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Who has fathomed 1 the deep, deep sea,
Or numbered the stars at night?
Who has counted the drops of rain,
Or the rays of sunny light?

None, none but God. He made them all,
And he knows them every one,

The stars and flowers, the sands and trees,
And the bright rays of the sun.

The sea is deep, and reaches far,
And bright is the sun above:
God's goodness reaches farther still,
And more brightly shines his love.

* 90 *

VIOLETS.

UNDER the green hedges, after the snow,
There do the dear little violets grow,
Hiding their modest and beautiful heads
Under the hawthorn in soft mossy beds.

Sweet as the roses, and blue as the sky,
Down there do the dear little violets lie,

Hiding their heads where they scarce may be seen; By the leaves you may know where the violet hath been.

1 fathomed, found out the depth of.

M. MOULTRIE.

* 91 *

GOD SEES ME.

THROUGH all the busy daylight, through all the quiet night,

Whether the stars are in the sky, or the sun is shining bright,

In the nursery, in the parlor, in the street, or on the stair,

Though I may seem to be alone, yet God is always there.

Whatever I may do,

Wherever I may be,
Although I see him not,
Yet God sees me.

He knows each word I mean to speak, before the word is spoken ;

He knows the thoughts within my heart, although I give no token.1

When I am naughty, then I grieve my Heavenly Father's love;

And, every time I really try, he helps me from above.

Whatever I may do,

Wherever I may be,

Although I see him not,

Yet God sees me.

1 token, sign, that which serves to point out or show any thing.

* 92 *

THE TRUTHFUL PART.

O FATHER, bless a little child,
And in her early youth
Give her a spirit good and mild,
A soul to love the truth.

May never falsehood in her heart,
Nor in her words, abide;1
But may she act the truthful part,
Whatever may betide.2

* 93 *

FLOWERS ARE BLOOMING.

THE flowers are blooming everywhere,
On every hill and dell;

And, oh, how beautiful they are!
How fragrant, too, they smell!

The little birds, they spring along,
And look so glad and gay;

I love to hear their pleasant song,
I feel as glad as they.

The young lambs bleat and frisk about;
The bees hum round their hive;

The butterflies are coming out;

'Tis good to be alive.

1 abide, stay, be present.

2 betide, happen.

* 94 *

THE PET LAMB.

STORM upon the mountain,
Night upon his throne,
And the little snow-white lamb
Left alone, alone!

Storm upon the mountain,

Rainy torrents beating,
And the little snow-white lamb
Bleating, ever bleating!

Down the glen1 the shepherd

Drives his flock afar;

Through the murky 2 mist and cloud
Shines no beacon 3 star;
Fast he hurries onward,

Never hears the moan

Of the pretty snow-white lamb
Left alone, alone!

At the shepherd's doorway

Stands his little son,

Sees the sheep come trooping home,

Counts them one by one,

Counts them full and fairly;
Trace he findeth none
Of the snow-white lamb
Left alone, alone!

1 glen, deep narrow valley.

2 murky, black, gloomy.

3 beacon, guiding.

Up the glen he races,

Breasts the bitter wind,

Scours across the plain, and leaves

Wood and wold behind.

Storm upon the mountain,

Night upon his throne;
There he finds the little lamb,
Left alone, alone!

Struggling, panting, sobbing,
Kneeling on the ground,
Round the pretty creature's neck
Both his arms are wound,

Soon, within his bosom,

All its bleatings done,
Home he bears the little lamb
Left alone, alone!

Oh the happy faces

By the shepherd's fire!

High without the tempest roars;
But the laugh rings higher:
Young and old together

Make that joy their own;
In their midst the little lamb
Left alone, alone!

1 breasts, faces, bears the breast against. 2

3 wold, a tract of hilly land.

scours, runs swiftly.

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