doom.
A warning voice, a warning bell,
O'er life's tumultuous ocean swell,
Peals high above the breakers' roar,
"Turn, turn, or sink for evermore
In gilt and gloom!"
Twa bonnie young lassies, fair cousins I ween,
Nane brichter or bonnier ever were seen-
Ane fair as a lily, ane ruddy an' broun,
An the twa were the brag an' pride o' oor toun.
But Lily, fair Lily! was counted the
queen-
As sharp as a needle, an' trig as a preen;
Her hair was sae gowden, her een were sae blue,
Sae white an' sae sunny her bonnie brent broo.
In a wee hoose she leev'd wi' her mither alane,
A puir widow bodie, wha but her had nane
To help her an' cheer her by nicht an' by day,
For Lily was warkrife, tho' blithesome an' gay.
And Lily had wooers. The ane she lo'ed best
Was Willie, the blacksmith, wha aften had press'd
For a promise that she wad be his evermair,
But mither she thocht him ower sweet to be fair.
O, Lily! tak' tent, it's no lang since ye saw
The chiel', an' o' him ye ken naething ava-
His een are sae pawkie, his speech is sae fine,
I'm wae since thou tauld me he sune wad be thine.
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