The Ontario Readers: Third Reader :: XXXI. JOHN BROWN; OR, A PLAIN MAN'S PHILOSOPHY.

XXXI. JOHN BROWN; OR, A PLAIN MAN'S PHILOSOPHY.

Ontario. Department of Education

Charles Mackay.

I’ve a guinea I can spend,

I’ve a wife and a friend,

And a troop of little children at my knee, John Brown;

I’ve a cottage of my own,

With the ivy overgrown,

And a garden with a view of the sea, John Brown;

I can sit at my door,

By my shady sycamore,

Large of heart, though of very small estate, John Brown;

So of water drain a glass,

In my arbor as you pass,

And I’ll tell you what I love, and what I hate, John Brown.

I love the song of birds,

And the children’s early words,

And a loving woman’s voice, low and sweet, John Brown;

And I hate a false pretence,

And the want of common sense,

And arrogance, and fawning, and deceit, John Brown.

I love the meadow flowers,

And the briar in the bowers,

And I love an open face without guile, John Brown;

And I hate a selfish knave,

And a proud, contented slave,

And a lout who’d rather borrow than he’d toil, John Brown.

I love a simple song,

That awakes emotions strong,

And the word of hope which raises him who faints, John Brown;

And I hate the constant whine

Of the foolish who repine,

And turn their good to evil by complaints, John Brown;

But ever when I hate,—

If I seek my garden gate,

And survey the world around me and above, John Brown,—

The hatred flies my mind,

And I sigh for human kind,

And excuse the faults of those I cannot love, John Brown.

So if you like my ways,

And the comfort of my days,

I can tell you how I live so unvexed, John Brown;

I never scorn my health,

Nor sell my soul for wealth,

Nor destroy one day the pleasure of the next, John Brown;

I’ve parted with my pride,

And I take the sunny side,

For I’ve found it worse than folly to be sad, John Brown;

I keep a conscience clear,

I’ve a hundred pounds a year,

And I manage to exist and to be glad, John Brown.

1. Large of heart.—2. Small estate.—3. Drain a glass.—4. Children’s early words.—5. False pretence.—6. Common sense.—7.—Open face without guile.—8. Selfish knave.—9. Contented slave.—10. Simple song.—11. Awakes emotions strong.—12. Constant whine.—13. Survey the world.—14. Excuse the faults.—15. Scorn my health.—16. Sell my soul for wealth.—17. Sunny side.—18. Conscience clear.—19. Manage to exist.

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