Or when the silence of a son, who would have written of his welfare, For a letter, timely writ, is a rivet to the chain of affection, The pen, flowing with love, or dipped black in hate, Or tipped with delicate courtesies, or harshly edged with censure, And shouldst thou ask my judgment of that which hath most profit in the world, For answer take thou this, The prudent penning of a letter. THOU hast not lost an hour, whereof there is a record; A written thought at midnight shall redeem the livelong day. So the symbolled thoughts tell of a departed soul: The plastic hand hath its witness in a statue, and exactitude of vision in a picture, And so, the mind, that was among us, in its writings is embalmed. OF WEALTH. PRODIGALITY hath a sister Meanness, his fixed antagonist heart-fellow, Who often out-liveth the short career of the brother she despiseth: She hath lean lips and a sharp look, and her eyes are red and hungry; But she sloucheth at his gait, and his mouth speaketh loosely and maudlin. Let a spendthrift grow to be old, he will set his heart on saving, And labour to build up by penury that which extravagance threw down: Give me enough, saith Wisdom;-for he feareth to ask for more; And that by the sweat of my brow, addeth stout-hearted Independence: But the burnt breasts of the torrid zone yield never kindly nourishment. gratitude; Wouldst thou be rich, give unto the poor;-thou shalt have thine own with usury: For the secret hand of Providence prospereth the charitable all ways, Good luck shall he have in his pursuits, and his heart shall be glad with in him; Yet perchance he never shall perceive, that even as to earthly gains, The cause of his weal, as of his joy, hath been small givings to the poor In the plain of Benares is there found a root that fathereth a forest, Thirstily they strain to the earth, like stalactites in a grotto, And strike broad roots, and branch again, lengthening their cool arcades: And the dervish madly danceth there, and the faquir is torturing his flesh, At the base lean jackalls coil, while from above depending Whose fibres strangle the affections, whose branches overgrow the mind: calf: The hungry hounds of extortion are there, the bond, and the mortgage, and the writ, While the appetite for gold, unslumbering, watcheth to glut its maw:And the heart, so tenanted and shaded, is cold to all things else; It seeth not the sunshine of heaven, nor is warmed by the light of charity. FOR Covetousness disbelieveth God, and laugheth at the rights of men; tune, For experience of old hath taught him that happiness lingereth midway; And many in hot pursuit have hasted to the goal of wealth, But have lost, as they ran, those apples of gold,—the mind and the power to enjoy it THERE is no greater evil among men than a testament framed with injus tice: Where caprice hath guided the boon, or dishonesty refused what was due. Yea, bitterly shall that handwriting testify against him at the judgment. And ministered with kind hand to the wailings of disease and discontent; How heavy was the yoke of dependence, loaded by petty tyranny; Putting off the lover of her youth until the dawn of wealth: And it came, that day of release, and the freed heart could not sorrow, The miserable past was forgotten, as she looked for the happier future, thought That perchance her right had been the safer, if not left alone with honour: Hunt down the wretched being that sinneth in his grave? But Hades rose as he came in, to point at him the finger of scorn; And her wrongs shall cling around his neck, to hinder him from rising with the just : For his last most solemn act hath linked his name with liar, And the crime of Ananias is branded on his brow! A good man commendeth his cause to the one great Patron of innocence, Convinced of justice at the last, and sure of good meanwhile. He knoweth he hath a Guardian, wise and kind and strong, And can thank Him for giving, or refusing, the trust or the curse of riches: His confidence standeth as a rock; he dreadeth not malice nor caprice, No gain, but by its price; labour, for the poor man's meal, Who bartereth for needful pittance the untold gold of health; Labour, with fear, for the merchant, whose hopes are ventured on the sea; Labour, with care, for the man of law, responsible in his gains; Labour, with envy and annoyance, where strangers will thee wealth; The thought of duty sweeteneth toil, and travail is as pleasure; |