To toil, to tug-O little fool! Perchance thou deem'st it were a thing Alas! thou know'st not kingly cares; And dost thou think that years acquire That manhood's mirth? Oh, go thy ways To Drury Lane when plays, And see how forced our fun! Thy taws are brave! thy tops are rare !— Our tops are spun with coils of care, Our dumps are no delight!— The Elgin marbles are but tame, And 'tis at best a sorry game To fly the Muse's kite! Our hearts are dough, our heels are lead, Our topmost joys fall dull and dead Like balls with no re-bound! And often with a faded eye We look behind, and send a sigh Then be contented. Thou hast got Hood. THE dew was falling fast, the stars begun to blink; A snow-white mountain lamb with a maiden at its side. The lamb, while from her hand he thus his supper took, Seemed to feast with head and ears; and his tail with pleasure shook. "Drink, pretty creature, drink," she said in such a tone 'Twas little Barbara Lewthwaite, a child of beauty rare! Right towards the lamb she looked; and from a shady place If nature to her tongue could measured numbers bring, "What ails thee, young one? what? why pull so at thy cord? "Is it not well with thee? well both for bed and board? 66 66 Thy plot of grass is soft, and green as grass can be ; young one, rest; what is't that aileth thee? "What is it thou would seek? What is wanting to thy heart? 66 Thy limbs are they not strong? and beautiful thou art: "This grass is tender grass; these flowers they have no peers; "And that green corn all day is rustling in thy ears! "If the sun be shining hot, do but stretch thy woollen chain, "This beech is standing by, its covert thou canst gain; "For rain and mountain-storms! the like thou need'st not fear, "The rain and storm are things that scarcely can come here. Rest, little young one, rest; thou hast forgot the day "When my father found thee first in places far away; "Many flocks were on the hills, but thou wert owned by none, "And thy mother from thy side for eyermore was gone. "He took thee in his arms, and in pity brought thee home: "A blessed day for thee! then whither wouldst thou roam; "A faithful nurse thou hast; the dame that did thee yean, 66 'Upon the mountain tops no kinder could have been: "Thou know'st that twice a day I have brought thee in this can "Fresh water from the brook, as clear as ever ran; "And twice in the day, when the ground is wet with dew, “I bring thee draughts of milk, warm milk it is and new. 66 Thy limbs will shortly be twice as stout as they are now, "Then I'll yoke thee to my cart like a pony in the plough; 66 My playmate thou shalt be; and when the wind is cold “Our hearth shall be thy bed, our house shall be thy fold. "It will not, will not rest! poor creature, can it be "That 'tis thy mother's heart which is working so in thee? 66 Things that I know not of belike to thee are dear, "And dreams of things which thou canst neither see nor hear. "Alas, the mountain tops that look so green and fair! "I've heard of fearful winds and darkness that roam there; "The little brooks that seem all pastime and all play, "When they are angry, roar like lions for their prey. "Here thou need'st not dread the raven in the sky ; 66 66 Night and day thou art safe, our cottage is hard by. Why bleat so after me? Why pull so at thy chain? Sleep, and at break of day I will come to thee again!" As homeward through the lane I went with lazy feet, And it seemed, as I retraced the ballad line by line, "Nay" said I, "more than half to the damsel must belong, "For she looked with such a look, and she spake with such a tone, "That I almost received her heart into my own." Wordsworth. 66. PAIRING TIME ANTICIPATED. Ir chanced upon a winter's day, But warm, and bright, and calm as May, To forestall sweet St. Valentine, In many an orchard, copse and grove, And with much twitter and much chatter, At length a Bullfinch, who could boast 66 "By his good will would keep us single "Till death exterminate us all. "I couple without more ado; 66 My dear Dick Redcap, what say you?” Of an immediate conjugation. All pair'd and each pair built a nest. Except that they had ever met, Cowper. |