954 Ssife*- ^ . ; ^,.^_^%&2 COMPANY. HYMNS FOR IOTHEKS AND CHILDREN. COMPILED BY THE AUTHOR OF "VIOLET," "DAISY," Ac, BOSTON: WALKER, WISE, AND COMPANY, 245 WASHINGTON STREET. 1861. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by WALKER, WISE, AND COMPANY, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. University Press, Cambridge : Stereotyped and Printed by Welch, Bigelow, & Co. PREFACE. SINCE the publication of the Hymns of the Ages, its com- pilers have frequently been urged to prepare a volume of like character for children. One of them has accordingly given the leisure of several years to the present work; her plan being, to collect devout, entertaining, and suggestive poetry, morning and evening hymns, and those calculated to stimulate the imagination, re- fine the taste, and train the child's heart to become strong, humane, and brave, as well as keep it gentle, reverent, and pure. Finding a sad lack of material, she offers the volume now with diffidence, hoping that at least its deficiencies may draw some true poet's- attention to the wants of " these little ones," that they may no longer be offered thin and coarse dilutions 282151 IV PREFACE. of morality, but hymns delicate, beautiful, and rare, as the souls which wait to receive them. Meantime, such as her work is, she would cordially thank the many mothers who have encouraged and assisted in its preparation, and the many little Lilies, Freddies, and Kitties who have lent their favorite volumes for inspection, and oft- times taught the merit of the hymns by their loving and tender recital; for there are no Athenaeum libraries of children's books, and this has literally been gathered " out of the mouth of babes." c. s. w. ROXBURY, October 16, 1860. CONTENTS. PART I. CHILDREN. PAGK THE BABY Providence Journal. . 3 MY BABY W. C. Bennett. ... 4 THE BABIE 6 A CRADLE SONG Rev.^W. Calvert. . . 7 CRADLE SONG Songsjrom the German. 8 LULLABY W. (TBennett. ... 9 A ROCKING HYMN George Wither. ... 10 THE LITTLE ONES IN BED 11 THE PATTER OF LITTLE FEET 11 To MY GODCHILD, ALICE MisTlduloch 14 PEASANT CHILDREN Mary_IIomtt 15 THE CHILDREN'S PRAYER Mary Howitt 17 MY LITTLE DAUGHTER'S SHOES C. J . Sprapue. ... 19 BABY'S SHOES W. C. Bennett. ... 21 AN ANGEL IN THE HOUSE Leigh Hunt 22 PART II. FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. CREEP BEFORE YOU WALK James Ballantyne. . . 27 THE TURTLE-DOVES Aunt Effie's Rhymes. . 28 VI CONTENTS. WHAT A CHILD HAS Songs from the German. . 30 WHAT I LOVE MrsTGilman 30 THE LITTLE ANGEL $eTodiesfor Childhood. . 31 LITTLE RAIN-DROPS AunTEffie's Rhymes. . . 31 THE DARLING LITTLE GIRL Melodies for Childhood. . 33 Is IT You? Mrs. Goodwin 33 THE ROBIN-REDBREASTS*""". AunTJffie's Rhymes. . . 34 GOOD MORNING 35 I WILL BE GOOD TO-DAY' 37 GOD IMADK IMF. . .^ ffymns for Totmg Children. 37 LITTLE DANDELION 38 LILY OF THE VALLEY ^^. 40 THE JOURNEY Choice Poems 41 LADY MOON R^Jf. Milnes 41 LADY BIRD Choice Poems 42 THE WATCH-DOG Alexander Smart. ... 43 LITTLE CHILDREN, LOVE ONE ANOTHER 44 BEING KIND AND AFFECTIONATE 45 NOT READY FOR SCHOOL Mrs. Oilman 46 BUSY LITTLE HUSBANDMAN 48 KINDNESS TO SERVANTS Alexander Smart. ... 