828 саб

Casan

Julia Burward

AND

MISCELLANEOUS POEMS

BY

JOHN CUTLER.

DEDICATION.

To God alone this work is dedicate:

No earthly friend regards its doubtful fate.
If 'tis his will these lines should not be read,
'Tis his to check ere they be farther sped.

ST. LOUIS, MO.:

W. S. BRYAN, PUBLISHER.

1881.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881,

BY JOHN CUTLER,

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

The author of this little book will say
He writes it, not for praise, nor yet for pay.
The one he finds hath often been denied,
Till after the deserving long hath died:
The other is beyond him, I am told,
As not a book when printed will be sold.

But though while writing he must starve for bread,
He writes while living as he'll rot when dead:
Some say
'twill be from force of Nature; some,
"Tis the will of God that man to this should come.

Moreover, he perceives a semblance just
'Tween this production and decaying dust :
For as the last is cask of something higher,
The former is the same to his desire
To that produce that may outlive himself,
More worthy life than either praise or pelf.

But whether Immortality doth dwell
Within these pages, Time alone can tell.
Or no! there are who even now, do say
This work will ne'er behold the light of day.

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