The Shasta courier., 1862-11-01
SH ASIA COURIER.
To a First-Bern.-

Another tie Is tvined around my heart,-
Another being greet | now with love,
And look into.itE Innocent blue eyes
Until mine ow1 do overflow with tears,
Aud in mr heart spring feelings new and strange
Nv first-born babc-iny fair and taintless child
Thou rainbow that dost tell Of sunny hours,-
Thou dove of promise to my little ark,
Al do look upon thy features sweet,
Isbless thee, and prayer Is on my ifps
That JOY may >trewits roses in thy path,
And happiness attend upon thy steps:
But as gaze a cloud comes o 'er my hopes,
Across my soul there fits Il crowd Of DIM
And dark forebodings Of thy coming years.
Much do fear thai cacn as mine own
Thy lot wili,e, OF suffering and oftoil
For / have dwell; amid sor,iid race,
And spent my life with proit-seeking men,
Whose heaven was to be rich whose god was gold;
With men who laughed at intellectual wealth
To whom the labors of those god kke minds,
Whose thoughts must live through ages yet to
come,
We're things they cast aside as useless dross-
There have been times (may such fate be thne1
When words indignant have been my tongue,
But have forced them back upon my heart,
Compelled by dread necessitys stern law
To bow my, head and clothe my face with smiles,
When my soul writhed in wordless agony
And have almost wished I'd eer been born.
Or died, when, like to thee, @siniess babe.
Yet joy,. too, hath been mingled with my Let,
Isv-~ Ie'ok int. mine with loving light,
ID -af Voices find echo in my heart,
And kindred forms give rapture to my siSht
But first of all my blessing do hold
Thy gentle mother, dearcr for thy sake.
Away with mournful presa.cs-if thou
Shoudst live to womanhood, and be spared
To guide thee thy way, thou shalt be taught
To love the lore by mi ghty minds bequeathed,
20 drink from founts poetic sweetest draughts,
And banquet the food which is immortal.
The bards and sages of the olden time,
Aud those which she'd around their lustre now,
Jhsy s,...i. o. tay cDinpanions-theu shalt mate
With Shakespeare and with Milton thou shalt sit
And converse hold with Wordsworth and with
Scott
Eyron's proud spirit shall discourse with thine;
Aud other masters of that glorious art
Which peoples earth with shapes and thoughts di-
vine,
Shall fill thy soul with beauty and delight.
Thou shalt learn with reverence deep to view
The things which God created for us all,
Aud look nature with thanksgiving heart,
And mark its my stcries with admiring eyes,
Whether the sun with glory lights up heaven,
Or frowning clouds are lowering o er the earth;
Whether the stars thronging round the moon,
Or solemn darkness wells the face of night.
The green earth with its host of smiling flowers,
And trees with dancing leaves and dropping fruit;
The winged birds that fill thu air with song
The golden bees that toll with cheerful hum,
Tne rush OF streams whose course Is swift as Joy,
The blush of morning, and the evening pale
Thou shalt be taught to look with love on all,
And bless the bounteous Power that made them.
Nor when, with heartfelt bliss, thy gaze hath
dwelt
On ali which our Creator hath bestowed
On us his creatures, shalt thou turn away,
And if IA homeless wretch do cross thy path,
View him with scornful and contemptuous eye;
But if he ask thy help, him shalt thou aid,
And from thy little store bestow thy mite,
For nature is that wretch's heritage
As well as thine-thy brother is he, too,
And both are equal in the eyes of God,
Who gave the earth to poor and rich alike.
1t shall be mine to teach thee, my sweet child,
Not to crouch servilely to pampered wealth,
Not to pay homage unto gded vice,
Nor yet to turn thee from the poor man s prayer,
And spurn the suppliant with frowning brow,
Merely because he doth not please thine eye;
Look thou into the mind and heart of man,
And pay thy homage to his Deeds not state;
The virtues of the rich do claim praise,
But vii tuous poverty dcth claim it more.
Mine, then, shall be the pleasing task to guide
Thy dawning powers to that which most
good;
To bid thee cherish what most needs thy help;
To view all things with observant mind
To torture not the insect on the wing;
Nor kill the harmless reptile at thy feet;
To bid thee walk erect in virtues path,
And yet shrink tfrom stretching forth thy hand
When guilt Tepents, to draw the wanderer back.
So shalt thou live, though man perchance may
frown,
BY God himself beloved, and he will be thy friend.