49 THE LITTLE TREE THAT WANTED TO HAVE OTHER LEAVES RiicTcert 50 THE APPLE-TREE Jane Taylor 53 WHO STOLE THE BIRD'S-NEST Choice Poems 54 THE BEETLE Mrs^ Oilman 58 GIVE AS YOU 'D TAKE Alexander Rodger. ... 59 THE BIRD'S FUNERAL Songsfi-om the German. . 60 MY FATHER Ann Taylor 61 MY MOTHER Awn Taylor} 62 THE DOCTOR Alexander Smart. ... 64 THE HAND-POST Ann Taylor 65 CONTENTS. Vll PART III. NATURE. THE BOOK OF NATURE Keble 71 THE BEGGAR fit. Loivell 72 GUESS WHAT I HAVE HEARD itfrs. Fallen 74 WHAT THEY ARE DOING Rhymes for Little Ones. 7d THE GLADNESS OF NATURE Bryant 78 WHAT I WOULD BE ....:.... Songs from the German. 79 THE SONG OF THE GRASS John's. DuoigTit. ... 79 BIRDS ._. Mary Howitt 81 SUMMER WOODS Mpry Howitt 83 LITTLE BELL T-. Westwood. .... 86 KINDNESS TO ANIMALS Gisborn 89 THE OAK-TREE Mary Howitt 90 SUNSHINE Mary Howitt 92 ROBERT OF LINCOLN W. C. Bryant. ... 94 THANKFULNESS x 96 THE WIND Mary~Lamb 96 THE KITTEN AND THE FALLING LEAVES. . Wordsworth 98 THE CORAL BRANCH , 99 JACK FROST Choice Poems. ... 100 IT SNOWS IL~F. Gould. .... 103 LOVING AND LIKING Mary~Lamb 105 THE BAREFOOT BOY J.7?*~Whittier. ... 107 TIRED OF PLAY N.^ Willis 110 NOT TO MYSELF ALONE Ill Vlll CONTENTS. PART IY. RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. I. THE HEAVENLY FATHER. THE MOTHER'S PRAYER Mrs. Voice 117 TEACHING LITTLE CHILDREN. . . . Keble 118 THE PURE IN HEART Keble 119 THE CHILD AND THE ANGELS . . . ChdrTes~Swain 120 GOD OUR FATHER Sunday-School Hymns. . . . 121 GOD is NEAR Hymns for Little Ones at Home. 122 FEAR NOT 122 GOD SEES ME Hymns for Young Children. . 123 GOD LOVES ME Hymns for Young Children. . 125 GOD'S CARE Montgomery 125 GOD is GOOD Mrs. Pollen 126 WHO TAKES CARE . Songs jor Sunday Schools. . . 128 FLOWERS Mary Howitt 129 CHILDREN IN CHURCH ...... Sunday^School Hymns. . . . 130 SEEKING GOD T^Gray, Jr 131 THE BEST OFFERING Jane Taylor 132 THE GOLDEN RULE W. Roscoe . . 133 THE THRONE 134 HYMN Mrs. Gilman 135 " OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN" Jane Taylor 136 II. THE GOOD SHEPHERD. SWEDISH MOTHER'S HYMN .... Fredenka Bremer 137 " COME UNTO ME" Hymns for fyf ant Minds. . . 138 THE INFANT JESUS . . ^ 138 THE CHILDREN'S DESIRED . 140 HYMN X' Melodies for Childhood. . . 140 CONTENTS. IX CHRIST'S LOVE Sunday-School Hymn-Book. 141 COME TO ME Pollen 142 LET THEM COME A\S. 143 FORGIVENESS Jane Taylor. . . . . . 144 JESUS 'Furness. 145 " GIVE MK THY HEART" Sunday-School Hymns. . . 146 SHEPHERD OF ISRAEL Sacred Offering 147 FOR A CHRISTIAN CHILD Louis~Tf. von Haym. . . 148 CHRISTMAS Hymns for Young Children. 149 JESUS AND THE DOVE Maria Lowell. 151 NEW YEAR'S EVE Andersen 154 Ax EASTERN LEGEND Alger's Eastern Poetry. . 162 LOVE TO JESUS Jane Taylor 163 III. MORNING AND EVENING HYMNS. THE GUARDIAN ANGEL F. W. Faber 164 I'.IKDS AND ANGELS Songs from the German. . 166 CHILD'S SONG Mrs. Follen 166 THE ANGELS 167 I WANT TO BE AN ANGEL MeUxKes for Childhood. . 169 A CHILD'S PRAYER 170 " BEAR EACH OTHER'S BURDENS " 171 THE LORD'S PRAYER Sacred Offer-ing 171 THE SUN G-ermqn Songs 172 MORNING SONG German Songs 172 PRAYER Melodies for Childhood. . 