California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



Better Than Cold. 



; ETTER tban Rraudeur, better than gold. 

 Than rank and title a tlioiisaud fold, 

 Is a healthy body, a mind at ease. 

 And siuiple pleasures that always pleaee. 

 A heart that can feel for a neighbor's woe, 

 And share his joys with a genial glow, 

 With KymputhieB large enough to enfold 

 All men ad brothers, iij better than gold. 



Better than roM is a conscience clear, 

 Thoiit,'h tniling for brtiad in a humble sphere, 

 Doubly b|. Kt with content and health, 

 Untried by the lust of cares or wealth. 

 Lowly living and lofty thought 

 Adorn and eunoblu a poor man's cot; 

 For man and morals and Nature's plan 

 Are the genuine test of a gentleman. 



Bolter than gold is the eweet repose 



Of the sons of toil when their labors close. 



Better than gnld in the ptior man's sleep. 



And the balm that drops from his slumbers doep, 



Bringing sleeping draughts to the downy bed 



Where luxury pillows his acliing head; 



His simpler opiate, labor deems 



A shorter road to the land of dreams. 



Bettor than gold is a thinking mind, 

 That, iu the realm of books can find 

 A treasure surpassing Australian ore, 

 And live With the great and good of yore. 

 The sage's lore and the poet's lay. 

 The glories of empires nass away ; 

 Thp wo'-ld's great drama will thus enfold 

 And yield a pleasure better than gold. 



Better than gold is a peaceful home, 

 Where all the fireside charities come ; 

 The shrine of love and the heaven of life, 

 H.iUowed by mother, or sister, or wife. 

 However humble the home may be. 

 Or tried by sorrow, with heaven's decree, 

 The blessings that never were bought or sold. 

 And centre here, are better than gold, 



A Voice to Young Men. 



BT ANNA LINDEN » 



Stand nobly up and face life's work 



With brave and honest soul. 

 And let no false and foolish pride 



Your manly heart control. 

 Stand out in honest, bold relief— 



A worker and a man ; 

 Something of use in thi? great world, 



After your Maker's plan. 



And if you keep yourmorals pure. 



And eultivare your mind. 

 And stand up nobly for the right, 



Anp live as God designed ; 

 Then, sir, you need not bend the knee 



To bank stock nor to gold ; 

 For there is wealth of higher worth 



Thau figures over told. 



Work is most noble, good and grand, 



Since God ordained it so ; 

 It keeps the heart from cankering rust 



And maaes the nation grow. 

 The workers are the nation's wealth. 



And not the idle drones. 

 Work makes the country prosperous, 



Makes happy hearts and homes. 



*Tis good to see the honest face 



And stalwart, maoly frame. 

 With muscles that Ix-speak of strength. 



And liauds to match the same — 

 Hands that Inok competent to grasp 



And grapple with life's foes. 

 And ufiuse the brrren wilderness 



To blossom as the rose. 



Ashamed of labor I No, not yon, 



Since that was God's decree ; 

 For honest and industrious toil 



Brings glad prosperity. 

 It frames and builds up all the good 



A nation's life can know — 

 Science, and art, and fame, and wealth. 



From work and eflfort grow. 



Spurn indolence, whose weakening grasp 



Blights manliness and worth ; 

 Be something to yourself and friends ; 



lie useful to the earth. 

 Make laburnoble in itself 



By being nobly d«jne, 

 And make fair Nature's heart rejoice 



To own you as her son. 



It matters not if hands and brains 



Are all your stock of wealth. 

 With steady, patient industry, 



And energy ^nd health. 

 You yet may rise to lofty heights, 



As others have before, 

 And crown the throne of wealth and fame 



With one brave victor more. 



Go Ahead. 



When your plans of life are clear, 

 Go ahead ; 

 But no faster than your brains. 

 Haste is always in the rear, 

 if l>ame Prudence hold the reins, 

 Go ahead. 



Do not ask too broad a test — 



Go ahead. 



Lagging never clears the right ; 



When you do your duty best. 



You will best know what is right — 



Go ahead. 



Never doubt a righteous cause. 

 Go Ahead. 

 Throw yourself completely in, 

 Conscience shaping all your laws ; 

 MautuUy, through thick and thin. 

 Go ahead. 



Do not ask who will go with you. 

 Go ahead. 

 Numbers I Spurn the coward's plea I 

 If there be but one or two- 

 Single. handed though it be. 

 Go ahead. 



Though before you mountains rise, 



Go ahead. 



Scale them ? certainly you can. 



Let them proudly pierce the skies; 



What are mountains to a man? 



Go ahead. 



Though fierce waters round you dash. 

 Go aheml. 

 Let no hardship baffle you. 

 Though the heavens roar and flash, 

 St 11 undaunted, firm and true. 

 Go ahead. 



Heed not Mammon's golden bell. 

 Go ahead. 

 Make no compromise with sin. 

 Toll tho serpent he looks well, 

 But you cannot let him in. 

 Go ahead. 



Better days are drawing nigh. 



Go ahead. 



Making duty all your pride. 



You must prosper, live or die; 



For all heaven's on jour side. 



Go ahead. 



Love and Labor. 



We die not all, for our deeds remain. 

 To crown with honor or mar with stain. 

 Through endless sequence of years to come 

 Our lives shall speak though our lips are dumb. 



