Cauld blew the bitter-biting north Upon thy early humble birth; Yet cheerfully thou glinted forth Amid the storm, Scarce rear’d above the parent-earth Thy tender form. The flaunting flow’rs our gardens yield High shelt’ring woods and wa’s maun shield, But thou, beneath the random bield O’ clod or stane, Adorns the histie stibble-field, Unseen, alane. There, in thy scanty mantle clad, Thy snawy bosom sun-ward spread, Thou lifts thy unassuming head In humble guise; But now the share uptears thy bed, And low thou lies! Such is the fate of artless maid, Sweet flow’ret of the rural shade, By love’s simplicity betray’d, And guileless trust, Till she like thee, all soil’d, is laid Low i’ the dust. Such is the fate of simple bard, On life’s rough ocean luckless starr’d: Unskilful he to note the card Of prudent lore, Till billows rage, and gales blow hard, And whelm him o’er! Such fate to suffering worth is giv’n, Who long with wants and woes has striv’n, By human pride or cunning driv’n To mis’ry’s brink, Till wrench’d of ev’ry stay but Heav’n, He, ruin’d, sink! Ev’n thou who mourn’st the Daisy’s fate, That fate is thine—no distant date; Stern Ruin’s ploughshare drives elate Full on thy bloom, Till crush’d beneath the furrow’s weight Shall be thy doom! [Illustration: Wee modest crimson-tippèd flow’r, Thou’s met me in an evil hour.] THOUGHTS IN WINTER The wintry wast extends his blast, And hail and rain does blaw; Or the stormy north sends driving forth The blinding sleet and snaw: While, tumbling brown, the burn comes down, And roars frae bank to brae: And bird and beast in covert rest, And pass the heartless day. ‘The sweeping blast, the sky o’ercast,’ The joyless winter-day, Let others fear, to me more dear Than all the pride of May: The tempest’s howl, it soothes my soul, My griefs it seems to join; The leafless trees my fancy please, Their fate resembles mine! Thou Pow’r Supreme, whose mighty scheme These woes of mine fulfil, Here, firm, I rest,—they must be best, Because they are Thy will! Then all I want (Oh! do thou grant This one request of mine!) Since to enjoy thou dost deny, Assist me to resign. CONTENTED WI’ LITTLE