Helen Maria! lovely Helen!
Ere the foliage leaves the tree,
Ere the snow storm hides the dwelling,
Take a country walk with me,
In thy sunday shawl, and gown;
With thy best straw bonnet on,
Let us leave the tiresome town,
And go where love and summer's gone —

2

Go to the grove of willows grey,
That lean upon the rivers side,
Where the green flag's, rustling play,
And the wild duck, wanders wide:
Where the old oak, darkly green,
Shows autumn in a yellow bough;
Helen Maria seek the scene,

Theres many worships loves first flowers
As joys reality
& dwells on smiles that once was ours
As they woud never dye
But manhood youths fond dreams destroys
& scores have lovd as vain
& parted wi the bosom joys
Theyll never meet again

Ive drank to thee when at the brook
As others do by wine
Theirs was the palm in sugard taste
But love made out for mine

O how can I be blythe and free

1

O how can I be blythe and free
While thou art from my side
There's more in one kind smile from thee
Than all the world beside

2

Falshood is not in natures choice
Nor is it found in thee
Thy lovely form thy angel voice
And temper all agree

3

To form and make thee what thou art
The fairest of the fair
A handsome face a gentle heart
Which love would long to wear

4

O how can I be blythe and free
While thou art from my side

1

I know that I love thee
I feel it all o'er me
If wrong, God reprove me
So much to adore thee
I know not the reason, but only I love thee
Around thee, about thee, below and above me
I know that I love and adore thee and now
The soul of my worship's none other than thou
I feel so and know it
There's none other before thee
These verses they show it
That I love and adore thee.

2

Thy skin is the marble
All snowy and white

1

The spring it beams sweet on the green linnets wing
The wind ruffles soft on the ring-doves coy breast
And heedless the wild bees on spring blossoms hing
Sweed about by the wind as an unbidden guest
O I love the soft gush of the winds in the spring
And chaffinch in thorn hedges trying to sing.

2

I love the sweet spring i' the flowers o' the larch
Cones o' purple rich studding the starry leaves green
They got through the storms and the blusters o' March
And mix with the things that are fair to be seen

Mary nature loves thee Mary
Now the sun has sunk to rest
& the even breeze so airy
Trys to bare thy snowy breast
How I love with thee to wander
Mary o how sweet with thee
Dusky meadows to meander
Where no soul can hear or see

As we pause by lake or fountain
On thy bosom bending free
O how sweet sensations counting
When I know each throbs for me
As thy face turns on the azure
Looking where the moon may dwell
As I fold thy beautys treasure
Wheres the sigh can please so well.

As the hour of even closes

Many are poets — though they use no pen
To show their labours to the shuffling age
Real poets must be truly honest men
Tied to no mongrel laws on flatterys page
No zeal have they for wrong or party rage
— The life of labour is a rural song
That hurts no cause — nor warfare tries to wage
Toil like the brook in music wears along —
Great little minds claim right to act the wrong.

Ballad

Summer morning is risen
& to even it wends
& still Im in prison
Without any friends

Where the hazels hing love
Oer the Siller spring love
And their shadows fling love
O'er the mossy spring love beneath the Old Oak tree
Where the woodbines bloom so sweetly young lassie sit wi me.

I' the summers sunny weather
There we'll sit and love together
Where cares no longer tether
Beside the little spring love beneath the Old Oak tree
Lucy my dearest creature come and share the day wi me.

We'll gather ripe strawberries
More red than ripest Cherries
Where high the brown hawk herries

It is love
Theres a mildness i' the air
The fields are green and fair
And sunbeams there
From above
There is singing o birds
There is bleating o' herds
Waters waving like curds
What is love
But the landscapes o' spring sunny green o' the grove
And the maid walking there Mary Dove.

Is it love
To admire what God's sending
Charm on charm never ending
Ever varying unspending
Look above
Clouds rocks rough and ragged
Temples unhewed and jagged
Where currish man never begged
What is love