A SMILE

The gliding of a fairy form

And rosy lips that knew no guile,

With wonder parted, came to ask,

“Papa, what is a smile?”

A smile, whate'er it is, then stole

That gentle parent's features o'er;

For ne'er to him had been proposed

Query so strange before.

But while he pondered in his heart

How he should to his child reply,

A new, triumphant joy lit up

Her loving, lustrous eye;—

And with this gladsome, new-found thought,

She answered in her own behalf:

“Oh, now, I know; a smile must be

The whisper to a laugh!”

“A SPARROW ALONE ON THE HOUSETOP”

Sing, little sparrow, sing thy song.

No peril neareth thee;

Tho night be dark or day be long,

Or clouds hang low, sing on, sing on,

The dear God heareth thee.

Sing, little bird, whate'er befall —

Trill out thine utmost need;

Thou canst not soar, thou canst not fall

But He will note who knoweth all,

And He thy plaint will heed.

O little sparrow, far and high

Thy soft notes God-ward go,

And I with thee send up my cry,

And both shall somewhere find reply,

God careth for us so.