Book Description:
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: (Eanlo V. PAUL'S SECRET. PAUL was not half content to hide A secret in his breast; Yet there it was, and there it grew, And robbed him of his rest. A part of Gabriel's simple life Paul's infancy had been Sharing the father's ways and works The son was ever seen. Paul would stand by as Gabriel's spade Awoke the sleeping soil; And, bit by bit, the boy spelt out The mystery of toil. Soon little Paul knew just as well As Gabriel what to do Could delve, sow, plant, weed, prune, and train, And work the season through. And, then, he ran about the grounds, With life's young reckless joy : And great Squire Hardman's happy girl Would frolic with the boy. Without the qualms of rank and state, They chased the sunny hours, And loved each other as they loved The bonny birds and flowers. But, by and by, Paul went to school, To work out Gabriel's dreams ; And there, a thirsty student, drank Largely of learning's streams. And Lily Hardman stayed at home; And teachers on her wait, To rob the child of childishness, And make, or mar, her fate. So time runs on its noiseless race The same in ev'ry land And Paul and Lily grow apace, And heart and mind expand. She half forgets her constant mate, In days gone by and bright: But in Paul's dreams there always shines One little form of light. At length, Paul visits home again ; And comes, alas ! to find A polished beauty has replaced The girl he left behind. When first this vision met his eyes, Poor Paul was half afraid ; And sighed to think that he had lost His little romping maid. Though friends they soon became again, 'Twas felt by ev'ry one That Lily was Squire Hardman's child, And Paul, the gardener's son. He knew it all, yet drank...
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