Lines to a Great Philanthropist.
Oh Wilderspin! I would attune the harpOf sweetest poesy to tell thee how,With heart and spirit, I esteem the workAnd labour of thy life! no harsher soundThan softest music will befit the theme—No tone less ’trancing than the poet’s lyre.Kind friend of Infants! who in early life,Amidst the haunts and dwellings of the poor,Looking around thee, saw them left to roamIn paths of wickedness, untrained, untaught,Save in the deeds of ill; and with a heartOf tender care, a mind resolved to act,Didst love and pity them;—with deepest thoughtAnd observation piercing and intense,Didst keenly study all the mystic lawsOf mind unfolding in the infant breast,And feeling rising in each little heart,That to the one thou mightest know arightSweet simple truth in fitting form to give,And train the other in all moral good,Beneath the blessing of that God who givesFull oft a life to truth within the mind,As to the seeds we scatter in the ground.By simple stories from the sacred page,By parables and life-informing texts,And milk sincere, pure from the Word Divine,It was thy wish to lead them on to Christ,And teach them of His love. Woe lies on thoseWho with a wilful hand would force strong meatOn minds of delicate and tender age,And thereby cause offence. The warning kind,The simple precept, and the promise sweet,The perfect picture of a holy life,The lovely prospect of a world of light,And joy and happiness, with God on high,Are food for little ones, and cords of loveWhereby the Spirit may draw hearts to Him.Teacher of babes! thy cause, when in its rise,Drew friends around, who fostered it with care,Endured a little time, and then fell off.Alone, undaunted, in the face of scorn,Of opposition, slander, ridicule,And all that most can sink the heart of manAnd baffle perseverance, thou didst still,Upheld by strength imparted from on high,With boldness persevere, and plead the causeOf helpless infancy around the land,And work unceasing for its lasting goodWith untired ardour. Others now would reapThe fields which thou hast sown, and cast asideThy name into oblivion; would availThemselves of all thy labours; would forgetThe mind from which they sprung, and leave thee now,When the chill winter of old age comes on,In dim obscurity. Nay, more than this—Some would traduce thee, and use slander’s tongue:But let the sinless cast a stone at thee!And let all judge thee by thy noble works,Thy deeds of true philanthropy, then allWould look upon thee with a heart of love,Of wonder, of astonishment and joy.And oh may “He who doth the ravens feed,Yea providently caters for the sparrow,Be comfort to thine age.” May He who said,A cup of water given in his nameTo little ones should have a full reward,Give thee the riches of eternal life,A spirit pure, a heart prepared and meet,For joy and glory in the worlds above!1845
Oh Wilderspin! I would attune the harpOf sweetest poesy to tell thee how,With heart and spirit, I esteem the workAnd labour of thy life! no harsher soundThan softest music will befit the theme—No tone less ’trancing than the poet’s lyre.Kind friend of Infants! who in early life,Amidst the haunts and dwellings of the poor,Looking around thee, saw them left to roamIn paths of wickedness, untrained, untaught,Save in the deeds of ill; and with a heartOf tender care, a mind resolved to act,Didst love and pity them;—with deepest thoughtAnd observation piercing and intense,Didst keenly study all the mystic lawsOf mind unfolding in the infant breast,And feeling rising in each little heart,That to the one thou mightest know arightSweet simple truth in fitting form to give,And train the other in all moral good,Beneath the blessing of that God who givesFull oft a life to truth within the mind,As to the seeds we scatter in the ground.By simple stories from the sacred page,By parables and life-informing texts,And milk sincere, pure from the Word Divine,It was thy wish to lead them on to Christ,And teach them of His love. Woe lies on thoseWho with a wilful hand would force strong meatOn minds of delicate and tender age,And thereby cause offence. The warning kind,The simple precept, and the promise sweet,The perfect picture of a holy life,The lovely prospect of a world of light,And joy and happiness, with God on high,Are food for little ones, and cords of loveWhereby the Spirit may draw hearts to Him.Teacher of babes! thy cause, when in its rise,Drew friends around, who fostered it with care,Endured a little time, and then fell off.Alone, undaunted, in the face of scorn,Of opposition, slander, ridicule,And all that most can sink the heart of manAnd baffle perseverance, thou didst still,Upheld by strength imparted from on high,With boldness persevere, and plead the causeOf helpless infancy around the land,And work unceasing for its lasting goodWith untired ardour. Others now would reapThe fields which thou hast sown, and cast asideThy name into oblivion; would availThemselves of all thy labours; would forgetThe mind from which they sprung, and leave thee now,When the chill winter of old age comes on,In dim obscurity. Nay, more than this—Some would traduce thee, and use slander’s tongue:But let the sinless cast a stone at thee!And let all judge thee by thy noble works,Thy deeds of true philanthropy, then allWould look upon thee with a heart of love,Of wonder, of astonishment and joy.And oh may “He who doth the ravens feed,Yea providently caters for the sparrow,Be comfort to thine age.” May He who said,A cup of water given in his nameTo little ones should have a full reward,Give thee the riches of eternal life,A spirit pure, a heart prepared and meet,For joy and glory in the worlds above!1845
