And heaven's artillery thundered loud

Above the heaving main.

It seemed as if the stars at last,

Retreating in their ire,

Had poured upon the raging blast
Great cataracts of fire.

Like a wild desert steed beneath the lash,
The tortured vessel plunges madly on;
The masts have fallen with a smother'd crash,

Her guards are broken, and her strength is gone.
The waves leap, rioting, across her deck,

The helpless crew are swept from where they clung, With a faint death-hold, to the plunging wreck,

Her tattered canvas to the storm is flung. Onward, still onward, anchorless and bare,

She reels and toils toward the rocky shore,
Her hold sends forth its shrieks of fell despair,
Like fiery arrows piercing through the roar.
The exiles kneel together-His embrace

Girds in the unconscious boy and pallid wife,
A mighty gladness brightens on his face,
Hope comes with death, and slavery with life.

It comes! it comes! that rushing mountain now,
And lifts the shuddering vessel on its breast,
Quick, vivid flashes curl around her prow,
And wreathe the masts with many a fiery crest.

A plunge, a quick recoil, one fearful cry!

She strikes she strikes-the rock-oh, God-the rock!

Amid the waters raging to the sky;

That clinging group go downward with the shock.

'Tis over-from behind that parted cloud

The frightened moon sheds down a timid gleam.
With the white foam around her, like a shroud,
Through which her golden locks all dimly stream,
That gentle mother clasps her lifeless child,
Folded upon the marble of her breast,
There in his pallid death the infant smiled,
As if he lay caressing and caressed.

With his cold face half veiled beneath her hair,
Cast to her side by a relenting wave,
The sire and husband had his answered prayer-
The Irish Patriot filled an Irish Grave.

MY LITTLE GODSON.

I HAD just gone to housekeeping in the dear old man- an occasion when the place he loved as well as I did, our sion where my husband was born. We had been two home, was to be displayed to such guests; and a thousyears abroad and this was really the commencement of and fancies, some of which I approved, some I could our home life. The old mansion with its antique furni-hardly avoid laughing at, were suggested by him for its ture, the fine old forest trees that overshadowed it, the adornment. "Don't you think, Eve," he asked, "if we lawn glowing with flowers, the distant river, all these made up our little paradise. There was but one thing wanting, and that we never spoke of. Vane and I were alone in the old house. There was room enough for a dozen children, but we were childless. This was the only shadow, that fell across our threshold when we passed over it.

were to collect a lot of glow-worms off the lawn, and put them here in this little plot where the flower-beds are, in front of the drawing-room windows; they would stay and look so pretty at night among the flowers?— let us get some to-night!" It was impossible for me to keep my countenance at this proposition, and he looked disappointed-even a little vexed. "How dare you laugh at me, you little monster; I'm sure it would be charming; it would look like the valley of diamonds!

We had hardly got settled when a letter came from Cousin Selina, who had been married the same year with ourselves, saying that we might expect them im--but you're always thwarting me; I hate your sensible mediately, on a visit of some weeks. Her husband was one of the most splendid fellows in the world, and she the most perfect little beauty you ever set eyes on.

people who have no imaginations;-no-don't put your arm though mine, and look up in that coaxing way! I don't like you, I won't kiss you; this is the third time to-day I have seen you smile when I suggested an improvement; you thought I didn't see you, but I did, and I won't bear it any longer!" I drew my arm quickly from his, turned my back and bent my head, so that my hat quite concealed my face from him; he came up and stole his arm softly round me and tried to raise my head, but I resisted, and kept my face averted. though it was difficult for me to conceal my laughter. "What, you're sulky, too?—there, I'll forgive you this once, Eve, do you hear?-come, we'll make friends;— by Jove, I believe the little minx thinks I'm to beg her pardon! Well, then, I will, I do, Eve; I'll never do it again-never, never any more-will that do, or must I Still, Van thought, art must help nature a little on go down on my knees?" I could hold out no longer,

How proud and how happy I felt at the idea of receiving these dear guests; of showing them, and doing them the honors, of my beloved old Woodlands. Breakfast was hardly concluded, when Vane hurried on my garden-hat, and with his old boyish impetuosity in all that interested him, or concerned those he loved, drew me out to inspect the grounds, and see what arrangements or improvements could be made to add to their beauty. In truth, it seemed difficult. Fortunately the spring was particularly fine and advanced, and already many of the earlier roses had anticipated June, and were, with a variety of other summer flowers, bursting into luxuriant bloom.

finally dosed; the respiration became deeper, the lips parted, showing a gleam of pearly teeth, and she slept. The door opened softly, and Reginald entered; at a sign from me, he stole to the bedside and looked at her: oh, what depths of unutterable tenderness spoke through his eyes as he gazed on the fair young face of his wife.

She seemed conscious of his presence. A smile broke over her slumber, and her lips half-syllabled his name. With a cordial good-night, and anticipations of a happy morrow, we parted, and I rejoined Vane in the drawing-room.

