THE RETURN OF SPRING.

Being a conclusion to the foregoing piece.

I THOUGHT to pass away before, and yet alive I am, And in the fields, all round, I hear the bleating of the lamb;

How sadly I remember, rose the morning of the

year,

To die before the snow-drop came-and now the violet's here!

Oh, sweet is the new violet, that comes beneath the

skies,

And sweeter is the lamb's voice to me who cannot

rise,

And sweet is all the land about, and all the flowers that blow,

And sweeter far is death than life, to me who long

to go.

It seemed so hard at first, mother, to leave the blessed sun,

And now it seems so hard to stay-and yet "His will be done!"

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47

But still it can't be long, mother, before I find release,

And that good man, the clergyman, he preaches words of peace.

Oh, blessings on his kindly voice, and on his silver hair,

And blessings on his whole life long, until he meet me there;

Oh, blessings on his kindly heart, and on his silver head!

A thousand times I blessed him, as he knelt beside my bed.

He showed me all the mercy, for he taught me all the sin,

Now, though my lamp was lighted late, there's One will let me in,

Nor would I now be well, mother, again if that could be,

For my desire is but to pass to Him who died for

me.

I did not hear the dog howl, mother, nor the deathwatch beat,

There came a sweeter token, when the night and morning meet;

But sit beside my bed, mother, and put your hand in mine,

And Effie on the other side, and I will tell the sign.

All in the wild March morning, I heard the angels call,

"Twas when the moon was setting, and the dark was over all;

The trees began to whisper, and the wind began to roll,

And in the wild March morning I heard them call my soul.

For, lying broad awake, mother, I thought of you and Effie dear,

I saw you sitting in the house, and I no longer there;

With all my strength I prayed for both, and as I felt resigned,

All up the valley came a swell of music on the wind.

I thought that it was fancy, and I listened in my bed,

And then did something speak to me, I know not what it said,

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49

For great delight and shuddering took hold of all my mind,

And

up the valley came again the music like the wind.

And you were sleeping, and I said, It's not for them, 'tis mine

And if it comes three times, I thought I'd take it for

a sign;

And once again it came, and close beside the window bars,

Then seemed to go right up to heaven, and die among the stars.

So now I think my time is near, I trust it is, I know The blessed music went the way my soul will have to go;

But for myself, indeed, I care not if I go to-dayBut, Effie, you must comfort her, when I am pass

ed

away.

Oh, look! the sun begins to rise, the heavens are in a glow,

He shines upon a hundred fields, and all of them I know,

And there I rove no longer now, and there his light

may shine

Wild flowers in the valley for other hands than mine.

Oh, sweet and strange it seems to me, that ere this day is done,

The voice that now is speaking, may be beyond the sun,

For ever and for ever, with those just souls and

true

And what is life that we should mourn-why make we such ado?

For ever and for ever, all in that blessed home, And there to wait a little while, till you and Effie

come;

To lie within the light of God, as I lie upon your breast,

Where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest.

BY THE SAME.

To an afflicted mother, at the grave of her deceased child, it was said "There was once a shepherd, whose tender pastoral care was over his flock night and day. One sheep would neither hear his voice nor follow him; he took up her little lamb in his arms-then the sheep came after him."