• The Gladness Of Nature, Is this a time to be cloudy and sad,
    When our mother Nature laughs around;
    When even the deep blue heavens look glad,
    And gladness breathes from the blossoming ground?

    There are notes of joy from the hang-bird and wren,
    And the gossip of swallows through all the sky;
    The ground-squirrel gaily chirps by his den,
    And the wilding bee hums merrily by.

    The clouds are at play in the azure space
    And their shadows at play on the bright-green vale,
    And here they stretch to the frolic chase,
    And there they roll on the easy gale.

    There's a dance of leaves in that aspen bower,
    There's a titter of winds in that beechen tree,
    There's a smile on the fruit, and a smile on the flower,
    And a laugh from the brook that runs to the sea.

    And look at the broad-faced sun, how he smiles
    On the dewy earth that smiles in his ray,
    On the leaping waters and gay young isles;
    Ay, look, and he'll smile thy gloom away.