A REVERIE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 41

A REVERIE.

How sweet it ia in Life's great race, When pulling hard against the stream. To rest upon our oars awhile And, lulled by Memory, softly dream | To p°er once more into the past ; With all its various shades of light, ! And sitting idly muse and think j Of thiug3 now far beyond our sight. Of all the joys and pleasures sweet That go to make life worth the race \ To bring to mind in hold relief Dear f.ices Time can ne'er efface. j We only see the good we've done. Which Memory paints in brightest hue f We think not of the evils wrought — The many wrongs we'd fain undo. We think of how we might have paused ! And helped some stumbling comrade on | And with kind words have led him to The goal where Hope's bright beacon shone. We might have scaled Parnassus's height And gained a name to last for aye, ■ Have earned a rich and pure reward To sweeten Life's declining day. Ah ! happy dream ; how easy thus To see the good we might have done ; To dwell upon the dazzling goal, The glorious fame we might have won. To me it seems such thoughts are vain,-* Of this one fact we may be sure : He speaks but truth who says man's work Is Will achieved, whose heart is pure. With thoughts like these we silent muse And dream our past life o'er again j No joy on earth can taste so sweat — It briugs no pang of bitter pain. And as we, roused from Memory's spell, Pursue our course in life, we seem With lighter heart and strength renewed ! To glide up Life's strong running stream. Duuedin, June 1897. — R. M. I ■ — It won't help your crop to sit on the fence and count the weeds in your neighbour's field,