Early Rising

Early Rising

Get up, little sister; the morning is bright,
And the birds are all singing to welcome the light;
The buds are all opening - the dew's on the flower;
If you shake but a branch, see there falls quite a shower.

By the side of their mothers, look, under the trees,
How the young fawns are skipping about as they please;
And, by all those rings on the water, I know,
The fishes are merrily swimming below.

The bee, I dare say, has been long on the wing,
To get honey from every flower of the spring;
For the bee never idles, but labors all day,
And thinks, wise little insect, work better than play.

The lark's singing gaily; it loves the bright sun,
And rejoices that now the gay spring is begun;
For the spring is so cheerful, I think 'twould be wrong,
If we do not feel happy to hear the lark's song.

Get up; for when all things are merry and glad,
Good children should never be lazy and sad;
For God gives us daylight, dear sister, that we
May rejoice like the lark, and may work like the bee.

Lady Flora Hastings

New Series 2:7, p. 3

1841.04.17