I’ve a guinea I can spend,
I’ve a wife and a friend,
And a troop of little children at my knee, John Brown;
I’ve a cottage of my own,
With the ivy overgrown,
And a garden with a view of the sea, John Brown;
I can sit at my door,
By my shady sycamore,
Large of heart, though of very small estate, John Brown;
So of water drain a glass,
In my arbor as you pass,
And I’ll tell you what I love, and what I hate, John Brown.
I love the song of birds,
And the children’s early words,
And a loving woman’s voice, low and sweet, John Brown;
And I hate a false pretence,
And the want of common sense,
And arrogance, and fawning, and deceit, John Brown.
I love the meadow flowers,
And the briar in the bowers,
And I love an open face without guile, John Brown;
And I hate a selfish knave,
And a proud, contented slave,
And a lout who’d rather borrow than he’d toil, John Brown.
I love a simple song,
That awakes emotions strong,
And the word of hope which raises him who faints, John Brown;
And I hate the constant whine
Of the foolish who repine,
And turn their good to evil by complaints, John Brown;
But ever when I hate,--
If I seek my garden gate,
And survey the world around me and above, John Brown,--
The hatred flies my mind,
And I sigh for human kind,
And excuse the faults of those I cannot love, John Brown.
So if you like my ways,
And the comfort of my days,
I can tell you how I live so unvexed, John Brown;
I never scorn my health,
Nor sell my soul for wealth,
Nor destroy one day the pleasure of the next, John Brown;
I’ve parted with my pride,
And I take the sunny side,
For I’ve found it worse than folly to be sad, John Brown;
I keep a conscience clear,
I’ve a hundred pounds a year,
And I manage to exist and to be glad, John Brown.
_Phrase Exercise._
1. Large of heart.--2. Small estate.--3. _Drain_ a glass.--4.
Children’s _early words_.--5. False pretence.--6. Common
sense.--7.--Open face without guile.--8. Selfish knave.--9.
Contented slave.--10. Simple song.--11. Awakes emotions
strong.--12. Constant whine.--13. _Survey_ the world.--14.
Excuse the faults.--15. _Scorn_ my health.--16. Sell my soul
for wealth.--17. Sunny side.--18. Conscience _clear_.--19.
Manage to exist.