O Friend! I Know Not
O FRIEND! I know not which way I must lookFor comfort; being, as I am, oppressedTo think that now our life is only dressedFor show; mean handiwork of craftsman, cook,Or groom!—We must run glittering like a brookIn the open sunshine, or we are unblessed;The wealthiest man among us is the best;No grandeur now in nature or in bookDelights us. Rapine, avarice, expense,—This is idolatry; and these we adore;Plain living and high thinking are no more;The homely beauty of the good old causeIs gone; our peace, our fearful innocence,And pure religion breathing household laws.