The time appointed brought Selina and Reginald. The former was naturally fatigued from her journey, though well and in excellent spirits. What sunshine her bright face brought into the house as she entered it! "So, this is Woodlands at last!" she said as she looked In the morning, I sent to know how Selina had passed round; "it's the nicest place I ever saw in my life; the night, after the fatigues of her journey: she had how glad I am to find myself here in it, and with you, never had a better, was the satisfactory reply; and I you two dears!" and she looked from one to the other had hardly arrived in the breakfast-room, before down of us, holding out to each a little white hand, and gaz- she came, radiant as the May morning, with a little ing through eyes humid with affection. "How well blue-ribboned coquettish apology for a cap, half containyou look, my Evelyn, and how happy! Reginald, looking, without concealing, her sunny hair. Kissing me at her, and tell me if she isn't the loveliest creature you ever saw in your life! You needn't blush-you are, and it makes me so happy to see it, that I should like to tell you so every time I look at you?"

gleefully, and telling me how well she was, and how happy and how hopeful, she passed through the open French window on to the broad woodbine-garlanded verandah, followed by Fay-Fay, ever faithful, fond, and fat; a little sobered by age, but still with energy enough left to scamper and bark vehemently at nothing at all, when he found himself out in the open air. There she stood, enivrée-I can find no English word to express it

with happiness, with sunshine, with bird-music, with the breath of the wind through the trees-elm and maple, and horse-chestnut-and

When did a happier party sit down round a dinnertable than the one that day assembled at Woodlands? My husband was in one of those fits of wild frolicsome spirits that came over him occasionally; a thousand fantastic fancies, glowing descriptions, brilliant sallies, curious stories, perfect imitations, flowed forth in endless succession; and we, delighted, laughed and listened, never wearied, though it had gone on till morning; for even in the most entire freedom of Vane's gaiety, with there was always a finesse, a point, a somewhat refined, that prevented its ever becoming overpowering, as mere animal spirits hardly ever fail to do.

It required some exertion of Reginald's authority to induce Selina to retire to her room at a reasonable hour after the fatigues of her journey, so unwilling was she to break up the party. However, I joined in his exhortations, and we carried the point. I accompanied her to her apartment, but she was too excited to go to bed at once, as I wished her to do. She wandered about the room, examining the pictures, the ornaments; sat down, got up again, laughed, clapped her hands, kissed me with childlike veheinence, patted my cheeks; while I, laughing and chiding, gazed on her beaming brown eyes, her glowing cheeks, the dimples coming and going about her rosy mouth, and thought I had never seen a creature so beautiful. At last I succeeded in calming her and inducing her to go to rest.

"I will," she said, "if you'll sit by me till I'm asleep. I promised, and she then lay down, I sitting beside the bed watching, as a mother watches her child. At first she moved restlessly, stretching and throwing her arms about outside the coverlet; occasionally speak ing and smiling at me, but finding I only shook my head in reply, she at last resigned herself to sleep; the little rosy-white hands were folded, palm to palm, beneath her warm cheek; the dark eyes that had wandered about so restlessly, settled; the fringed lids drooped, raised themselves languidly, fell again, trembled, and

"The lime, the summer-house of murmurous wings,"

"The one warm gust, full-fed with perfume"

of honeysuckle, hawthorn, mignionette, hyacinth-all
Spring's wealth of sweetest odors.
What a happy
time it was-what a happy, bright, blessed time! Ah,
well, it is something to have known it-something to
have one sunny island in life's dark sea to rest the
memory upon; for I hold that even when the happiness
we once possessed has fled, the recollection of it, instead
of darkening by contrast the present, helps to take us
out of it, and gives us many hours of relief; not per-
haps at first, but later, when time has cast a bridge over
the abyss that yawned between happiness and misery,
and softened with his own quiet half tints the gorgeous
glories of the one, and the black and ghastly glooms of
the other.

Vane and Reginald, who had been paying a matutinal visit to the stables, came in, and we all sat down to breakfast—a breakfast with fresh eggs, laid by my own pet fancy hens, game, golden, Polish, Spanish, all sorts of fine ladies of hens; preserved fruits made by Elizabeth, my old nursery-maid, now promoted to the rank of house-keeper; hot home-made rolls; cream and butter from my pretty thoroughbred Alderney cows-finelimbed, large-eyed, gentle creatures, that waited of a morning for the handful of salt with which I was wont to regale them; honey from the beehives ranged along the south wall in the kitchen garden, and early strawberries from the beds planted in front of them. Selina,

who was not the least ashamed of having a good appe- | I won't speak such fancies!-he is now as proud and tite, no less than Reginald, enjoyed our "home pro- happy as I am. Oh, Evelyn, at times I think I have duce;" and we lounged, loitering and talking long and too much felicity." pleasantly over the meal.

