VIEWS OF LIFE

    When sinks my heart in hopeless gloom, And life can show no joy for me； And I behold¹ a yawning tomb, Where bowers² and palaces should be；

    In vain you talk of morbid³ dreams； In vain you gaily⁴ smiling say, That what to me so dreary⁵ seems, The healthy mind deems bright and gay.

    I too have smiled, and thought like you, But madly smiled, and falsely deemed： TRUTH led me to the present view,—— I'm waking now——'twas THEN I dreamed.

    I lately saw a sunset sky, And stood enraptured⁶ to behold Its varied⁷ hues⁹ of glorious dye： First, fleecy clouds of shining gold；

    These blushing took a rosy¹⁰ hue⁸； Beneath them shone a flood of green； Nor less divine, the glorious blue That smiled above them and between.

    I cannot name each lovely shade； I cannot say how bright they shone； But one by one, I saw them fade； And what remained when they were gone？

    Dull clouds remained, of sombre hue, And when their borrowed charm was o'er, The azure¹¹ sky had faded too, That smiled so softly bright before.

    So, gilded¹² by the glow of youth, Our varied life looks fair and gay； And so remains¹³ the naked truth, When that false light is past away.

    Why blame ye, then, my keener sight, That clearly sees a world of woes¹⁵ Through all the haze¹⁶ of golden light That flattering Falsehood round it throws？

    When the young mother smiles above The first-born darling of her heart, Her bosom¹⁷ glows with earnest love, While tears of silent transport start.

    Fond dreamer！ little does she know The anxious toil¹⁸, the suffering, The blasted hopes, the burning woe¹⁴, The object of her joy will bring.

    Her blinded eyes behold not now What, soon or late, must be his doom¹⁹； The anguish²⁰ that will cloud his brow, The bed of death, the dreary tomb.

    As little know the youthful pair, In mutual²¹ love supremely²² blest, What weariness, and cold despair, Ere long, will seize the aching breast.

    And even should Love and Faith remain, （The greatest blessings²³ life can show,） Amid adversity and pain, To shine throughout with cheering glow；

    They do not see how cruel Death Comes on, their loving hearts to part： One feels not now the gasping²⁴ breath, The rending²⁵ of the earth-bound heart,-

    The soul's and body's agony, Ere she may sink to her repose²⁶. The sad survivor²⁷ cannot see The grave above his darling close；

    Nor how, despairing and alone, He then must wear his life away； And linger, feebly toiling²⁸ on, And fainting, sink into decay.

    * * * *

    Oh, Youth may listen patiently, While sad Experience tells her tale, But Doubt sits smiling in his eye, For ardent²⁹ Hope will still prevail！

    He hears how feeble Pleasure dies, By guilt³⁰ destroyed, and pain and woe； He turns to Hope——and she replies, "Believe it not-it is not so！"

    "Oh, heed³¹ her not！" Experience says； "For thus she whispered once to me； She told me, in my youthful days, How glorious manhood's prime would be.

    "When, in the time of early Spring, Too chill the winds that o'er me pass'd, She said, each coming day would bring a fairer heaven, a gentler blast.

    "And when the sun too seldom beamed, The sky, o'ercast, too darkly frowned, The soaking rain too constant streamed, And mists too dreary gathered round；

    "She told me, Summer's glorious ray Would chase those vapours all away, And scatter³² glories round； With sweetest music fill the trees, Load with rich scent³³ the gentle breeze, And strew³⁴ with flowers the ground

    "But when, beneath that scorching³⁵ ray, I languished³⁶, weary through the day, While birds refused to sing, Verdure decayed from field and tree, And panting Nature mourned with me The freshness of the Spring.

    "'Wait but a little while,' she said, 'Till Summer's burning days are fled； And Autumn shall restore, With golden riches of her own, And Summer's glories mellowed³⁷ down, The freshness you deplore³⁸.'

    And long I waited, but in vain： That freshness never came again, Though Summer passed away, Though Autumn's mists hung cold and chill. And drooping³⁹ nature languished still, And sank into decay.

    "Till wintry blasts foreboding blew Through leafless trees——and then I knew That Hope was all a dream. But thus, fond youth, she cheated me； And she will prove as false to thee, Though sweet her words may seem.

    Stern prophet！ Cease thy bodings dire—— Thou canst not quench⁴⁰ the ardent fire That warms the breast of youth. Oh, let it cheer him while it may, And gently, gently die away—— Chilled by the damps of truth！

    Tell him, that earth is not our rest； Its joys are empty——frail at best； And point beyond the sky. But gleams of light may reach us here； And hope the ROUGHEST path can cheer： Then do not bid it fly！

    Though hope may promise joys, that still Unkindly time will ne'er fulfil； Or, if they come at all, We never find them unalloyed,—— Hurtful perchance, or soon destroyed, They vanish or they pall⁴¹；

    Yet hope ITSELF a brightness throws O'er all our labours and our woes； While dark foreboding Care A thousand ills will oft portend⁴², That Providence⁴³ may ne'er intend The trembling heart to bear.

    Or if they come, it oft appears, Our woes are lighter⁴⁴ than our fears, And far more bravely borne. Then let us not enhance our doom But e'en in midnight's blackest gloom Expect the rising morn.

    Because the road is rough and long, Shall we despise the skylark's song, That cheers the wanderer's way？ Or trample⁴⁵ down, with reckless feet, The smiling flowerets, bright and sweet, Because they soon decay？

    Pass pleasant scenes unnoticed by, Because the next is bleak⁴⁶ and drear； Or not enjoy a smiling sky, Because a tempest may be near？

    No！ while we journey on our way, We'll smile on every lovely thing； And ever, as they pass away, To memory and hope we'll cling.

    And though that awful river flows Before us, when the journey's past, Perchance of all the pilgrim's woes Most dreadful——shrink not——'tis the last！

    Though icy cold, and dark, and deep； Beyond it smiles that blessed shore, Where none shall suffer, none shall weep, And bliss⁴⁷ shall reign⁴⁸ for evermore！