Christians, ponder on these bones;
Kneel around the Cromlech-stones:
Kneel and thank our GOD above
That His name, His heart is Love:
That His thirst is-not for blood
But-for joy and gratitude;
That He bids no soul be sad
But is glad to make us glad;
That He loves not man's despair,
But delights to bless his prayer!

My Children.—1845.

My little ones, my darling ones, my precious things of earth,
How gladly do I triumph in the blessing of your birth;
How heartily for praises, and how earnestly for prayers,
I yearn upon your loveliness, my dear delightful cares!

O children, happy word of peace, my jewels and my gold, My truest friends till now, and still my truest friends when

old,

I will be everything to you, your playmate and your guide, Both Mentor and Telemachus for ever at your side!

I will be everything to you, your sympathising friend,
To teach and help and lead and bless and comfort and defend;
O come to me and tell me all, and ye shall find me true,
A brother in adversity to fight it out for you!

Yea, sins or follies, griefs or cares, or young affection's thrall,
Fear not, for I am one with you, and I have felt them all;
I will be tender, just, and kind, unwilling to reprove,
I will do all to bless you all by wisdom and by love.

My little ones, delighted I review you as ye stand
A pretty troop of fairies and young cherubs hand in hand,
And tell out all your names to be a dear familiar sound
Wherever English hearths and hearts about the world abound.

My eldest, of the speaking eyes, my Ellin, nine years old,
Thou thoughtful good example of the loving little fold,
My Ellin, they shall hear of thee, fair spirit, holy child,
The truthful and the well-resolved, the liberal and the mild.

And thee, my Mary, what of thee?-the beauty of thy face? The coyly-pretty whims and ways that ray thee round with grace?

-O more than these; a dear warm heart that still must thrill and glow

With pure affection's sunshine, and with feeling's overflow!

Thou too, my gentle five-year-old, fair Margaret the pearl, A quiet sick and suffering child, sweet patient little girl,Yet gay withal and frolicsome at times wilt thou appear, And like a bell thy merry voice rings musical and clear.

And next my Martin, precious boy, a glorious young mind, The sensitive, the passionate, the noble, and the kind, Whose light-brown locks bedropt with gold, and large eyes full of love,

And generous nature mingle well the lion and the dove.

The last, an infant toothless one, now prattling on my knee, Whose bland benevolent soft face is shining upon me; Another silver star upon our calm domestic sky,

Another seed of happy hope, dropt kindly from on high.

A happy man,-be this my praise,—not riches, rank, or fame, A happy man, with means enough,- -no other lot or name; A happy man, with you for friends, my daughters and my

sons,

—Ambition hath no prize so great as all these little ones!

Ellin.-1837.

My precious babe, my guileless little girl,—
The soft sweet beauty of thy cherub face
Is smiling on me, radiant as a pearl

With young intelligence and infant grace:
And must the wintry frost of life encase
Thy purity, fair snow-drop of the spring?

Must evil taint thee,—must the world enthrall
Thine innocent mind, poor harmless little thing?
Ah, yes! thou too must taste the
cup of woe,
Thy heart must learn to grieve, as others do,
Thy soul must feel life's many-pointed sting:

But fear not, darling child, for well I know
Whatever cares may meet thee, ills befal,

Thy GOD, thy father's GOD,-shall lead thee safe through all.

Alary.-1838.

Lo, Thou hast crown'd me with another blessing,
Into my lot hast dropt one mercy more ;-
All good, all kind, all wise in Thee possessing,
My cup, O bounteous Giver, runneth o'er,
And still Thy princely hand doth without ceasing pour!
For the sweet fruit of undecaying love

Clusters in beauty round my cottage door,

And this new little one, like Noah's dove

Comes to mine ark with peace, and plenty for my store,

O happy home, O light and cheerful hearth!

Look round with me, my lover, friend, and wife,

On these fair faces we have lit with life,

And in the perfect blessing of their birth,

Help me to live our thanks for so much heaven on earth.

Margaret.-1840.

A song of gratitude and cheerful prayer

Still shall go forth my pretty babes to greet,

As on life's firmament, serenely fair,

Their little stars arise, with aspect sweet
Of mild successive radiance; that small pair,
Ellin and Mary, having gone before
In this affection's welcome, the dear debt
Here shall be paid to gentle Margaret :

Be thou indeed a Pearl,-in pureness, more
Than beauty, praise, or price; full be thy cup,
Mantling with grace, and truth with mercy met,

With warm and generous charities flowing o'er; And when the Great King makes His jewels up, Shine forth, child-angel, in His coronet!

Martin C. S. C.-1842.

Not slender is the triumph and the joy,

To know and feel that, for his father's sake, The world will look with favour on my boy;

-On thee, my pretty little prattling son,On thee!-and that it shall be thine to take (With whatsoever else of this world's spoil)

For heritage the honours I have won.

Speed on, my second seif, speed nobly on! Forget, in good men's praise, the strife and toil

Which Folly's herd shall still around thee make If thou dost well; speed on in gifts and grace, Beloved of GOD and man, even as now; Speed, and in both worlds win the glorious race, Bearing thy father's blessing on thy brow!

William K. C.-1844.

Look on this babe; and let thy pride take heed, Thy pride of manhood, intellect, or fame, That thou despise him not: for he indeed,

And such as he, in spirit and heart the same, Are God's own children in that kingdom bright Where purity is praise,-and where before The FATHER'S throne, triumphant evermore, The ministering angels, sons of light,

Stand unreproved; because they offer there,
Mix'd with the Mediator's hallowing prayer,
The innocence of babes in Christ like this:
O guardian Spirit, be my child thy care,
Lead him to GOD, obedience and bliss,
To GOD, O fostering cherub, thine and his!