173 MORNING HYMN Bishop Kenn 174 MORNING HYMN Rev. J. Pierpont. .... 175 EVENING HYMN Rev. J. Pierpont 175 GOOD NIGHT Mr&Follen 176 THE GOOD BOY'S HYMN ON GOING TO BED Mrs. Follen 177 EVENING HYMN . 177 X CONTENTS. EVENING HYMN M. L. Duncan. . . . 178 EVENING HYMN 178 EVENING HYMN Mrs. Pollen 179 EVENING HYMN Mrs. Fatten 180 EVENING HYMN Bishop Kenn 181 AN EVENING PRAYER Songs from the German. 182 IV. MISCELLANEOUS. WISDOM 183 THE HOLY CHILD Heber 184 IMMORTAL BEAUTY George Herbert. . . . 184 SUNDAY EVENING Choice Poems 185 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 187 THE DELUGE 187 THE ARK: AND DOVE Mrs. Sigourney. ... 189 THE STORY OF MOSES^ *. . 189 DAVID IN THE CAVE OF ADULLAM . . . Charles Lamb 191 HERODIAS'S DAUGHTER . Charles Lamb. . . . 193 THE SPARTAN BOY Mary Lamb 195 ABOU-BEN-ADHEM Leigh Hunt 196 THE HEART A BELL Songs^from the German. 197 PROFANITY Sundaf^chool Hymns. . 198 CONSCIENCE Hymns for Infant Minds 199 THE UNSEEN Adelaide Taylor. ... 201 ETERNITY Jane Taylor 202 IMMORTALITY Sort-gsfrom the German. 202 THE STARS Hymns for Infant Minds. 204 A CHRISTMAS HYMN Alfred Domett. . . . 205 FOREST SCENE IN THE DAYS OF WICKLIFF . Mary Howitt 207 CONTENTS. XI PART V. OLDER CHILDREN. THE SPRING-TIME OF LIFE GeorgeJ)onald. .... 217 THE PURPOSE OF LIFE J. G. Whittier 219 THE BUILDING OF THE HOUSE .... CharleiT^fackay. . . . 220 THE SCULPTOR BOY Bishop Doane 223 A PSALM OF LIFE LongfeUmo^^. .... 224 LABOR Mrs. F. S. Osgood. . . 225 TRUE HAPPINESS SirJI. Wbtton 227 FREEDOM /. -R. Lowell 228 THE HERITAGE J. R. Lowell 229 PRIDE i- . 231 THE NOBLY BORN Disciples" Hymn-Book. . 232 Tin; PEBBLE AND THE ACORN H.F.Gould. 233 LITTLE THINGS HJelodies for Childhood. . 235 THE KING'S EXAMPLE Alger's Oriental Poetry. . 237 EACH CAN DO SOMETHING Southern Churchman. . . 237 EVERY LITTLE HELPS Choice Poems 238 LITTLE DEEDS 240 THE MOUNTAIN TORRENT Charles MacTcay. . . . 241 WHO is MY NEIGHBOR? Peabody 242 THE LITTLE MATCH-SELLERS Choice Poems 243 FORGIVE THY BROTHER ^_- 244 THE BEGGAR'S REVE^CE Alger's Oriental Poetry. . 245 SPEAK GENTLY 246 No GeorgeBennett 247 THE FORSAKEN SacrecF 'Offering. ... 248 THE FAIRY'S GIFT 249 DON'T FRET 250 THANKFULNESS 251 Xll CONTENTS. HOPE J. G. WhiUier 252 Two WAYS Charles~Swain 253 NEVER RAIL AT THE WORLD Charles Swain 253 IN SICKNESS ltev!~W. Calvert. ... 254 THE CRIPPLE *^ for 255 THE BOY AND THE FLOWER Andersen 257 CCEUR DE LION AT THE BIER OF HIS FATHER Mrs.'Hemans 259 THE OLD FOLKS' BOOM ^ 262 GOOD FROM EVIL J.'G. WhiUier 264 BEAUTY AND DUTY Lucy Hooper 265 EXCELSIOR Longfellow 265 A FAREWELL Charles Kingsley. ... 267 PART VI. THE END. DEATH OF THE NEWLY BAPTIZED . . . Keble. 271 LITTLE BESSIE Mdoclies for Childhood. . 272 THE LOST LITTLE ONE Rev. W. Calvert. ... 274 RESIGNATION Longfellow 276 THE ALPINE SHEPHERD Maria Lowell. .... 279 GOING HOME 281 "OF SUCH is THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN" Mrs. Oilman 283 LITTLE PILGRIMS J. Edmeston 284 CHILDREN'S PRAISES 284 THE SICK CHILD Barry^CmwwalL ... 286 A MOTHER'S KECOMPENSE Rev. W. Calvert. . . . 