Year: 1861

/
shun,


So the merry spirit shall cheer us still,


As we tremblingly pass adown life's hill


And now comes a coat that once covered til


breast


OF my eldest boy. in his youths unrest


When the world to him was as bright and ne q


As morning glory begemmed with dew;


He could not dream, that a life of care
Could wither and bIacken thing so fair.


But as years rolled on. his coat grew small,
He stood in his manhood, proud and tall;


Outgrew the pleasures of ehildhood's day,
And cast the sports of his youth away,


Went forth in the world to its toll and strife,
And learned through trials, the way of life.
DE saw its selfshness, pride and wrong;
The weak borne down by the great and strong
Saw sin and shame in their gala dress,


While virtue languished, in sad distress;
And the cold world with stare passed by
he learned to cavii and doubt and sigh.
Could it be, that the Father of all above,
Would permit such wrong, if his name is lovei
His hopes like his coat, seemed worn and old
/ wept, for the heart of my boy, grown cold.
I could not bear that cloud should dim
So early, life's opening day for him.
Then came drees of such brilliant dyes
They might have been flched from rainbow


skies.


Not evaneseent as they, It's true,


The more twas worn, the brighter it grew,
Like the heart that thrObbed in the fairy form.
With stronger beat for each passing storm,
Surehanged by the good or i'll of life,
Save to grow more tIne in its toilsome strife;
More kind and cheerful. each passing day,
And tinted its duties with love, alway.
Chi may her life be as cheerful still,
As she climbs the top of the summit hill.
May the glowing sunshine rest as light,
And the tints of pleasure be as bright,
And as fAdeless the glow of her happiness,
As the rainbow hues of this worn out dress.
Next came the cloak that my husband wore
When saw him first at my fathers's door,.
It has shielded for thirty years his form
From the chilling winds and the pelting storm.
Its lining was by his mother spun
Long, long ago-but her work is done;
Her thread is ended. She sank to rest
Blest by the many whom she had blest,
But the cloak in service grew old and worn,
Its folds were faded, its skirts were torn;
1t was thrown aside, long, long ago,
As out of date.-like some men knowl
And only broughtout to shield and guard





hard,


But twas far more nseful amid life's cares
Than your showy, costly, but fading wares,
For storm could not change; nor wind nor rain
Impress on its rare old folds stain;
They came from the conflict as good, as true, |
And as warm, perehance, as when young and


new
And now, like eld Time. III clip away
All thy useless portions. old cloak, to day.
Aud all that is left Of thee, I'll blend
In my useful web,-Old faithful friendl
Morn, noon and night, our eyes thou'lt cheer
And wen fancy spirit is hovering near
To guide our fOOtstep in ways of right;
Till We meet where the day path knows not


night,


And OH may thy fate, old cloak. 10 mine.
To be good for something" till life's decline.
No matter how broken, and worn and old,
May still have power 70 warm the cold,
To shelter the wayworn and cheer the sad,
Bid the doping and weary heart be glad:
And when on earth can do nothing more,
When my tolls are ended, my journey Ger
May calmly pass to the world above,
And my thoughts, like these shreds, guard


the forms lovei
How often, how often. some trihing thing,
The treasured thoughts Of the past will bring
Before the min d, and the tears will start,
Or thrill of pleasure will stir the heart.
And We. seem in a moment to live long years
Of joys and sOTOws, of hopes and fears
But We should not pine Ger the shadOwy past,
Nor weep for pleasures that could not last;
For pining and dreaming are all in vain;
They cannot restore lost hopes again,
They cloud too often the present joy,
The brightest beam of to day alloy,
And slowly wear the strength and power
We need for the mOrrow's coming hour
But We may as we shed loves natural tears
Gather strength from the past for the future


years!