Caroline Lee Hentz

“May this ring, when it circles thy finger, remindThy heart of the friends thou art leaving behind—I have breathed on its gold a magical spell—That, in long after years, of this moment shall tell.

“Should snares and temptations around thee entwine,May the gem on thy finger with warning rays shine—And whisper of one whose spirit would mournIf thou from the pathway of virtue should turn.

“Like the eaglet, that fixes its gaze on the sun,Press upward and on till the bright goal is won—Let the wings of thy soul never pause in their flight,Till they bear thee to regions of glory and light.”