287 PART I. CHILDREN. THE BABY. ANOTHER little wave Upon the sea of life ; Another soul to save Amid its toil and strife. MY BABY. Two more little feet To walk the dusty road ; To choose where two paths meet, The narrow and the broad. Two more little hands To work for good or ill ; Two more little eyes, Another little will. Another heart to love, Receiving love again ; And so the baby came, A thing of joy and pain. PROVIDENCE JOURNAL. MY BABY. CHEEKS as soft as July peaches, Lips whose velvet scarlet teaches Poppies paleness, round, large eyes, Ever great with new surprise, Minutes filled with shadeless gladness, - Minutes just as brimmed with sadness, Happy smiles and wailing cries, Crows and laughs and tearful eyes, Lights and shadows, swifter born Than on wind-swept autumn corn, MY BABY. Ever some new tiny notion, Making every limb all motion, Catchings up of legs and arms, Throwings back and small alarms, Clutching fingers, straitening jerks, Twining feet whose each toe works, Kickings up and straining risings, Mother's ever-new surprisings, Hands all wants and looks all wonder At all things the heavens under, Tiny scorns of smiled reprovings That have more of love than lovings, Mischiefs done with such a winning Archness that we prize such sinning ; Breakings dire of plates and glasses, Graspings small at all that passes ; Pullings off of all that 's able To be caught from tray or table ; Silences, small meditations, Deep as thoughts of cares for nations, Breaking into wisest speeches In a tongue that nothing teaches, All the thoughts of whose possessing Must be wooed to light by guessing ; Slumbers, such sweet angel-seemings That we 'd ever have such dreamings, Till from sleep we see thee breaking, And we 'd always have thee waking ; Wealth for which we know no measure, Pleasure high above all pleasure, A ROCKING HYMN. Gladness brimming over gladness, Joy in care, delight in sadness, Loveliness beyond completeness, Sweetness distancing all sweetness, Beauty all that beauty may be, That's May Bennett, that's my baby. W. C. BENNETT. THE BABIE. NAE shooii to hide her tiny tae, Nae stocking on her feet ; Her supple ankles white as snaw, Or early blossoms sweet. Her simple dress of sprinkled pink, Her double dimpled chin, Her puckered lip and baumy mow, With na one tooth between. Her een, sae like her mither's een, Two gentle liquid things ; Her face is like an angel's face, We 're glad she has no wings. She is the budding o' our love A giftie God gie'd us ; We munna luve the gift ow'r weel, 'T wad be nae blessing thus. A CRADLE SONG. A CRADLE SONG. SOFT be the hour of thy sleeping, Little one mine, dear little one mine ; Safe, gentle lamb, be thy keeping, In the arms of the Shepherd divine ; Fond as thy mother's love, Yet there is One above Loves thee still dearer, And when for thee she prays Grace, peace, and happy days Bends down to hear her. Glad be the hour of thy waking, Little one mine, dear little one mine, God grant that the pangs of heart-breaking Never visit that bosom of thine. God grant thy stream of life, Unvexed by guilt and strife, Gently may flow ; And when the time shall come, To thy eternal home 'T is