And then the chamber where thine eye Ascending on the wings of prayer, That presence chamber! 'twas a seat And thence he bade thy spirit come With welcome to his heavenly home, "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better."-PHIL. i. 23. THE SPIRIT OF THE BREEZE. SPIRIT of nature's home! Thou whose light wing Of iris-hues doth to our being come, And softly fling Thy dreamy mantle o'er our thought's imagining. Whether o'er mountains rude, thy track is made, Or whether wide spread regions are displayed THE SPIRIT OF THE BREEZE. 179 To charm thy sight, In prairies vast and drear, Like ocean sleeping there, Those ample fields for thee, yield visions of delight. Spirit of nature's home, thy form we greet, For thou canst sooth the breast with accents sweet, Thy numbers softly swell, and airs of heaven Like soothing balm to drooping nature given, I listen, and thy voice like breath of even, Again thy numbers flow, and swift as thought, From its far chambers brought, Doth soon unbind The spell-bound trance of earth and loose the springs of mind. Welcome thou summer air, With light, and life, and fragrance on thy wing, Unlike the zephyrs coy, Thy blithe and buoyant soul doth showers of blessing fling. Nature! thy garnished home, Each favorite dweller of the wilderness, Each benison of earth, each living ray Or pours from heaven the day: All things in earth below and heaven above, Speak with the voice of praise, the wondrous name of Love! "He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries."-PSALM CXXXV. 7. "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell ?"-PROV. XXX. 4. A FRIEND. I HAILED a christian patriarch on his way; Made each young heart that won his smile his own. "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."JOHN XV. 4. THE GOLDEN MOUTHED. 181 THE "GOLDEN-MOUTHED." WHO is it that on eagle wings, Aloft would soar? Who, like the lark that quivering, sings, Who like the nightingale, could trill Those accents lone ? And all the depths of ether fill With that full tone? The power of eloquence it tells Its matchless praise ! Now low it falls, now loudly swells, And softly plays. What blandishments could melt like these, The ravished ear? And sooth the soul with symphonies Sublime and clear? Thy liquid lore, of winning charm, With taste combined, And feeling, from the heart-springs warm, Portrayed thy mind. That gush of feeling, full and free Like mountain rill, Flowed from its well-head, liberty And flowed at will. Brightly thy spirit winged its way Small is our span and short our day— On memories of the lofty dead, We pass with care; And whilst upon their dust we tread, We breathe a prayer That genius may to heaven aspire, From whence it came ; And speak with every high desire Messiah's name! "And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD ?"— EXODUS iv. 11. THE HOUSEHOLD MINSTREL. MINSTREL of the Household fane, |