A Wish

Mine be a cot beside the hill;

A bee-hive's hum shall soothe my ear;

A willowy brook that turns a mill

With many a fall shall linger near.

The swallow, oft, beneath my thatch

Shall twitter from her clay-built nest;

Oft shall the pilgrim lift the latch,

And share my meal, a welcome guest.

Around my ivied porch shall spring

Each fragrant flower that drinks the dew;

And Lucy, at her wheel, shall sing

In russet gown and apron blue.

The village church among the trees,

Where first our marriage-vows were given,

With merry peals shall swell the breeze

And point with taper spire to Heaven.

S. Rogers.