thine to go, Calm be the hour of thy dying, Loved one of mine, dear loved one of mine ; Untrammelled thy spirit, when flying To the land where the holy ones shine. REV. W. CALVERT. CRADLE SONG. CRADLE SONG. SLEEP, baby, sleep ! Thy father watches the sheep, Thy mother is shaking the dream-land tree, And down falls a little dream on thee ; Sleep, baby, sleep ! Sleep, baby, sleep ! The large stars are the sheep, The little stars are the lambs, I guess, The fair moon is the shepherdess ; Sleep, baby, sleep ! Sleep, baby, sleep ! Our Saviour loves his sheep ; He is the Lamb of God on high, Who for our sakes came down to die. Sleep, baby, sleep ! Sleep, baby, sleep ! I '11 buy for thee a sheep, With a golden bell so fine to see, And it shall frisk and play with thee, Sleep, baby, sleep ! Sleep, baby, sleep ! Arid cry not like a sheep ; LULLABY. Else will the sheep-dog bark and whine, And bite this naughty child of mine. Sleep, baby, sleep ! Sleep, baby, sleep ! Away ! and tend the sheep. Away, thou black dog, fierce and wild, And do not wake my little child ! Sleep, baby, sleep ! SONG FROM THE GERMAN. LULLABY. LULLABY ! lullaby ! Baby, hush that little cry ! Light is dying, Bats are flying Bees to-day with work have done ; So, till comes the morrow's sun, Let sleep kiss those bright eyes dry ! Lullaby! lullaby ! Lullaby! lullaby ! Hushed are all things far and nigh ; Flowers are closing, Birds reposing, All sweet things with life have done. Sweet, till dawns the morning sun, Sleep then kiss those blue eyes dry ! Lullaby! lullaby ! WM. C. BENNETT. 10 A ROCKING HYMN. A ROCKING HYMN. SWEET baby, sleep ; what ails my dear ; What ails my darling thus to cry ? Be still, my child, and lend thine ear, To hear me sing thy lullaby. My pretty lamb, forbear to weep ; Be still, my dear ; sweet baby, sleep. Thou blessed soul, what canst thou fear ? What thing to thee can mischief do ? Thy God is now thy Father dear, His holy Church thy mother too. Sweet baby, then forbear to weep ; Be still, my babe ; sweet baby, sleep. Whilst thus thy lullaby I sing, For thee great blessings ripening be ; Thine eldest brother is a King, And hath a kingdom bought for thee. Sweet baby, then forbear to weep ; Be still my babe ; sweet baby, sleep. Sweet baby, sleep, and nothing fear, For whosoever thee offends, By thy Protector threatened are, And God ! and angels are thy friends. Sweet baby, then forbear to weep ; Be still, my babe ; sweet baby, sleep. GEORGE WITHER. THE PATTER OF LITTLE FEET. 11 THE LITTLE ONES IN BED. A ROW of little faces in the bed ; A row of little hands upon the spread ; A row of little roguish eyes all closed ; A row of little naked feet exposed. A gentle mother leads them in their praise, Teaching their feet to tread in heavenly ways, And takes this lull in childhood's tiny tide, The little errors of the day to chide. Then tumbling headlong into waiting beds, Beneath the sheets they hide their timid heads ; Till slumber steals away their idle fears, And like a peeping bud each face appears. All dresp^d like angels in their gowns of white. They '- -^H to the skies in dreams of night ; And ^ u