... no book ... ever competed with the Bible. The story of Ruth was better than Ramona, and the poetry of Job was better than Long...fellow. I still have my first big Bible, carefully underlined through with red and black ink, and interleafed [sic] with painfully written manuscript pages.... Margery and I earned our five cents a week for church and a penny for Sunday school by learning three verses of the Bible a day and six on Sunday. We learned dozens and dozens of chapters. I supposed "Evangeline" and "Hiawatha" were better poetry, but I didn't like them so well.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Come, little boy, and rock asleep; Sing lullaby and be thou still;... I, that can do naught else but weep, Will sit by thee and wail my fill: God bless my babe, and lullaby From this thy father's quality.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
I'll come up the steps to the house and the gardener will be clipping away at the hedges and he'll say, "Good evening, Mr. Younger...." And I'll say, "Hello, Jefferson, how are you this evening?" And I'll go inside and Ruth will come downstairs and meet me at the door and we'll kiss each other and she'll take my arm and we'll go up to your room to see you sitting on the floor with the catalogues of all the great schools in America around you.... All the great schools in the world! And--and I'll say, all right son--it's your seventeenth birthday, what is it you've decided?... Just tell me, what it is you want to be--and you'll be it.... Whatever you want to be--Yessir! You just name it, so ... and I hand you the world!LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Here did she fall a tear. Here in this place I'll set a bank of rue, sour herb-of-grace.... Rue even for ruth here shortly shall be seen In the remembrance of a weeping queen.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
As in hoary winter's night stood shivering in the snow, Surprised I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow;... And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near, A pretty Babe all burning bright did in the air appear;LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
So much unlearnt, so much resign'd-- I come not here to be your foe!... I seek these anchorites, not in ruth, To curse and to deny your truth;LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
And if the Babe is born a Boy He's given to a Woman Old,... Who nails him down upon a rock Catches his shrieks in cups of gold.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »