THE YOUNG MOTHER'S VISION

I saw a fair young mother sitting,

With a babe upon her knee;

Fast through‘ er mind sweet thoughts were flitting —

So it did appeal to me.

Her eyes with fondest smiles were beaming

On that infant's lovely face;

She seemed upon the future dreaming,

And I tried her dream to trace.

While her face with love was glowing,

As her babe looked up and smiled;

Thus I sketched her numbers flowing

Freely forth unto her child:

“Charming boy, in beauty vieing

With the fairest rose I see;

This I need not be denying,

That thou dearer art to me.

“Whilst thou slept, I fell to musing

On thy present happy lot;

And thy future for thee choosing,

Soon all other thoughts forgot.

“Thus I chose at first to paint thee —

Growing up toward thy teens;

No corruption near to taint thee

Passing through thy boyish scenes.

“Then I traced out all the labor

Which I would bestow on thee,

That thou mightest grow in favor

With the Lord, as well as me.

“Next I viewed thy mind expanding,

With the best of knowledge stored:

Light divine, and understanding

Gained from God's most holy Word.

“Years flew by; thou wert approaching

Very near to man's estate,

And, to those, around, wert broaching

Thy deep thoughts, with soul elate!

“Again I saw thee; thou wert coming

To the heights of world-wide fame;

My fears arose, I saw ills looming,

And bid thee guard thy spotless name.

“I looked again, and found thee wooing

Damsel modest, rich and fair;

And wicked men sought thy undoing,

Ere thou wert the least aware.

“But, thanks to God! He did preserve thee —

Gave thee, too, a lovely wife;

For duty this afresh did nerve thee,

Struggling with the ills of life.

“Again the vision passed before me,

But some years had fled away;

Thou hadst been sick, the Lord restored thee —

Children were around at play.

“I saw thy wife and thee were growing

In sweetest chaste conjugal love;

To things of God attention showing,

Fitting you for bliss above.

“The curtain drops: thy smiles recall me

To discharge my duties right;

Rich mercies I enjoy console me

For the loss of Vision bright.”