Hast thou the infant seen that yet, unknowing of the love Which warms and cradles, calmly sleeps the mother's heart above-- Wandering from arm to arm, until the call of passion wakes, And glimmering on the conscious eye--the world in glory breaks? And hast thou seen the mother there her anxious vigil keep? Buying with love that never sleeps the darling's happy sleep? With her own life she fans and feeds that weak life's trembling rays, And with the sweetness of the care, the care itself repays. And dost thou Nature then blaspheme--that both the child and mother Each unto each unites, the while the one doth need the other?-- All self-sufficing wilt thou from that lovely circle stand-- That creature still to creature links in faith's familiar band? Ah! dar'st thou, poor one, from the rest thy lonely self estrange? Eternal power itself is but all powers in interchange! THE BEST STATE CONSTITUTION. I can recognize only as such, the one that enables Each to think what is right,--but that he thinks so, cares not. THE WORDS OF BELIEF. Three words will I name thee--around and about, From the lip to the lip, full of meaning, they flee; But they had not their birth in the being without, And the heart, not the lip, must their oracle be! And all worth in the man shall forever be o'er When in those three words he believes no more. Man is made free!--Man by birthright is free, Though the tyrant may deem him but born for his tool. Whatever the shout of the rabble may be-- Whatever the ranting misuse of the fool-- Still fear not the slave, when he breaks from his chain, For the man made a freeman grows safe in his gain. And virtue is more than a shade or a sound, And man may her voice, in this being, obey; And though ever he slip on the stony ground, Yet ever again to the godlike way, To the science of good though the wise may be blind, Yet the practice is plain to the childlike mind. And a God there is!--over space, over time, While the human will rocks, like a reed, to and fro, Lives the will of the holy--a purpose sublime, A thought woven over creation below; Changing and shifting the all we inherit, But changeless through all one immutable spirit Hold fast the three words of belief--though about From the lip to the lip, full of meaning, they flee; Yet they take not their birth from the being without-- But a voice from within must their oracle be; And never all worth in the man can be o'er, Till in those three words he believes no more. THE WORDS OF ERROR. Three errors there are, that forever are found On the lips of the good, on the lips of the best; But empty their meaning and hollow their sound-- And slight is the comfort they bring to the breast. The fruits of existence escape from the clasp Of the seeker who strives but those shadows to grasp--