Paternal Love.

("Ma fille! seul bonheur.")     [LE ROI S'AMUSE, Act II]     My child! oh, only blessing Heaven allows me!     Others have parents, brothers, kinsmen, friends,     A wife, a husband, vassals, followers,     Ancestors, and allies, or many children.     I have but thee, thee only. Some are rich;     Thou art my treasure, thou art all my riches.     And some believe in angels; I believe     In nothing but thy soul. Others have youth,     And woman's love, and pride, and grace, and health;     Others are beautiful; thou art my beauty,     Thou art my home, my country and my kin,     My wife, my mother, sister, friend - my child!     My bliss, my wealth, my worship, and my law,     My Universe! Oh, by all other things     My soul is tortured. If I should ever lose thee -     Horrible thought! I cannot utter it.     Smile, for thy smile is like thy mother's smiling.     She, too, was fair; you have a trick like her,     Of passing oft your hand athwart your brow     As though to clear it. Innocence still loves     A brow unclouded and an azure eye.     To me thou seem'st clothed in a holy halo,     My soul beholds thy soul through thy fair body;     E'en when my eyes are shut, I see thee still;     Thou art my daylight, and sometimes I wish     That Heaven had made me blind that thou might'st be     The sun that lighted up the world for me.     FANNY KEMBLE-BUTLER.