A Family Picture
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 every thing to you, your playmate and your guide,
Both Mentor and Telemachus, for ever at your side!
I will be every thing to you, your sympathizing 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 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.
O, blessed boon and gain to me! O mercy, praise, and pride!
Ye lack none other heritage your father's name beside:
When I am dead, your little ones shall read my words with glee,
When they are dead, their little ones will still remember me.
My tender babes, 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 sparkling 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 Selwyn, 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.
This sealeth up the sum to us, my loved and loving wife,
Be these to us the pleasure and the business of life:
And thou to me — what art thou not? — thro' infancy and youth,
And manhood's prime, as now, my all of constancy and truth!
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 children and my wife:
Ambition is o'er vaulted here in all that gladdens life!
Yes! leave me to my happy thoughts, and these about me still,
In ancient woods of Albury, or on my fresh Furze Hill;
And, children, teach your children, too, by righteousness to stand,
For so they shall inherit peace and blessings in the land.
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 every thing to you, your playmate and your guide,
Both Mentor and Telemachus, for ever at your side!
I will be every thing to you, your sympathizing 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 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.
O, blessed boon and gain to me! O mercy, praise, and pride!
Ye lack none other heritage your father's name beside:
When I am dead, your little ones shall read my words with glee,
When they are dead, their little ones will still remember me.
My tender babes, 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 sparkling 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 Selwyn, 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.
This sealeth up the sum to us, my loved and loving wife,
Be these to us the pleasure and the business of life:
And thou to me — what art thou not? — thro' infancy and youth,
And manhood's prime, as now, my all of constancy and truth!
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 children and my wife:
Ambition is o'er vaulted here in all that gladdens life!
Yes! leave me to my happy thoughts, and these about me still,
In ancient woods of Albury, or on my fresh Furze Hill;
And, children, teach your children, too, by righteousness to stand,
For so they shall inherit peace and blessings in the land.
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