GEMS FROM THE GERMAN OF RICHTER. Ill 



" 'Tis the land ! 'tis the land of Sunny East, 

 'Neath the cloudless smiles of Heaven; 

 For the spirit's home — for the spirit's feast. 

 To the gentle fairies given. 

 In our wantoning, 

 Witii joyous wing, 

 We float in the balmy air ; 

 And gaily sing, 

 The flowers of spring, 

 A song of welcome there. 

 Then the branches clapped their hands, 



As the fairies ceased to sing. 

 And a fragrance fresh from distant lands. 



Richly around did fling. 

 Now a voice of mourning rose 

 From that lovely Elfin tree. 

 As though it labored to disclose , 



A tale of grief to me. 

 Farewell ! Farewell, to our fairy home. 



To the fields in the soft yielding air 

 Haste we — oh haste, o'er the ocean to roam 



To a country less lovely and fair. 

 Hark ! — a sound of the rustling of wings, 



Comes hurriedly on the gale ; 

 And away, away, the timid things 

 Fly over the sea and vale. 



GEMS FROM THE GERMAN OF RICHTER. 



Herder and Schiller. Both of them in their youth intended to be- 

 come surgeons. But destiny said : " No ! there are deeper wounds 

 than those of the body, — heal the deeper; " and both obeyed. 



Man often weeps in his sleep. When he awakes, he scarcely knows 

 that he has wept. Such is life. In the life to come, thou wilt no longer 

 know, that thou hast wept in this. 



Men receive contradiction and instruction more readily than we 

 suppose, but if it be violent, they will not endure it, even though it be 

 well founded. The heart like a flower remains open to the gently fall- 

 ing dew, but closes to the rain. 



A small injury throws us out of ourselves, a great one upon our- 

 selves. A bell slightly cracked sounds dull, but if more widely cracked 

 the clear sound returns. 



Many flowers open to the sun ; yet only one follows him. Heart ! 

 be as the sun-flower, not only open to thy God, but continually follow 

 him. 



