Page:The Century Of Life.pdf/39

 THE NATURE OF BENEFICENCE

Freely the sun gives all his beams to wake The lotus slumbering in the darkened lake; The moon unasked expends her gentle light, Wooing to bloom her lily of the night; Unasked the cloud its watery burden gives. The noble nature in beneficence lives; Unsought, unsued, not asking kindness back Does good in secret for that good’s sole sake.

THE ABOMINATION OF WICKEDNESS

Rare are the hearts that for another’s joy

Fling from them self and hope of their own bliss; Himself unhurt for other’s good to try

Man’s impulse and his common nature is: But they who for their poor and selfish aims Hurt others, are but fiends with human names. Who hurt their brother-men, themselves unhelped, What they are we know not, nor what horror whelped.

WATER AND MILE

By water and sweet milk example Love. Milk all its sweetness to the water gives, For in one wedded self their friendship lives;

And when hot pangs the one to anguish move, The other immolates itself to fire.

To steal his friend’s grief is a friend’s desire.

He seeing his friend’s hard state is minded too To seek the flame; but happily again Wedded to him is eased of all his pain.

This friendship is, one heart that’s shared by two.