Page:Moral Pieces in Prose and Verse.pdf/157

 Cheer'd by an April smile, forgets to seek For clearer sunshine, and a sky more pure. Then o'er the lustre of that silver beam, A dark shade passes, such as dims the pride Of all below; it sickens, it expires. Seek not with eye intense to pierce that cloud, Or tear that veil away: It must not be! Nor raise the murmuring of the lip perverse, Nor arm the heart with impious pride; for oft, The heart unhumbled, rising in its wrath, Provokes more vengeance from the mighty hand That in the cloud, and in the sunshine works, Moves on the waters to abase the proud, And raise the humble. Will the hand that guides The fall of the pierc'd sparrow, and unmark'd Suffers no hair to scatter from the head Of man his fav'rite, let the sigh of grief And tear, and prayer, of patient suffering, rise Unnoticed, unregarded? Oh! what tongue Shall dare to say our God is merciless. What mortal hand shall lift itself to blot The purpose of his wisdom. Let the eye, That in his smile or in his frown perceives The teachings of a father, aid the heart That meekly says—my God! thy will be done.