“L OOK up and not down!”—do you mind how the tree-top
Rejoices in sunshine denied to its root?
And hear how the lark, gazing skyward, is flooding
All earth with its song, while the ground-bird is mute?

“Look out and not in!”—see the sap rushing outward
In leaf, bud, and blossom; all winter it lay
Imprisoned, while earth wore a white desolation;
Now Nature is glad with the beauty of May.

“Look forward, not back!”—'Tis the chant of creation,
The chime of the seasons as onward they roll;
'T is the pulse of the world, 't is the hope of the ages,—
This voice of the Lord in the depths of the soul!

“Lend a hand!”—like the sun, that turns night into morning,
The moon, that guides storm-driven sailors to land:—
Ah, life were worth living with this for its watchword—
“Look up, out, and forward, and each lend a hand!”