Louisa May Alcott

"Bright shines the summer sun,
Soft is the summer air;
Gayly the wood-birds sing,
Flowers are blooming fair.

"But, deep in the dark, cold rock,
Sadly I dwell,
Longing for thee, dear friend,
Lily-Bell! Lily-Bell!"


"Through sunlight and summer air
I have sought for thee long,
Guided by birds and flowers,
And now by thy song.

"Thistledown! Thistledown!
O'er hill and dell
Hither to comfort thee
Comes Lily-Bell."

    '"Listening to celestial lays,
    Bending thy unclouded gaze
    On the pure and living light,
    Thou art blest, Aslauga's Knight!"

    "Little drops of water,
    Little drains of sand,
    Mate a might okum (ocean),
    And a peasant land.
    "Little words of kindness,
    Pokin evvy day,
    Make a home a hebbin,
    And hep us on a way."

    The moon had climbed the eastern hill
    Which rises o'er the sands of Dee,
    And from its highest summit shed
    A silver light on tower and tree,
    When Mary laid her down to sleep
    (Her thoughts on Sandy far at sea);
    When soft and low a voice was heard,
    Saying, 'Mary, weep no more for me.'


    She from her pillow gently raised
    Her head, to see who there might be,
    And saw young Sandy, shivering stand
    With visage pale and hollow e'e.
    'Oh Mary dear, cold is my clay;
    It lies beneath the stormy sea;
    Far, far from thee, I sleep in death.
    Dear Mary, weep no more for me.


    'Three stormy nights and stormy days
    We tossed upon the raging main.
    And long we strove our bark to sa...

"Awake! awake! for the earliest gleam
Of golden sunlight shines
On the rippling waves, that brightly flow
Beneath the flowering vines.
Awake! awake! for the low, sweet chant
Of the wild-birds' morning hymn
Comes floating by on the fragrant air,
Through the forest cool and dim;
Then spread each wing,
And work, and sing,
Through the long, bright sunny hours;
O'er the pleasant earth
We journey forth,
For a day among the flowers.

"Awake! awake! for the summer wind
Hath bidden the blossoms unclose,
Hath opened the violet's soft blue eye,
And wakened the sleeping rose.
And lightly they wave on their slender stems
Fragrant, and fresh, and fair,
Waiting for us, as we singing come
To gather our honey-dew there.
Then spread each wing,...

My bonnie flower, with truest joy
Thy welcome face I see,
The world grows brighter to my eyes,
And summer comes with thee.
My solitude now finds a friend,
And after each hard day,
I in my mountain garden walk,
To rest, or sing, or pray.

All down the rocky slope is spread
Thy veil of rosy snow,
And in the valley by the brook,
Thy deeper blossoms grow.
The barren wilderness grows fair,
Such beauty dost thou give;
And human eyes and Nature's heart
Rejoice that thou dost live.

Each year I wait thy coming, dear,
Each year I love thee more,
For life grows hard, and much I need
Thy honey for my store.
So, like a hungry bee, I sip
Sweet lessons from thy cup,
And sitting at a flower's feet,
My soul learns to look up.
...

    Sitting patient in the shadow
    Till the blessed light shall come,
    A serene and saintly presence
    Sanctifies our troubled home.
    Earthly joys and hopes and sorrows
    Break like ripples on the strand
    Of the deep and solemn river
    Where her willing feet now stand.


    O my sister, passing from me,
    Out of human care and strife,
    Leave me, as a gift, those virtues
    Which have beautified your life.
    Dear, bequeath me that great patience
    Which has power to sustain
    A cheerful, uncomplaining spirit
    In its prison-house of pain.


    Give me, for I need it sorely,
    Of that courage, wise and sweet,
    Which has made the path of duty
    Green beneath your willing feet.
    Gi...

    A little kingdom I possess,
    Where thoughts and feelings dwell;
    And very hard I find the task
    Of governing it well.
    For passion tempts and troubles me,
    A wayward will misleads,
    And selfishness its shadow casts
    On all my words and deeds.


    "How can I learn to rule myself,
    To be the child I should, --
    Honest and brave, -- nor ever tire
    Of trying to be good?
    How can I keep a sunny soul
    To shine along life's way?
    How can I tune my little heart
    To sweetly sing all day?


    "Dear Father, help me With the love
    That casteth out my fear!
    Teach me to lean on thee, and feel
    That thou art very near;
    That no temptation is unseen,
    No childish gri...

    "Nearer, my God, to thee,
    E'en though a cross it be
    That raiseth me,
    Still all my song shall be,
    Nearer, my God, to thee.
    Nearer to thee!"

"Not a sparrow falleth but its God doth know,
Just as when his mandate lays a monarch low;
Not a leaflet moveth, but its God doth see,
Think not, then, O mortal, God forgetteth thee.
Far more precious surely than the birds that fly
Is a Father's image to a Father's eye.
E'en thy hairs are numbered; trust Him full and free,
Cast thy cares before Him, He will comfort thee;
For the God that planted in thy breast a soul,
On his sacred tables doth thy name enroll.
Cheer thine heart, then, mortal, never faithless be,
He that marks the sparrows will remember thee."

    "Now hark, little May,
    If you want to do right,
    Under your pillow
    Just look every night.
    If you have been good
    All through the day,
    A gift you will find,
    Useful or gay;
    But if you have been
    Cross, selfish, or wild,
    A bad thing will come
    For the naughty child.
    So try, little dear,
    And soon you will see
    How easy and sweet
    To grow good it will be."


    "Ha, ha, you can't see,
    Although I am here;
    But listen to what
    I say in your ear.
    Tell no one of this.
    Because, if you do,
    My fun will be spoilt,
    And so will yours too.
    But if you are good,
    And patient, and gay,
    A real fairy will come
    To see l...

    "O lion, grand,
    Come over the sand,
    And help me now, I pray!
    Here's a little lass,
    Who wants to pass;
    Please carry her on her way."

    'Oh my heart is sad and weary
    Everywhere I roam,
    Longing for the old plantation
    And for the old folks at home.'

    "Oh, have you e'er heard of Kate Kearney?
    She lives on the banks of Killarney;
    From the glance of her eye,
    Shun danger and fly,
    For fatal's the glance of Kate Kearney."

    'Oh, Peggy was a jolly lass,
    Ye heave ho, boys, ye heave ho!
    She never grudged her Jack a glass,
    Ye heave ho, boys, ye heave ho!
    And when he sailed the raging main,
    She faithful was unto her swain,
    Ye heave ho, boys, ye heave ho!'

    "Oh, Timballoo! how happy we are,
    We live in a sieve and a crockery jar!
    And all night long, in the starlight pale,
    We sail away, with a pea-green sail,
    And whistle and warble a moony song
    To the echoing sound of a coppery gong.
    Far and few, far and few
    Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
    Their heads are green, and their hands are blue,
    And they went to sea in a sieve."

    "Quee, quee!
    Wait and see:
    You were good to me;
    So here I come,
    From my little home,
    To help you willingly,"

    "Rock a bye, babies,
    Your cradle hangs high;
    Soft down your pillow,
    Your curtain the sky.
    Father will feed you,
    While mother will sing,
    And shelter our darlings
    With her warm wing."