Nature by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
b'Longfellow read by Classic Poetry Aloud:\\nhttp://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/\\n\\nGiving voice to the poetry of the past.\\n\\n---------------------------------------------------\\n\\nNature\\n\\nby Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 \\u2013 1882)\\n \\nAs a fond mother, when the day is o\\u2019er, \\nLeads by the hand her little child to bed, \\nHalf willing, half reluctant to be led, \\nAnd leave his broken playthings on the floor, \\nStill gazing at them through the open door,\\nNor wholly reassured and comforted \\nBy promises of others in their stead, \\nWhich, though more splendid, may not please him more; \\nSo Nature deals with us, and takes away \\nOur playthings one by one, and by the hand \\nLeads us to rest so gently, that we go \\nScarce knowing if we wish to go or stay, \\nBeing too full of sleep to understand \\nHow far the unknown transcends the what we know.'