Frontispiece: A Girl’s Face, after Greuzedetails

A GIRL’S face where, the budding rose

Of youthful beauty blooms and grows

By nature’s influence sweet and good,

to fuller grace of womanhood;

Is there a sight on earth so fair?

Consider well the raven hair

That clouds the forehead pure and white;

The lovely eyes like stars of light,

In whose clear, hazel glance is seen

The soul untroubled and serene;

The ripe bewitching lips that part

With smiles like sunshine of the heart;

And all the charms unnoted here,

That blossom sweet from year to year.

Time changes all. The fairest day

Of short lived summer fades away,

And on the wintry garden bed

The petals of the rose are shed;

Time steals the splendour from the hair,

And marks the brow with lines of care;

But there are beauties of the soul

That time and change may not control;

The faith and love, that still are blind

To others’ faults, and good and kind,

And swift to help with blessed deeds

A sister’s or a brother’s needs,

These grow with years in brighter grace

And add new beauty to the face.