Poems by Rebekah Smith Part 22

To M. D. B. On the present of a pen.

Dear sister, words cannot express To you my heartfelt thankfulness; Or with what pleasure I behold This precious gift--a pen of gold.

I prize it more, while now I see In it remembrance kind of me; Which fills me with delight untold In viewing my new pen of gold.

And thee, at morn and evening tide, As past the fleeting moments glide, Shall I remember, while I hold Within my grasp this pen of gold.

With newer zeal I now would write, Dispensing nought but truth and light; And richer treasures fain unfold, The products of my pen of gold.

And when our weary task is done, The conflict o'er, the victory won, May we be found of finest mold, As tried, refined, and pure as gold.

Be Cheerful.

Be cheerful! Be cheerful!

At the breaking of morn, When the sun's gladd'ning rays The earth shall adorn; Be cheerful when noon Shall its brightness display.

Be cheerful when eve Ends the toil of the day, For all nature is cheering With harmonious voice; All nature is bidding Be glad and rejoice.

Be cheerful! Be cheerful!

Whatever thy lot!

If trouble awaits thee, Thy woes are forgot.

Be cheerful, and light Thy path shall surround; With cheerfulness let Every moment be crowned, For all nature is cheering With harmonious voice, All nature is bidding Be glad and rejoice.

Be cheerful! Be cheerful!

Let not the few days That we spend on this earth Be void of its lays.

Oft the ills we endure, From the future we borrow; Then be cheerful to-day-- Think not of the morrow; For all nature is cheering With harmonious voice, All nature is bidding Be glad and rejoice.

Be cheerful! Be cheerful!

In life's joyful spring, When summer its beauties And glories shall bring.

Be cheerful when autumn Shall mantle in gloom, When the winter of age Brings near to the tomb; For all nature is cheering With harmonious voice, All nature is bidding Be glad and rejoice.

The Sister's Devotion.

There is no flower, brother, howe'er so sweetly blooming, But it will fade in night; No sunny sky with beams so bright illuming, But clouds may shade its light, But oh! there is a sister's love, In sorrow's night unfading, That clouds of earthborn care or woe Ne'er will its light be shading.

Chorus: Oh! brother, then prize a sister's devotion, Ever pure, unchanging, sincere, Whose heart for thee beats with tender emotion, And shareth each smile and each tear.

The beaming eye, brother, lit bright with smiles enwreathing, Tears may unbidden dim, The soul of music's melody, sweet breathing, Discordant strains may hymn.

But oh! there is a sister's voice To cheer with kind words spoken; Her hand may wake sweet strains again From harp-strings that were broken.

Chorus: Oh! brother, then prize--

Fame's starry hight, brother, howe'er its gems alluring, Cold storms and tempests crown; The form of genius fair may fall, enduring The world's dark chilling frown.

But oh! there is a sister's heart, Forever true, unshaken, That ne'er grows cold, but closer clings, When all else has forsaken.

Chorus: Oh! brother, then prize--

Our golden dreams, brother, we so fondly cherish, May change like morning's rays; Youth's fairest joys and pleasures all may perish, With years that pa.s.s away.

But oh! there is a sister's prayer, That happy be our meeting, Safe wafted o'er life's sea in peace, Where time no more is fleeting.

Chorus: Oh! brother, then prize--

Trust Not, Love Not.

When the world is fair, entwining Many a garland for thy brow, When around thee wealth is shining, Friendship's hand is near thee now.

But when clouds and storms shall gather Round thy pathway rough and drear, Few will cling as fond as ever, Few will prove to thee sincere.

Oh! if thou canst find the treasure, Close the precious jewel bind; Choicest blessing without measure, Guardian angel--rare to find.

Speak or act, oh! coldly never, Kindred spirits keenest feel; Silver links the blow may sever; Time the wound may never heal.

Friendship's ties too oft are riven, By the slightest word or deed; Oh! trust not love's tokens given, Lest thy heart with anguish bleed.

Trust not--hopes we fondly cherish, Crushed and wounded leave the heart.

Love not--love's bright flowers perish, Bloom to wither, then depart.

Love's sweet strains, like music flowing, Drink not deep their melting tone.

Eyes that now so gently glowing, Beam so fondly in thine own-- Ah! their light--it may deceive thee; Flattering smiles, oh, heed them not, For their coldness soon may grieve thee, Soon thou mayest be forgot.

Lavish not youth's tender feeling-- Warm, confiding--keep it true, Ere dark shadows o'er thee stealing, Bitter tears thy cheek bedew.

Trust not--change may, ere the morrow, Rob thy cheek of beauty's bloom; Love not, it may bring the sorrow, Haste thee to an early tomb.

Solemn vows are lightly spoken, Joys and pleasures fade and die; Fondest, truest hearts are broken, Golden dreams like phantoms fly.

Trust not--vows are falsely plighted-- Lest thy rashness give thee pain; Love not--"for its flowers once blighted, They may never bloom again."

Proof Reader's Lament.

What news is this falls on my ear?

What next will to my sight appear?

My brain doth whirl, my heart doth quake-- Oh, that egregious mistake!

"Too bad! too bad!!" I hear them cry, "You might have seen with half an eye!

Strange! pa.s.sing strange!! how could you make So plain, so blunderous a mistake!"

Ah! where it happened, when and how, This way or that, no matter now; Myself from blame I cannot shake-- For there it is, that _sad mistake_.