WITH conscious pride I view the band
Of faithful friends that round me stand;
With pride exult, that I alone
Can join these scattered gems in one:
    For they're a wreath of pearls, and I
    The silken cord on which they lie.

’Tis mine their inmost souls to see;
Unlocked is every heart to me;
To me they cling, on me they rest,
And I've a place in every breast:
    For they're a wreath of pearls, and I
    The silken cord on which they lie.