Gifts

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Give a man a horse he can ride,
Give a man a boat he can sail;
And his rank and wealth, his strength and health,
On sea nor shore shall fail.

Give a man a pipe he can smoke
Give a man a book he can read:
And his home is bright with a calm delight,
Though the room be poor indeed.

Give a man a girl he can love,
As I O my love, love thee;
And his heart is great with the pulse of fate,
At home, on land, on sea.

James Thompson (1834 - 1882) 

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