Classic Poem

Beach Bubbles

Little Effie strolled beside the sea;
Indolent, listless, and sad was she;
For her morning tasks were all unsaid,
Her work undone, her books unread,
The rocky seat where she should have been
Busily working, was empty seen;
Her sewing was thrown on the yellow sand,
The needle awaiting her idle hand;
The winds were turning the leaves of her book,
Where bright little sunbeams stole to look.
A curious fly in her thimble sat,
And a wondering beach bird pecked at her hat;
But she was away on the pebbly shore,
Hearing the blue waves' solemn roar.
" Stay, busy breeze, " at length she cried,
Weary of watching the coming tide;
" Will you not stay and sing to me,
For I'm lonely here beside the sea. "
The kind breeze stayed its airy flight,
And played awhile 'mong her locks so bright,
While its fresh voice whispered low and clear
This fable and song in Effie's ear.

" A little wind once, weary of play,
On a fluttering vine leaf idly lay,
And watched the sunlight gleam and glow
On the brook's blue waves that rolled below,
Singing a soft and dreamy song
To the drooping ferns, as they flowed along.
Forest and field were fresh and fair,
And birds' gay songs rang out on the air,
Blooming and bright did the green earth lie
'Neath the golden smile of the summer sky.

" The idle wind rocking to and fro
Spied a fair little flower just below;
The delicate bloom on its leaves was pale,
Its frail stem bent to the softest gale.
While the grass blades grew so tall and green
Its graceful head could scarce be seen,
But it still looked up to the summer sky
With a smiling face and a cheerful eye,
And thus to the indolent breeze it cried,
As the vine leaf bent and moved at its side:

" " Ah Summer-wind, why wilt thou idle be,
When good in the world may be done by thee?
Why wilt thou waste each fair summer day,
'Mong the leaves asleep, 'mid the flowers at play?
I know thou art sad, for I hear thee sigh,
And thy once gay voice goes murmuring by.
Though weak thou art, 'tis in thy power
To do some kindly deed each hour,
Each living thing, though frail and small,
May add its share to the beauty of all.

" " Each rosy cloud, though it fade and die,
Gives a deeper glow to the sunset sky;
Each fluttering leaf on the forest tree
Makes it fairer, statelier yet to see;
Each bird with its song of careless mirth
Gives another note to the music of earth;
Each little star in the still blue heaven
Adds to the solemn light of even;
Each drop that falls, though small it be,
Swells the restless waves of the mighty sea.

" " All lend their perfume, music, and light,
That the beautiful earth may be fresh and bright.
Ah listen, Summer-wind, for even thou too
Hast a daily work in the world to do.
Then up and away, thou'lt be happier far
While doing thy share, like bird, bee, and star;
And if thou but faithfully bearest thy part,
Thou wilt win content and joy of heart."

" As the flower ceased, it turned away,
And a deeper bloom on its soft leaves lay.
Then the wind bent down to kiss its cheek,
And said, " Dear flower, I am small and weak,
But my task henceforth I will bravely do,
Nor forget thy words so kind and true;
And whatever happiness comes to me,
Little friend, I shall owe it all to thee."

" Then away to its work flew the busy breeze,
It swept the dust from the green old trees,
It rippled the waves in their graceful flow,
It rang the lily-bells lightly and low,
To lull the elves as they sleeping lay
Hid 'mid the leaves from the light of day,
It rocked the birds in their nests on high,
It chased dark clouds from the summer sky,
It sang through the pine boughs green and dark,
And bore on its wings the soaring lark.

" When the frail flowers dead and faded lay,
It wafted their winged seeds away
To other homes, where they might bloom,
And bring new light to the forest's gloom.
To the wandering bees it brought sweet tales
Of gardens fair, and flowery vales,
And guided them on to those unknown dells,
To gather fresh sweets for their waxen cells;
And bore kind words from butterflies gay
To lonely flowers dwelling far away.

" Among crowded homes it took its way,
Cooling the heat of the summer day,
Bearing fresh odors from distant hills,
Murmuring glad songs of birds and rills,
Kissing pale cheeks, lightly lifting soft hair,
Till smiling lips blessed the welcome air;
Through prison bars its cool breath swept,
Drying the tears of those who wept,
While its soft voice, sounding low and clear,
Woke tender thoughts to calm and cheer.

" So over the earth flew the tireless wind,
Leaving grateful happy hearts behind;
No longer it wasted the pleasant hours
In idle play 'mong the leaves and flowers;
No longer asleep in the vines it lay,
Lulled by the waves as they rolled away;
Now it labored with sunbeam, bird, and bee,
And made life sweet by its industry;
Till at last this idle little wind, it grew
The happiest, busiest breeze that blew. "

The sea wind passed, and said no more;
But Effie silently left the shore,
Resolved to be happy, and more content,
Back to the rocky seat she went.
The beach bird flew away from her hat,
The fly in her thimble no longer sat,
The sunbeams turned their warmest look
On the earnest face bent over the book,
And the sea airs turned the leaves with care
For the busy child who now sat there.
A willing mind made the hard tasks light,
When to and fro glanced the needle bright;
The distant waves like echoes rang
To her cheery voice, as Effie sang:
" Like sunbeam, bird, breeze and bee,
I will make life sweet by industry. "