The Frog singeth a Psalm: "Praised be the majesty

Of His mighty kingdom

For ever and ever!"

The Cat sayeth

When the Mouse escapeth her
Up into a high place:
"Though thou should'st rise
Like the eagle on high,

Yea, though thou should'st nest

On high among the stars,

Yet will I bring thee down!

For I have sharp nails

To climb and to spring,

For all of which I praise the Lord!"

The Mouse sayeth,

Escaping from the Cat:

"I thank Thee, O God,

That mine enemy

Hath not rejoiced over me!"

The Dog sayeth :

66

Come, let us throw ourselves down,

Let us kneel and bow

Before God, our Maker!"

The Weasel sayeth:

"Let all things which breathe

Praise the Lord through ages!

I am not of the earth,

Nor yet am I of the sea,

So I declare,

All creatures that have souls,
Praise the Lord!

That His holy name may be whole,

And say, Let Him be praised

For ever and for ever."

FROM AN OLD JEWISH CANTICLE

166

A PRAYER

O God, my Father and my Friend,
Ever Thy blessings to me send;
Let me have virtue for my guide,
And wisdom always at my side;
Thus cheerfully through life I'll go,
Nor ever feel the sting of woe;
Contented with the humblest lot,
Happy, though in the meanest cot.

FELICIA D. HEMANS

[At the age of nine]

167

BEAUTIFUL THINGS

What millions of beautiful things there must be
In this mighty world!-who could reckon them
all?

The tossing, the foaming, the wide flowing sea,
And thousands of rivers that into it fall.

O there are the mountains, half covered with snow,
With tall and dark trees, like a girdle of green,
And waters that wind in the valley below,
Or roar in the caverns, too deep to be seen.

Vast caves in the earth, full of wonderful things,
The bones of strange animals, jewels and spars;
Or, far up in Iceland, the hot, boiling springs,
Like fountains of feathers, or showers of stars.

Here spread the sweet meadows with thousands of flowers,

Far away are old woods that for ages remain; Wild elephants sleep in the shade of their bowers, Or troops of young antelopes traverse the plain.

O yes, they are glorious, all to behold,

And pleasant to read of, and curious to know, And something of God and His wisdom we're told, Whatever we look at-wherever we go.

ANN TAYLOR

168

EVENING HYMN FOR A CHILD

Another day its course has run,

And still, O God, Thy child is blest;
For Thou hast been by day my sun,
And Thou wilt be by night my rest.

Sweet sleep descends, my eyes to close;
And now, when all the world is still,

I give my body to repose,

My spirit to my Father's will.

JOHN PIERPONT

169

LORD, WE ARE THANKFUL

Lord, we are thankful for the air,

For breath of life, for water fair,
For morning burst, for noon-day light,
For alternation of the night,

For place in Thy infinity,

Lord, we are thankful unto Thee.

For years

and seasons as they run,

For winter cloud and summer sun,

For seed-time and the autumn store

In due succession evermore,

For flower and fruit, for herb and tree,

Lord, we are thankful unto Thee.

For beauty and delight of sound,
That float Thy universe around;
For carol of the happy birds,

For fall of streams, for gush of birds,
For music of the earth and sea,
Lord, we are thankful unto Thee.

For daily toil that we endure,
For labor's recompense secure,
For wholesome zest of appetite,
For food and drink, and slumbers light,
For vigorous health and pulses free,
Lord, we are thankful unto Thee.

For fellowship with human kind,
For pure emotions of the mind,
For Joy, that were not joy sincere
Unless for Sorrow's previous tear,
For Hope, and Love, and Sympathy,
Lord, we are thankful unto Thee.

For Conscience, and its voice of awe-
Thy whisper when we break Thy law,
For knowledge of Thy power divine,
And wisdom mighty as benign;
For all we are, and hope to be,
Lord, we are thankful unto Thee.

CHARLES MACKAY