That star by gracious Love was placed,
To look, in beauty uneffaced,
Over the wildest wrath of storms,
And scatter round its glittering charms: 
It is Religion, and its ray
Is fed by angel hands alway: 
It beams with beauty so divine,
The wand’rer smiles to see it shine.

Hail, one bright star on all life’s main;
Though surf roll high, and cordage strain;
And cowards, ship! may quake for thee;
Thou walk’st victorious o’er the sea. 
Oh! proudly, as an ocean-queen,
Thy frame, majestic still is seen—­
Until thou rest in heaven at last,
Thy sailing done, thy anchor cast.

TO BETTIE.

Why, beauteous Bettie, longer shed
  Pearly showers of causeless grief,
Why bend down that lovely head,
  Like the autumn’s rain-wash’d leaf?

Though in weeping, sad distress,
  Thy dear charms have lovelier grown,
As drench’d Nature o’er her dress,
  Wears the rainbow’s splendid zone.

Yet why shed those beaded pearls
  From those eyes of softest blue,
And why loose those auburn curls
  O’er that sweet neck’s damask hue?

Every liquid, falling gem,
  Flashing like the diamond’s ray,
In an eastern diadem,
  Let me kiss them all away.

Then, from out this stormy gloom,
  Thy dear smile shall brightly steal;
O’er my heart’s enliven’d bloom,
  O’er the joy thy thoughts reveal.

Why, beauteous Bettie! longer shed,
  Showers of pearls so bright to see? 
Bid dark doubt be quickly sped,
  I am faithful still to thee.

BABY SONG.

Rock’d on Mamma’s heaving breast,
  Heaving like the pearly deep,
Hugg’d to that sweet, honey rest,
  Sleep, little baby, sleep,
          Baby sleep.

White like the new moon’s falling beams,
  O’er the wooded, westward steeps,
Falls the white throng of her dreams,
  While my baby sleeps,
          Oh, she sleeps.

Closed her soft and sparkling eyes,
  Oped her mouth like a tulip’s cup,
In a starry trance she lies,
  Like a bud at night shut up;
          Baby sleeps.

Around her scarcely parted lips,
  Now a smile—­a laughter!—­creeps,
Losing all their sad eclipse—­
  Angels near! while baby sleeps
          Deeply sleeps.

Rock’d upon dear Mamma’s breast,
  Heaving like the wild sea deeps,
Joy hath brought Mamma sweet rest,
  While our baby sleeps,
          Softly sleeps.

MY OLD VIRGINIA HOME.

Around my old Virginia home,
  My heart forever clings;
Whene’er I hear its name pronounced,
  I think a thousand things. 
I think how once a little band,
  Came to these forest lands;
And struggling long, built this fair home,
  And left it to our hands.