57 



The farmer was kind, but liis old mare's lame back 



Had troubled her (greatly all day, 

 He thought 'twould be cruel to take the poor beast 



From the stable, and so answered Nay ! 

 But the lazy man ur^cd, if he'd lend him the mare. 



He would handle old Dobbin with excellent care, 

 And lead /ley the whole of the way! 



I would T mujht, now in a word, 

 Ti'aise dulj' all I've seen and heard. 

 But, sir, 1 nvxy as well confess it, 

 Mere words are too poor to express it. 



When once, before King Solomon, 



The queen of Sheba humbly knelt, 

 To praise him for the acts he'd done, — 



And tell him, frankly, how she felt, 



" It was a true report,"" said she, 

 '* 1 heard in mine own land of thee ; 



Thine acts, th)"^ wisdom, and thy skill, 



Howbeit, X believed not, till 



I came and saw with mine own eyes, 



Thy wondrous works and enterprise ; 



And lo ! thou art exceeding wise ! 



T'hough Fame great marvels did unfold, 



1 find the halfXvAil not been told. 



For thou in wisdom, act, and word, 



Excellcst all the fame 1 heard." 



I feel, I presume, as the Sheban queen then did. 



Your show, which for this year, could hardly be mended, 



Has been, as the ladies saj-, perfectly splendid. 



I am pleased with the stories I hear of the West, 



But /, sir, I like old Massachusetts the best. 



'Tis the home of my lathers, the land of my birth, 



And to me 'tis the lovelist spot on the earth ! 



Now glory be to Him who gives 



The early and the latter i-ain, 

 Who gives us roots and fruits and flowers, 



And fills our bins with ripened grain. 



And calm as autumn suns decline, 



And autumn leaves decay, 

 As nature for her wintry sleep, 



Lays her brown robes away, 



8 



