Herald Of The Times

POETRY.

From a late Foreign Journal.
Head and Heart.
BY CHARLES MACKAY

"Maid Heart to Head, "You lead me wrong
The pulse of passion beats too strong
You are the dupe of tears and sighs;
You take the Judgment by surprise.

"You melt at every sorrowing tale,
Your Feelings o'er my will prevail;
And still, by impulse led astray,
You draw me from my prudent way.

"When I would walk a steady pace,
I get most, you you'd run a race
And ere a doubtful case I've tried,
You've prompted Pity to decide.

By rules of reason unconfined,
No space your sympathies can bind;
And wayward as a petted child,
You scorn restraint, and wander wild.

I pray you, Heart, these freaks forbear
They cause me shame, they breed me care;
And I am blamed for going wrong,
And counted weak that you are strong

Said Heart to Head. "You are cold and slow;
You cast a damp on Feeling's glow,
You are like water on the fire;
You are a clog on my desire.

"You measure Passion by a rule,
You send the Sympathies to school,
And slave to logic and its laws,
You weigh, you ponder, and you pause

When I would prompt the pitying tear,
You press the lips and look severe,
And quick to doubt and slow to grieve,
You lecture when you should relieve.

"Oh, it is galling to be tied
To one so sluggish to decide.
Who chills me when I glowed before,
And clings to earth when I would soar.

The silent contest lasted long,
And both were right, yet both were wrong;
Then in my secret soul I said,
I'll reconcile the Heart and Head.

The Heart, perchance, too warm and free,
Too sudden in its energy,
Shall learn from cooler Head the fact,
'Tis well to think before we act

And Head, too prone to reason still,
Even in extremity of ill,
Finally learn to play a warmer part,
Led by the dictates of the Heart