vikingar in such good earnest when they were small boys, that they hardly had patience to wait till they were men before they clamoured to share in all the dangers of their fierce fathers, who, after having had the same training as themselves, had rushed out into the world to seek adventures. The love which for a long time the early Northmen bore to their homes, and to the religious customs and social habits of their country, brought them back to the north at the end of every summer's short cruise. They spent the winter months in repairing their shattered barks, collecting fresh crews, planning new expeditions, and feasting among their kindred upon the rich plunder they had made on their latest voyage. Sometimes the great vikingar stayed away in strange lands for many years, but when they had been so long absent they must have had all the more to tell of the strange sights they had seen, and the great deeds they had done. Thus the boys and youths who heard their wonderful tales soon began to think that there was nothing on earth so noble and charming as to become a sea-rover, and go forth like their elders to win renown, wealth, and glory-perhaps even a small kingdom all to themselves.

E. OTTÉ.

OLD Tubal Cain was a man of might

In the days when Earth was young;
By the fierce red light of his furnace bright
The strokes of his hammer rung;

And he lifted high his brawny hand
On the iron glowing clear,

Till the sparks rushed out in scarlet showers,
As he fashioned the sword and spear.
And he sang, "Hurrah for my handiwork!
Hurrah for the Spear and Sword!

Hurrah for the hand that shall wield them well,
For he shall be King and Lord!"

To Tubal Cain came many a one,

As he wrought by his roaring fire,

And each one prayed for a strong steel blade
As the crown of his desire;

And he made them weapons sharp and strong,
Till they shouted loud for glee,

And gave him gifts of pearl and gold,
And spoils of the forest free.

And they sang, "Hurrah for Tubal Cain,
Who hath given us strength anew!
Hurrah for the smith, hurrah for the fire,
And hurrah for the metal true!"

But a sudden change came o'er his heart
Ere the setting of the sun,

And Tubal Cain was filled with pain

For the evil he had done:

He saw that men, with rage

Made war upon their kind,

and hate,

That the land was red with the blood they shed

In their lust for carnage, blind.

And he said, "Alas! that ever I made,

Or that skill of mine should plan,

The spear and the sword for men whose joy
Is to slay their fellow-man!"

And for many a day old Tubal Cain

Sat brooding o'er his woe;

And his hand forbore to smite the ore,

And his furnace smouldered low.

But he rose at last with a cheerful face,
And a bright, courageous eye,

And bared his strong right arm for work,
While the quick flames mounted high.
And he sang, "Hurrah for my handiwork!"
And the red sparks lit the air;

"Not alone for the blade was the bright steel made;" And he fashioned the First Ploughshare.

And men, taught wisdom from the Past,

In friendship joined their hands,

Hung the sword in the hall, the spear on the wall

And ploughed the willing lands;

And sang, "Hurrah for Tubal Cain!

Our stanch good friend is he;
And for the ploughshare and the plough
To him our praise shall be.

But while Oppression lifts its head,

Or a tyrant would be lord,

Though we may thank him for the Plough,

We'll not forget the Sword!"

Tu'-bal Cain, son of Lamech and Zillah," an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron.' (Genesis iv. 22.) brawn-y (brōn-y), having plenty of brawn or muscle; muscu

lar, strong. fashioned,

formed, made. French façon, "form, shape, make," from Lat. factiónem, "act of making," from facio, "I make." cărn-age, lit. heaps of flesh;

slaughter, massacre. French, from Lat. carnem, "flesh." smóul-dered, burnt slowly and without showing fire. plough'-share (plou-shăr), the

down, crushing one. Lat. op (ob), "against or upon," and pressum, "to press, push, or crush."

ty-rant, harsh and oppressive ruler. Lat. tyrannus, Greek turannos. The t at the end of "tyrant" has been added in pronunciation, and thus passed into the spelling; the tongue is very ready to pronounce "t" after "n." Compare "tyranny," "tyrannous," &c.

Write out in prose the matter of this poem.

EYES AND NO EYES.

WELL, Robert, where have you been walking this afternoon?" said Mr. Andrews to one of his pupils at the close of a holiday.

R. I have been to Broomheath, and so round by the windwill upon Campmount, and home through the meadows by the river-side.

Mr. A. Well, that is a pleasant round.

R. I thought it very dull, sir; I scarcely met with a single person. I had rather have gone along the turnpike road.