What though we perish unknown to fame. 

 Our tomb forgotten and lost our name. 

 Since naught is wasted in heaven or earth. 

 And nothing dies to which God gives birth. 



Though life be joyless and death be cold, 

 And ph^asure pall as the w*irld grows old. 

 Vet God has grunted our hearts relief. 

 For love and labor can conquer grief. 



Love sheds a light on the gloomy way. 

 And labor hurries the weary day. 

 Though death be fearful and life be hard, 

 Y'et love and labor shall win reward. 



If love can dry up a single tear. 



If lifelong labor avail to clear 



A single web from before the true, 



Then love and labor havo won their due. 



What though we mourn, we can comfort pain ; 

 "What if we die, so the truth be plain. 

 A little spark from a high desire 

 Shall kindle others, and grow a fire. 



We are not worthy to work the whole. 

 We have no strength which may save a soul. 

 Enough for us if our life begin 

 Successful struggle with grief and sin. 



Labor is mortal and fades away, 

 But love shall triumph iu perfect day; 

 Labor may wither beneath the sod. 

 But love lives forever, for love is God. 



— [Chambers' Journal 



The Bachelor's Advice* 



If determined to marry, why so let It be. 

 But first tarry a moment and listen to me. 



To save you some trouVile and maybe some strife, 

 Look well to tho woman you choose for a wife. 



If ugly tho maiden, why let her go to. 



And frighten some other less timid than you. 



If fair, then beware lest your house should become 

 The haunt of gallants when you're absent from home. 



If poor, let her pass, and all wooing give o'er; 

 For discord comes in when the wolf's at the door. 



If wealthy, avoid her; she'll certainly wear 



ThoBo garments that pride should forbid you to spare ^ 



If old. bid the beldame in quiet to go. 



A man should not marry Iut> mother, you know. 



If young, have a feor of the tempest and storm. 

 Young hearts are rebellious, young blood is too warm. 



If short, ponder long ere you make her your bride ; 

 Who stoops to a mate must abandon his pride. 



If tall, drive her off. if 'tis needed with whips. 

 'Twould fatigue to much to climb to her lips. 



If sly. bid her troop to her mother at once. 



Lest when you have wedded the world call you dunce. 



If frank, to her outspoken speech give no ear ; 



She may tell you some truths not so pleasant to hear , 



But should there be one who is neither of these, 

 Then win her and wed her as soon as you please. 



But first, at tho bridal a goblet fill up 



With poison, then drain at one swallow the cup. 



For thus, and thus only, a man may forego 

 Tho evils fruju marriage that certainly How. 



A Woman's Answer to a Man's 

 Question- 

 Do you know you have a^ked for the costliest thing 



Ever molce by the Hand above — 

 For a woman's heart and a woman's life 



And a woman's wonderful love? 



Do you know you have asked for this priceloSB thing. 



As a child might ask for a toy. 

 Demanding what t)therB have died to win 



With the reckless dash of a boy? 



You have written my lesson of duty oat. 



Manlike you have questioned me ; 

 Now stand at the bar of my woman's soul 



Until I shall question thee. 



You require your mutton shall always be hot, 



Y'our socks and your shirts be whole ; 

 I require your heart to be true as God's stars, 



And jmre as His heaven your soul. 



You require a cook for your mutton and beef; 



I require a far better thing. 

 A seJimstn^sB you're wanting for socks and for shirts ; 



I look for a man and a king. 



A king for the beautiful realm called home. 



And a man that the Maker. God, 

 Shall look upon as He did the first, 



And say, " It is very good." 



I am young and fair, but the rose will fade 



From my soft young cheek one day ; 

 Will you love me then, *mid the falling leaves. 



As you did 'mid the bloom of May? 



Is your heart an ocean, so strong and deep 



I may launch my all on its tide? 

 A loving woman finds heaven or hell 



On the day she is made a brido. 



I require all things that are grand and true — 



All things that a man should be. 

 If you give this all. I would stake my life 



To be what you demand of me. 



If you cannot bo this, a laundress and cook 



Y'itu can hire with little pay ; 

 But a woman's heart and a woman's life 



Are not to be won that way. 



The Sower. 



BY ROBEKT MORRIS, LL. D. 



He that hath ears to hear 

 May listen now. 

 While I shall tell, iu simple words indeed. 

 Of a good husbandman who took hia seed 

 And went to sow. 



Some by the wayside fell 



On breezes borne 

 The fowls of heaven flew down— a greedy train— 

 And snatched with ha^ty appetite the grain, 



Till all was gone. 



Some fell upon a roctt. 

 And greenly soon 

 They sprouted as for harvest, strong and fair ; 

 But when the summer's sun shone hotly there 

 They wilted down. 



Some fell among the thorns, 

 A fertile soil ; 

 But ere tho grain could raise its timid head. 

 Luxuriantly the accursed weeds o'erspread 

 And choked them all. 



But some in the good ground^ 



God's precious mnuld — 

 Where sun, breeze, dew and dowers apportioned well. 

 And in the harvest smiling swains could tell 



Their hundred-fold. 



A farmer's economical daughter in Hassa- 

 cliusetts put off her weddiug-day because eggs 

 were fort\- cents a dozen, and it would take 

 two dozen for the wedding-cakes and pudding. 



