The Broken Lily.
A lily, deck'd in snow-white robes,
Bloom'd by a murm'ring stream,
Each night she bow'd her head in joy,
And dream'd as lilies dream.
Each morn the water wand'ring past,
Its sweetest music gave,
As bending from her couch she view'd
Her pure face in its wave.
Bloom'd by a murm'ring stream,
Each night she bow'd her head in joy,
And dream'd as lilies dream.
Each morn the water wand'ring past,
Its sweetest music gave,
As bending from her couch she view'd
Her pure face in its wave.
'Twas beauteous when the sun arose,
That lily to behold,
Her snowy garments beaded o'er
With gems of glancing gold;
And as towards the blushing sky
Her head she meekly raised,
A ruby gem of purest rays
Upon her bosom blazed.
That lily to behold,
Her snowy garments beaded o'er
With gems of glancing gold;
And as towards the blushing sky
Her head she meekly raised,
A ruby gem of purest rays
Upon her bosom blazed.
And many a bean that flow'ret had:
The bee, though prone to rove,
Forsook the whole gay sisterhood
For his sweet lily love;
The flirting butterfly was seen
To leave more gaudy things,
And where the lily's pale robe gleam'd
To rest his glitt'ring wings.
The bee, though prone to rove,
Forsook the whole gay sisterhood
For his sweet lily love;
The flirting butterfly was seen
To leave more gaudy things,
And where the lily's pale robe gleam'd
To rest his glitt'ring wings.
But on a day—a luckless day!
A zephyr sought the bow'rs,
Now dimpling with its kiss the wave,
Now sporting with young flow'rs;
Now wrestling with the lily fair,
In wantonness and play;
And up and down, and to and fro
Her bright head toss'd that day.
A zephyr sought the bow'rs,
Now dimpling with its kiss the wave,
Now sporting with young flow'rs;
Now wrestling with the lily fair,
In wantonness and play;
And up and down, and to and fro
Her bright head toss'd that day.
Too low she bow'd in striving with
The zephyr in its mirth,
Until her snowy garments came
In contact with the earth.
And when she graceful rose again
With proud elastic spring,
A dark spot dimm'd her loveliness—
She was a sullied thing!
The zephyr in its mirth,
Until her snowy garments came
In contact with the earth.
And when she graceful rose again
With proud elastic spring,
A dark spot dimm'd her loveliness—
She was a sullied thing!
A cloud, whilst floating o'er the scene—
To wash away the stain—
In pity to the thing defiled,
Pour'd down its well meant rain.
But too severe and heavily
Dash'd down the patt'ring shower,
Prostrating to the mouldy earth
The tiny, fragile flow'r.
To wash away the stain—
In pity to the thing defiled,
Pour'd down its well meant rain.
But too severe and heavily
Dash'd down the patt'ring shower,
Prostrating to the mouldy earth
The tiny, fragile flow'r.
Oh, had the rain in gentleness
Swept o'er the floral gem,
A purified and lovely thing
Might still have graced the stem!
But to the flow'r each pelting drop
A cruel death blow gave,
And bow'd and shatter'd to the earth
What it but meant to save.
Swept o'er the floral gem,
A purified and lovely thing
Might still have graced the stem!
But to the flow'r each pelting drop
A cruel death blow gave,
And bow'd and shatter'd to the earth
What it but meant to save.
And thus it is with human flowers;
Oh, ye who would reprove
The weak and erring of your race,
Your counsel give in love!
There is a spell in gentleness,
A magic in its tone,
Which holds the power to sway the heart,
And holds that power alone.
Oh, ye who would reprove
The weak and erring of your race,
Your counsel give in love!
There is a spell in gentleness,
A magic in its tone,
Which holds the power to sway the heart,
And holds that power alone.
Kind words! sure such alone should flow
From gentle woman's heart;
And surely harshness is beneath
Man's still superior part:
Such only tends to break the reed,
To crush the bending flower;
Oh, then, let chidings kind and calm
Descend, the cleansing shower!
From gentle woman's heart;
And surely harshness is beneath
Man's still superior part:
Such only tends to break the reed,
To crush the bending flower;
Oh, then, let chidings kind and calm
Descend, the cleansing shower!