< Page:Pocahontas, and Other Poems.djvu
This page needs to be proofread.

PICTURE OF A SLEEPING INFANT

WATCHED BY A DOG.

��SWEET are thy slumbers, baby. Gentle gales Do lift the curtaining foliage o'er thy head, And nested birds sing lullaby ; and flowers That form the living broidery of thy couch Shed fresh perfume.

He, too, whose guardian eye Pondereth thy features with such true delight, And faithful semblance of parental care, Counting his master's darling as his own, Should aught upon thy helpless rest intrude, Would show a lion's wrath.

And when she comes, Thy peasant-mother, from her weary toil, Thy shout will cheer her, and thy little arms Entwine her sunburnt neck, with joy as full As infancy can feel. They who recline In luxury's proud cradle, lulled with strains Of warbling lute, and watched by hireling eyes,

�� �

    This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.