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“Man wants but little here below.”
LITTLE I ask; my wants are few; | |
| I only wish a hut of stone, | |
| (A very plain brown stone will do,) | |
| That I may call my own; | |
| And close at hand is such a one, | 5 |
| In yonder street that fronts the sun. | |
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| Plain food is quite enough for me; | |
| Three courses are as good as ten;— | |
| If nature can subsist on three, | |
| Thank Heaven for three. Amen! | 10 |
| I always thought cold victual nice;— | |
| My choice would be vanilla-ice. | |
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| I care not much for gold or land;— | |
| Give me a mortgage here and there,— | |
| Some good bank-stock,—some note of hand, | 15 |
| Or trifling railroad share,— | |
| I only ask that Fortune send | |
| A little more than I shall spend. | |
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| Honors are silly toys, I know, | |
| And titles are but empty names; | 20 |
| I would, perhaps, be Plenipo,— | |
| But only near St. James; | |
| I ’m very sure I should not care | |
| To fill our Gubernator’s chair. | |
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| Jewels are baubles; ’t is a sin | 25 |
| To care for such unfruitful things;— | |
| One good-sized diamond in a pin,— | |
| Some, not so large, in rings,— | |
| A ruby, and a pearl or so, | |
| Will do for me;—I laugh at show. | 30 |
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| My dame should dress in cheap attire; | |
| (Good heavy silks are never dear;)— | |
| I own perhaps I might desire | |
| Some shawls of true Cashmere,— | |
| Some marrowy crapes of China silk, | 35 |
| Like wrinkled skins on scalded milk. | |
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| I would not have the horse I drive | |
| So fast that folks must stop and stare; | |
| An easy gait—two, forty-five— | |
| Suits me; I do not care;— | 40 |
| Perhaps, for just a single spurt, | |
| Some seconds less would do no hurt. | |
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| Of pictures, I should like to own | |
| Titians and Raphaels three or four— | |
| I love so much their style and tone— | 45 |
| One Turner, and no more, | |
| (A landscape—foreground golden dirt— | |
| The sunshine painted with a squirt.) | |
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| Of books but few,—some fifty score | |
| For daily use, and bound for wear; | 50 |
| The rest upon an upper floor;— | |
| Some little luxury there | |
| Of red morocco’s gilded gleam, | |
| And vellum rich as country cream. | |
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| Busts, cameos, gems,—such things as these, | 55 |
| Which others often show for pride, | |
| I value for their power to please, | |
| And selfish churls deride; | |
| One Stradivarius, I confess, | |
| Two meerschaums, I would fain possess. | 60 |
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| Wealth’s wasteful tricks I will not learn, | |
| Nor ape the glittering upstart fool; | |
| Shall not carved tables serve my turn, | |
| But all must be of buhl? | |
| Give grasping pomp its double share,— | 65 |
| I ask but one recumbent chair. | |
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| Thus humble let me live and die, | |
| Nor long for Midas’ golden touch; | |
| If Heaven more generous gifts deny, | |
| I shall not miss them much,— | 70 |
| Too grateful for the blessing lent | |
| Of simple tastes and mind content! | |
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