Cannot forget Thee here; where Thou hast built, Me didst Thou constitute a priest of thine, To worship, here--and everywhere,-as one up, of poverty ; The particle divine remained unquenched ; From Paradise transplanted. Wintry age And, if they wither, I am worse than dead. Come labor, when the worn-out frame requires And sad exclusion through decay of sense ; 20 But leave me unabated trust in Thee; And let Thy favor, to the end of life, Father of heaven and earth! and I am rich, 25 And will possess my portion in content. And what are things eternal ?-Powers depart, But, by the storms of circumstance unshaken, 30 And subject neither to eclipse nor wane, Duty exists ;-immutably survive, Whose kingdom is where time and space are not : 35 Of other converse, which mind, soul, and heart, Do, with united urgency, require, That, in the scale of being, fill their place, 40 Above our human region, or below, Set and sustained ;– Thou, who didst wrap the cloud ;-a frame Might'st hold, on earth, communion undisturbed, And touch as gentle as the morning light, 5 Restor'st us, daily, to the powers of sense, This universe shall pass away, Glorious ! because the shadow of Thy might10. A step, or link, for intercourse with 'Thee. Ah! if the time must come, in which my feet Loved haunts like these, the unimprisoned mind 15 May yet have scope to range among her own, Her thoughts, her images, her high desires. If the dear faculty of sight should fail, What visionary powers of eye and soul, Of some huge hill, expectant, I beheld His bounteous gift! or saw him, towards the deep 25 Sink, with a retinue of flaming clouds Attended ! Then my spirit was entranced And holiest love; as earth, sea, air, with light, 30 With pomp, with glory, with magnificence! LESSON XXXVI. -MEMORY.-W. G. CLARK. [This piece is designed as an exercise in ‘smooth' and 'pure quality' of voice. The suavity of tone, which belongs to gentle and tender emotion, should prevail in the reading of this beautiful composition. A full, clear, but softened note, should be heard, throughout.) [pu.t.] 'T is sweet, to remember! I would not forego The charm which the Past o'er the Present can throw In her web of illusion, that shines to deceive. 6 We know not the future,—the past we have felt; Its cherished enjoyments the bosom can melt; 5 10 Its raptures anew o'er our pulses may roll, 15 20 25 dark ; O'er the ocean of life, I look back from my bark, LESSON XXXVII.-OLD IRONSIDES.-0. W. HOLMES. [This piece is designed as an exercise for cultivating the 'orotund quality', or full, round, and forcible voice, which belongs to energetic and declamatory expression. A loud, clear, ringing tone, should prevail, throughout the reading or recitation of such pieces.] Long has it waved on high; Thať banner in the sky; 5 Beneath it rung the battle shout, And burst the cannon's roar; 5 10 The meteor of the ocean air Shall sweep the clouds no more ! Where knelt the vanquish'd foe, And waves were white below, Or know the conquer'd knee; The eagle of the sea ! Should sink beneath the wave; And there should be her grave: threadbare sail; The lightning and the gale! 16 LESSON XXXVIII.-THAT SILENT MOON.-G. W. DOANE. [The piece which follows, is intended for practice in "soft' and subdued force'. The voice, in this form of utterance, is meant to be reduced below its average energy, not by mere slackness, or absence of force, but by an intentional reduction of volume, so as to louch the car delicately, yet vividly, as is naturally done iu the expression of an affecting sentiment.] Careering now through cloudless sky, Have pass'd beneath her placid eye, 5 Since first, to light this wayward earth, She walk'd in tranquil beauty forth? And superstition's senseless rite, And loud, licentious revelry, Small sympathy is hers, I ween, By rippling wave, or tufted grove, 5 10 15 When hand in hand is purely clasp'd, And heart meets heart in holy love, When friends are far, and fond ones rove, And start the tear for those we love, The magic of that moonlight sky, The happy eves of days gone by; On lonely eyes, that wake to weer, Or couch, whence pain has banish'd sleep: And fall where'er her splendor may, There's comfort in her tranquil ray: power is hers to soothe the heart, ray; From dawning light to dying day :- 20 25 30 |