Wisdom

Wisdom

Cultivate the priceless talents,

Well bestowed on us by God,

Study hard to win the laurels,

You will reap a sure reward.

Sink down deep in mines of learning,

Draw up Wisdom's golden arts,

Keep her precious treasures near you,

In the storehouse of your hearts.

Fill your souls with Nature's science,

Prize its wonders more than gold,

Think of how the sages loved it,

As they taught in days of old.

Deem it not an idle pleasure,

Seeking Wisdom's gift so rare,

Many minds await to gather

Gems of learning you can spare.

Youthful hearts like buds that blossom,

Open wide to catch the dew,

Deem not then that time is wasted,

Though the laborers are few.

Let "Excelsior" be our watchword,

Scatter seeds where'er you go,

When God gathers up the blossoms,

You your just reward shall know.

Miss F.A. Parker, Hamilton, Bermuda

4:1, p. 2

1890.09.27