And thus 'twas thine to prove, dear babe, Ten times more precious to my soul, Cradled in thy fair mother's arms, And, sick with dark foreboding fears Sat hand in hand, in speechless grief, It came at length: o'er thy bright blue eye The film was gathering fast, And an awful shade passed o'er thy browThe deepest and the last: In thicker gushes strove thy breath— We raised thy drooping head: And thou wert of the dead! Thy gentle mother turned away, And murmured low of Heaven's behests, She would have chid me that I mourned Had not her own deep grief burst forth We laid thee down in thy quiet rest, Culled one soft lock of radiant hair— Our only solace now; Then placed around thy beauteous corse, Flowers, not more fair and sweet Twin rose-buds in thy little hands, And jasmine at thy feet. Though other offspring still be ours, The sunshine of thy brow, The FIRST!-how many a memory bright Those early seeds of bliss My sweet one, my sweet one, My fairest and my First! When I think of what thou mightst have been, But gleams of gladness through my gloom And my sighs are hushed, my tears are dried, Pure as the snow-flake ere it falls God bade thee early taste the spring For which so many thirst; And bliss, eternal bliss is thine, My fairest and my First! ALARIC A. WATTS. Through days of sorrow and of mirth, Of changeful time, unchanged it has stood; In that mansion used to be His great fires up the chimney roared; Never-for ever!" There groups of merry children played; Even as a miser counts his gold, Those hours the ancient time-piece told, — "For ever-never! From that chamber, clothed in white, The dead lay in his shroud of snow! And in the hush that followed the prayer Was heard the old clock on the stair,66 For ever-never! Never-for ever!" All are scattered now and fled- As in the days long since gone by, Never here, for ever there, Where all parting, pain, and care, Sayeth this incessantly, "For ever-never! Never for ever!" LONGFELLOW. HOPE. WHITE as a white sail on a dusky sea, BYRON. LOCHINVAR. Он, young Lochinvar is come out of the west! He stayed not for brake, and he stopped not for stone, He swam the Eske river where ford there was none; But, ere he alighted at Netherby gate, The bride had consented-the gallant came late; For a laggard in love, and a dastard in war, So boldly he entered the Netherby hall, 'Mong bride's men, and kinsmen, and brothers, and all! Then spoke the bride's father, his hand on his swordFor the poor craven bridegroom said never a word: 66 O come ye in peace here, or come ye in war Or to dance at our bridal, young Lord Lochinvar?" "I long wooed your daughter, my suit you denied: The bride kissed the goblet; the knight took it up, So stately his form, and so lovely her face, One touch to her hand, and one word in her ear, When they reached the hall door, and the charger stood near, So light to the croupe the fair lady he swung, So light to the saddle before her he sprung! "She is won! we are gone, over bank, bush, and scaur; They'll have fleet steeds that follow!" quoth young Lochinvar. |