When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child,
I thought as a read more

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child,
I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away
childish things.

They are idols of hearts and of households;
They are angels of God in disguise;
His sunlight read more

They are idols of hearts and of households;
They are angels of God in disguise;
His sunlight still sleeps in their tresses,
His glory still gleams in their eyes;
Those truants from home and from Heaven
They have made me more manly and mild;
And I know now how Jesus could liken
The kingdom of God to a child.

Childhood has no forebodings; but then, it is soothed by no
memories of outlived sorrow.

Childhood has no forebodings; but then, it is soothed by no
memories of outlived sorrow.

'Tis not a life,
'Tis but a piece of childhood thrown away.

'Tis not a life,
'Tis but a piece of childhood thrown away.

The essence of childhood, of course, is play, which my friends and I did endlessly on streets that we reluctantly read more

The essence of childhood, of course, is play, which my friends and I did endlessly on streets that we reluctantly shared with traffic.

Alas! regardless of their doom,
The little victims play;
No sense have they of ills to come,
read more

Alas! regardless of their doom,
The little victims play;
No sense have they of ills to come,
Nor care beyond to-day.

Childhood sometimes does pay a second visit to man, youth never.

Childhood sometimes does pay a second visit to man, youth never.

Besides, they always smell of bread and butter.

Besides, they always smell of bread and butter.

By sports like these are all their cares beguil'd,
The sports of children satisfy the child.

By sports like these are all their cares beguil'd,
The sports of children satisfy the child.