With trembling joy they catch the stealing sound; Sweet Infancy! whom all the world forsook, But who is she in garb of misery clad, Yet of less vulgar mien ?—a look so sad The mourning maniack wears—so wild, yet meek: A beam of joy now wanders o'er her cheek The pale eye visiting: it leaves it soon, As fade the dewy glances of the moon Upon some wand'ring cloud, while slow the ray Retires, and leaves more dark the heav'ns' wide way. Lost mother, early doom'd to guilt and shame, Whose friends of youth now sigh not o'er thy name, Heavy has sorrow fall'n upon thy head, Yet think-one hope remains when thou art dead; Thy houseless child, thy only little one, Shall not look round, defenceless and alone, For one to guide her youth-nor with dismay For you* who thus, by pure compassion taught, Have wept o'er human sorrows;-who have sought Want's dismal cell, and pale as from the dead To life and light the speechless Orphan led;— Trust that the deed, in Mercy's book enroll'd, Approving spirits of the just behold! Meanwhile, new virtues here, as on the wing Of morn, from Sorrow's dreary shades shall spring: *The Promoters of the Charity. 96 TO THE PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETY. Young Modesty, with fair untainted bloom; Shall bend at pure Religion's holy shrine, say, "These children, GoD of love, are thine!" THE AFRICAN. FAINT-gazing on the burning orb of day, When Africk's injur'd son expiring lay, His poor companions kiss'd, and cry'd aloud, "Now thy long, long task is done, "Glitter on thy parent stream, "O'er the long and stormy tide, "Fleeter than the hurricane, "Till thou view those scenes again, "Or the shrill sigarras sing "Ceaseless to their murmuring; "Where the dance, the festive song, “Of many a friend divided long, "Doom'd through stranger lands to roam, "Shall bid thy spirit welcome home! "Fearless o'er the foaming tide "Again thy light canoe shall ride; "Fearless on th' embattled plain "Thou shalt lift thy lance again; "Or, starting at the call of morn, "Wake the wild woods with thy horn; "Or, rushing down the mountain-slope, "O'ertake the nimble antelope; |