Fanny

Sunny-haired and sunny-eyed
     With a mouth of sunny smiles
     And a thousand winning wiles±
     Lightsome, gleesome, graceful, cannie
     Laughing, loving, little Fanny,
Mother’s joy and father’s pride—
Let me, for thy joyance, bless thee!
Let me, for thy smile, caress thee!
And with kisses, warm and tender,
Tribute to thy beauty render!

Laughing!—how the dimples dance
O’er that merry countenance—
Sunshine-like, they gleam and brighten,
     Shift, like rays, from place to place,
All thy loveliness to heighten
     Within yet diviner grace;
And the baby-word that fall
From thy lips, are musical
     As the chime of silver bells!
Frolic-mad, mischievous elf,
Thou are Mirth’s incarnate self
     As that ringing laughter tolls.

Doveling in thy parent-nest!
     Thou no prescience hast of sorrow—
Cradled on thy mother’s breast,
     Wherefore shouldst thou doubt the morrow?
While to live is to be blest,
     Let to-day no darkness borrow
If with clouds the Future comes,
     May the love of God shine through them.
Glorifying all their glooms,
     Till it shall be joy to view them!
Or, whatever Time may bring,
Be it joy or suffering,
     Summer’s heat or Winter’s storm—
Keep the sunshine inly folded,
     Let thy heart with love be warm,
And by love thy actions moulded,—
All shall have a happy end—
All—for God will be thy Friend!