THE GNAT. Written with Pencil round an Insect of that kind, which had been accidentally crushed, and remained fixed on a blank page of a Lady's Album. LIE here embalm'd, from age to age; Though frail as dust it meet thine eye, Stop-lest it vanish at thy breath, 1832. AN INFANT'S ALBUM. A. H. R. to her Friends and Contributors, written to accompany her Portrait, at the beginning of the Book. Now look upon my face, and say, What is it?-Only take your pen, Look wise, and think a moment, then Write any thing, to which, for shame, You need not fear to put your name; Or, with the pencil's curious skill, Draw flowers, birds, figures, what you will; I, like my elders and my betters, Love pictures quite as well as letters. Now look upon my face, and see With lip demure, and plump round cheek? Did you not sometimes, too, look sly As if you held an infant's jest, Well, time runs on, and I, you know, As tall and stout as you may grow, Nay, more unlike my portrait here, Than you just now like me appear. Ah! then, if I must change so fast, What will become of me at last? A poor, old woman of fourscore! That's a long way to look before, So I would learn of you, meanwhile, How best the journey to beguile. Look in my face again, you'll find The album of an infant's mind, Unsoil'd by care, unworn by grief, Like new-fall'n snow each maiden-leaf, On which, if not in black and white, In lines eternal, you may write All that is lovely, pure, and good, To be possess'd or understood. Then, in this volume, as it lies, Trace words and pictures to my eyes, Which, thence, their mystic way may find, And there impress each opening page, With thoughts for childhood, youth, and age; Guide me on earth, and bring to heaven. Either for this world or the next; Thus form'd by it, and it by you, That you may have a good, warm place: 1828. A WEDDING WISH. TO MR. AND MRS. H. THE Cynosure of midnight skies And each a star, Perhaps a sun :— May you, my Friends, reverse the view, And while on earth you look like Two, Yea, like that polar symbol be * The polar star, seen through a powerful telescope, appears to be two, very near together. |