An Hour with Thee

AN hour with thee ! When earliest day
Dapples with gold the eastern grey,
Oh, what can frame my mind to bear
The toil and turmoil, cark and care,
New griefs, which coming hours unfold,
And sad remembrance of the old ?
One hour with thee.

One hour with thee ! When burning June
Waves his red flag at pitch of noon ;
What shall repay the faithful swain,
His labour on the sultry plain ;
And, more than cave or sheltering bough,
Cool feverish blood and throbbing brow?
One hour with thee.

One hour with thee ! When sun is set,
Oh, what can teach me to forget
The thankless labours of the day ;
The hopes, the wishes, flung away ;
The increasing wants, and lessening gains,
The master's pride, who scorns my pains ?
One hour with thee.