"Dearest, this very fear ought to help to reassure Then we strolled forth into the garden; not one you: you are so intensely conscious of and grateful of my particular pet flowers escaping Selina's notice: for the happiness God sends you; you do not accept visited the dove-cotes, whose inhabitants I had so it as a right-you esteem it so entirely as a gratuity, amed, that, whenever I appeared, they flocked round, make so good a use of it, are so anxious to communiperching on my head, my arm, my shoulders; and ended cate whatever portion of it you can, to others, that the survey with a peep into the stables. Then, fearing | I know no one who need feel fewer misgivings on the to fatigue Selina, I took her into the house, and we sat together in the morning-room, chatting over a thousand pleasant topics till the hour came for us to drive out in the carriage.

There was a natural grace and graciousness about Selina's manner-a child-like confidence that I never saw any one capable of resisting; and this it was which rendered her visit so delightful.

Selina soon fell into the habit of passing a certain portion of the morning in her own sitting-room, somnetimes alone, sometimes with Reginald, Vane, and I, who had free and constant access to the sanctum-a privilege which our own habits and our knowledge of hers, prevented our ever abusing. Not unfrequently, however, she used to ask me to go there, to consult with her on some little point of daily interest, to read, or to sing with her often I read aloud while she worked, and this was what generally best pleased her.

The arrival of some new books was the signal for the commencement of a sort of series of these "morning entertainments," which were occasionally shared by Vane and Reginalu:

subject."

"You think so-I will try to hope it. Oh, indeed, indeed I am grateful for such happiness! there is not a morning or a night of my life that I do not thank God for it from my inmost soul, and pray that I may not be spoiled by it, and rendered unfit to bear adversity, if He thought fit ever to send it to me. I pray, only, that it may not be sent through those I love; that I fear I am too weak to bear!"

"Let us talk," said I, "of my second cousin, in whom I am doubly interested, having a claim on both your and Reginald's side."

Yes, and godmother too, of course; and namesake. You really are the most convenient friend in the world," she went on, with her silvery laugh; "for you are ready to fill up every office that friendship can impose. You'll have no sinecure, my poor Evie! here comes somebody!" and the cap was hurried, with every appearance of guilty haste, into the work-basket, as Vane knocked at the door.

"What have you two been conspiring about?" he asked, as his quick eye noted a certain embarrassment on both our faces; "Selina looks the most guilty: come Eve, turn State's evidence, and save your country and your kindred from her machinations; I'm sure it must be something atrocious; I never saw such a diabolical countenance in my life. I have been a great fool to allow you to associate with her; I will do so no longer; come away, instantly, before the work of corruption is further advanced." And drawing my arm through his, he led me out of the room-turning back at the door to shake his head, tragically, at Selina, whom we left

One day, I was reading from.a volume of poems which had just appeared from the pen of a new and unknown writer. Selina was, in general, the most attentive of auditors, but on this occasion, I, happening to raise my eyes from the book—and turning them on her, perceived she was sitting, her hands on her lap, buried in a profound reverie, and evidently unconscious of anything beyond the subject of her own thoughts. I finished the › passage, and then, somewhat mischievously, asked her opinion on it; she started, "I beg your pardon, dear child," she said, with her own frank smile, "but-for-bathed in blushes. give me I was thinking of something else;" she paused, then dropping her eyes, she added in a lower tone, while the eloquent blood rose to her very temples --"if you knew of what I was thinking you would not wonder at my inattention." I went and sat down on the sofa by her side, and put my arm round her waist, Tell me, Selina, of what you were thinking; may I not know?" She raised the lid of a work-basket that stood beside her, and took out-a tiny cap--worked and laced, and frilled, and with blushing, bashful triumph, held it up on the tips of her fingers:

66

Darling!" I exclaimed, "how glad I am!-are you very happy?"

A happy month flew by at Woodlands, which brought us into midsummer, and then it was settled that we should accompany our guests home.

At daybreak on one morning, I was called to Selina's room: by the bed sat Reginald, haggard with emotion, his elbows on his knees, his head resting on his hands. "Evelyn, dear," said Selina, "take Reginald with you; keep him till-till you are sent for." I kissed her brow; and silently laying my hand on Reginald's shoulder, he rose and followed me passively as a child. I led him to the drawing-room, and there he flung himself on a sofa, and burying his face among the pillows, sobbed till every nerve of his manly frame shook like the weakest of woman's.

"Oh, so happy! so proud! I have wished for this so long-at least, it seemed long; I have dreamt of it, and I knew how vain it was to speak to him then, and I felt jealous of every young mother; and Reginald wished let the paroxysm pass: he became calmer, and—though it as much as I; and-it was foolish, unjust, absurd, I my own heart beat nervously, though my ear was set to know, but I could not help it-sometimes I fancied-no, | catch every sound, and I could hardly command the