Oh Wilderspin! I would attune the harpOf sweetest poesy to tell thee how,With heart and spirit, I esteem the workAnd labour of thy life! no harsher soundThan softest music will befit the theme—No tone less ’trancing than the poet’s lyre.Kind friend of Infants! who in early life,Amidst the haunts and dwellings of the poor,Looking around thee, saw them left to roamIn paths of wickedness, untrained, untaught,Save in the deeds of ill; and with a heartOf tender care, a mind resolved to act,Didst love and pity them;—with deepest thoughtAnd observation piercing and intense,Didst keenly study all the mystic lawsOf mind unfolding in the infant breast,And feeling rising in each little heart,That to the one thou mightest know arightSweet simple truth in fitting form to give,And train the other in all moral good,Beneath the blessing of that God who givesFull oft a life to truth within the mind,As to the seeds we scatter in the ground.By simple stories from the sacred page,By parables and life-informing texts,And milk sincere, pure from the Word Divine,It was thy wish to lead them on to Christ,And teach them of His love. Woe lies on thoseWho with a wilful hand would force strong meatOn minds of delicate and tender age,And thereby cause offence. The warning kind,The simple precept, and the promise sweet,The perfect picture of a holy life,The lovely prospect of a world of light,And joy and happiness, with God on high,Are food for little ones, and cords of loveWhereby the Spirit may draw hearts to Him.Teacher of babes! thy cause, when in its rise,Drew friends around, who fostered it with care,Endured a little time, and then fell off.Alone, undaunted, in the face of scorn,Of opposition, slander, ridicule,And all that most can sink the heart of manAnd baffle perseverance, thou didst still,Upheld by strength imparted from on high,With boldness persevere, and plead the causeOf helpless infancy around the land,And work unceasing for its lasting goodWith untired ardour. Others now would reapThe fields which thou hast sown, and cast asideThy name into oblivion; would availThemselves of all thy labours; would forgetThe mind from which they sprung, and leave thee now,When the chill winter of old age comes on,In dim obscurity. Nay, more than this—Some would traduce thee, and use slander’s tongue:But let the sinless cast a stone at thee!And let all judge thee by thy noble works,Thy deeds of true philanthropy, then allWould look upon thee with a heart of love,Of wonder, of astonishment and joy.And oh may “He who doth the ravens feed,Yea providently caters for the sparrow,Be comfort to thine age.” May He who said,A cup of water given in his nameTo little ones should have a full reward,Give thee the riches of eternal life,A spirit pure, a heart prepared and meet,For joy and glory in the worlds above!
Oh Wilderspin! I would attune the harp
Of sweetest poesy to tell thee how,
With heart and spirit, I esteem the work
And labour of thy life! no harsher sound
Than softest music will befit the theme—
No tone less ’trancing than the poet’s lyre.
Kind friend of Infants! who in early life,
Amidst the haunts and dwellings of the poor,
Looking around thee, saw them left to roam
In paths of wickedness, untrained, untaught,
Save in the deeds of ill; and with a heart
Of tender care, a mind resolved to act,
Didst love and pity them;—with deepest thought
And observation piercing and intense,
Didst keenly study all the mystic laws
Of mind unfolding in the infant breast,
And feeling rising in each little heart,
That to the one thou mightest know aright
Sweet simple truth in fitting form to give,
And train the other in all moral good,
Beneath the blessing of that God who gives
Full oft a life to truth within the mind,
As to the seeds we scatter in the ground.
By simple stories from the sacred page,
By parables and life-informing texts,
And milk sincere, pure from the Word Divine,
It was thy wish to lead them on to Christ,
And teach them of His love. Woe lies on those
Who with a wilful hand would force strong meat
On minds of delicate and tender age,
And thereby cause offence. The warning kind,
The simple precept, and the promise sweet,
The perfect picture of a holy life,
The lovely prospect of a world of light,
And joy and happiness, with God on high,
Are food for little ones, and cords of love
Whereby the Spirit may draw hearts to Him.
Teacher of babes! thy cause, when in its rise,
Drew friends around, who fostered it with care,
Endured a little time, and then fell off.
Alone, undaunted, in the face of scorn,
Of opposition, slander, ridicule,
And all that most can sink the heart of man
And baffle perseverance, thou didst still,
Upheld by strength imparted from on high,
With boldness persevere, and plead the cause
Of helpless infancy around the land,
And work unceasing for its lasting good
With untired ardour. Others now would reap
The fields which thou hast sown, and cast aside
Thy name into oblivion; would avail
Themselves of all thy labours; would forget
The mind from which they sprung, and leave thee now,
When the chill winter of old age comes on,
In dim obscurity. Nay, more than this—
Some would traduce thee, and use slander’s tongue:
But let the sinless cast a stone at thee!
And let all judge thee by thy noble works,
Thy deeds of true philanthropy, then all
Would look upon thee with a heart of love,
Of wonder, of astonishment and joy.
And oh may “He who doth the ravens feed,
Yea providently caters for the sparrow,
Be comfort to thine age.” May He who said,
A cup of water given in his name
To little ones should have a full reward,
Give thee the riches of eternal life,
A spirit pure, a heart prepared and meet,
For joy and glory in the worlds above!
1845