Written On The Birth-Day Of A Friend Poem by Susan Evance

SEE how Aurora smiles! her loveliest ray
Is shed to gild my Catherine's natal day.
Full many a flow'r the youthful Spring bestows:
The vi'let here in modest beauty blows,
And there the primrose, delicate and pale,
Steps timid forth to meet th' admiring gale;
The snow-drop too, whose aspect, cold and drear,
Scarce suits the temper of th' advancing year,
Her parting smile delays with lingering bloom,
Ambitious of a nobler, higher doom,
With downcast bells of simple white to grace
The wreath that soon will deck sweet Catherine's face.
But no- I twine these artless flow'rs in vain;
She now adorns some distant happier plain.

Ah me! I wander'd to the blissful past,
And almost thought this birthday like the last
Would find her joy-inspiring presence here; -
Now fancy's brilliant charms no more appear,
And sad reality awakes a tear.-
Ah, dearest girl; to day we shall not stray
Together down the forest's mazy way;
Nor pause to view the prospects wild arise,
Nor talk of Nature's charms, and Friendship's joys;
No: amid other objects, distant far,
You move- and like some fair benignant star,
Illum'd by Virtue's glorious sun divine,
On fond admiring crouds you sweetly shine.

This thought is soothing- tho' from me remov'd,
Others have hearts to love what I have lov'd;
To feel the pow'r of graceful ease, combin'd
With innate dignity of form and mind;
Admiring- sense, refinement, taste, to see
In union sweet with soft simplicity.

Then, while my Catherine's swiftly passing hours
Continue crown'd with Pleasure's blooming flow'rs,
And she diffuses happiness so wide-
I will not grieve- but wait the welcome tide
With patient hope, "if hope can patient be, "
That brings her back to friendship and to me.