The Garland (Volume 5); Or, Token of Friendship. a Christmas and New Year's Gift

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1851. Excerpt: ... THE DEVOTED SON. Why mourn'st thou, Mother? why has pain Its furrows to thy pale brow given? Seek not to hold thyself from heaven! 'Tis heaven that draws, --resign thou, then. Yes, --banish every futile tear, And offer to its source above, In gratitude and humble love, The choicest of thy treasures here. We murmur, if the bark should strand; But not, when, richly laden, she Comes from the wild and raging sea, Within a haven safe to land. We murmur, if the balm be shed; Yes, --murmur for the odor's sake; But not, whene'er the glass may break, If that which filled it be not fled. He strives in vain who seeks to stay The bounding waters in their course, When hurled from rocks with giant force, Towards some calm and spacious bay. Thus turns the earthly globe;--though o'er His infant's corse a father mourn, Or child bedew its parents' urn, --Death passes neither house nor door. Blest is the mind, that, fixed and free, To wanton pleasures scorns to yield, And wards, as with a pliant shield, The arrows of adversity. THE SMUGGLER. A TALE OF THE SEA. In the autumn of the year 18, there dwelt in a retired part of the wretched town of Flushing, not far from the sea-side, an English family. The house in which they resided looked mean and solitary; the upper part had not even the appearance of having been tenanted for many years. It stood by itself, and its gray walls looked dreary and cheerless, like the walls of a prison; a small court-yard separated the building from the road, but it was neglected and overgrown with weeds. The swallow built its nest unmolested under the eaves of the house, and the jackdaw seemed disposed to take possession of the chimneys. On the particular day with which my story commences, the window-shutters on the ground floor were partially closed...