No. 14] Heath (Rricaceoe.) 



To soothe perchance the exiles' lot. 



The Lord approved, and bade them so. 



But oh ! the Lord, He named them first 



A hard condition : If they went, 

 They all must yield their wealth of leaves. 



At that was sore bewilderment. 



Then Eve and Adam turned away, 



And wept again for loss begun ; 

 And none of all the lovely flowers 



Did aught but mourn anew — save one ; 



And that the one deemed there the best, 

 The queen, the fair Arbutus flower, 



Whose springing boughs and wealth of leaves 

 Were still the pride of Eden's bower. 



" Yea, Master, I will go, 

 I love them so. 

 For coarser robe and trailing bough 



I yield my wealth of leaves. 



My spirit grieves, 

 But now, thou Lord of love, 

 I pray thee teach me from above 



To ever brighten with my bloom 



The shadows and the gloom 

 Of sin-cursed lands, 

 Where exiles toil with weary hands, 



And roam with fading memory of home 



Then Eve and Adam checked their sighs, 

 And blessed that loving Eden flower ; 



While all the flowers, for love and loss, 

 Drooped low and long in Eden's bower. 



Full oft, in far and sin-cursed lands, 



Where soon those exiles learned to roam, 



A coarse-robed, trailing flower was all 

 That gave them memory of home. 



