186

SUNDAY EVENING.

And said, whatever might betide,
To trust in God is always right;
For he is still, to those who pray,
A fire by night, a cloud by day.

And little Freddy told of three

Who once a fiery furnace trod,
Because they would not bow the knee
In worship to an idol-god;

And how, to save them from the flame,
The Son of God in glory came.

Then little Susan told of One

Who kindly all our sorrows bore
Though rich in heaven, on earth became
For us so very, very poor,

That, though the foxes had a bed,
He had not where to lay his head.

The tale was told, a crystal tear
Rose brightly to each sparkling eye,
And then in accents soft and clear

Our evening hymn again rolled high ;
Each little girl, each little boy
Joined in the strains of solemn joy.

Then grandpa prayed, that dear old man,
With wrinkled brow and hoary hair,

While all the little children ran

To kneel around his elbow-chair.

THE DELUGE.

And thus the Sunday evening passed,
In peace and pleasure to the last.

187

CHOICE POEMS.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

EXODUS, CHAP. XX.

1. THOU shalt have no more gods but me;
2. Before no idol bow thy knec.

3. Take not the name of God in vain,
4. Nor dare the Sabbath day profane.
5. Give both thy parents honor due:
6. Take heed that thou no murder do.
7. Abstain from words and deeds unclean,
8. Nor steal though thou art poor and mean,
9. Nor make a wilful lie, nor love it.

10. What is thy neighbor's dare not covet.

THE DELUGE.

A RAIN once fell upon the earth
For many a day and night,

And hid the flowers, the grass, the trees,
The birds and beasts, from sight.

The deep waves covered all the land,
And mountain-tops so high;

188

THE DELUGE.

And nothing could be seen around,
But water, and the sky.

But yet there was one moving thing, —
A still and lonely ark,-
That many a weary day and night
Sailed o'er that ocean dark.

At last, a little dove was forth
From that lone vessel sent;
But, wearied, to the ark again,
When evening came, she bent.

Again she went, but soon returned,
And in her beak was seen

The waters sank, and then the dove
Flew from the ark once more,
And came not back, but lived among
The tree-tops, as before.

Then from the ark they all came forth,
With songs of joy and praise;
And once again the green earth smiled
Beneath the sun's warm rays.

190

THE STORY OF MOSES.

And I bent down and kissed her
And placed her on my knee.

"Once, long ago, in countries
Far, very far away,

Where the cold snow-storm never comes,
And all is bright and gay,

"There lived a king, so cruel,

He gave this stern command,
That all the little children

Must die, throughout the land.

"But still there was one mother
Who kept her baby dear,
And quickly hushed its crying,
In silence and in fear;

"But when she could no longer
Her precious baby hide,

She did not like to throw him
Upon the rushing tide;

"And so a little basket

She made, of rushes stout,
And plastered it with clay and pitch
To keep the water out.

"Then in this basket-cradle

She put the little child;