EXCELSIOR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 305, 6 May 1869, Page 3

EXCELSIOR.

Steadily ! steadily, foot by foot, Up, up the venturous bunders go, Carefully placing stono upon stone, Thus do tho loftiest temples grow, The artist toils at his work alway; Touching it here, nnd touching it there, Patiently ! patiently, day by aay, With faith and hope to sustain his care. TiU little by little the picture grows Into hues of beauty> forms of grace, And the life that on the canvas glows Will evermore in the world have place. Thus works the poet: —Hour after hour Ho listens to catch the faintest chimes That ring on his soul with mystic power, And burst through his pen into magic rhymes. Slowly, carefully, word by word, Line by line, and thorought by thought, He fastens the golden tissue of song, And thus are immortal anthems wrought. < Ho ! ye who toil with purposes high, Aud fondly the proud result await, Murmur ye not, as the hours go by, That the season's long, the harvest late. Bemember that brothers strong aud true,' Builders, and artists, and bards sublime, Who lived in tho past, and worked like you, Worked and waited a wearisojnq time.. Dark and cheerless and long vyas their night, But still they worked at their task bflgun;! Till, lo 1 through the clouds broke morning light, Flooding the soul when auocess was won.