REYNOLDS-DOBELL. Light and delight seemed all its dower; Away in merriment it strayed,- Singing, and bearing, hour after hour, Pale, lovely splendour to the shade. The time is come. See how he points his eager hand this way, See how his eyes gloat on thy grief, like a kite's upon the prey! With all his wit, he little deems, that spurned, betrayed, bereft, Thy father hath in his despair one fearful refuge left: He little deems that in this hand I clutch what still can save Thy gentle youth from taunts and blows, the portion of the slave; and from nameless evil, that passeth taunt and blow,Foul outrage which thou knowest not, which thou shalt never know. Then clasp me round the neck once more, and give me one more kiss: And now, mine own dear little girl, there is no way but this." With that he lifted high the steel and smote her in the side, And in her blood she sank to earth, and with one sob she died. SYDNEY DOBELL. 1824—1874. THE SCENT OF HAY AT NIGHT. fields, JOHN HENRY REYNOLDS. AN AUTUMN EVENING. The gold sun went into the west, As mortal eye hath e'er beholden ; Had lightly touched, and left it golden; A flower or two were shining yet; The star of the daisy had not yet set, It shone from the turf to greet the air Which tenderly came breathing there; And in a brook which loved to fret O'er yellow sand and pebble blue, The lily of the silvery hue All freshly dwelt, with white leaves wet. Away the sparkling water played, Through bending grass and blessed flower; THERE went an incense through the land one night, [men slept Through the hushed holy land where tired (Interlude of music.) The haughty sun of June had walked, long days, (mendicants, Through the tall pastures, which, like Hung their sear heads and sued for rain ; and he [high hay-time. Had thrown them none. And now it was Through the sweet valley all her flowery wealth At once lay low, at once ambrosial blood Cried to the moonlight from a thousand (that night, And through the land the incense went Through the hushed holy land where tired men slept. It fell upon the sage, who with his lamp Put out the light of heaven. He felt it come, Sweetening the musty tomes, like the fair shape (past Of that one blighted love, which from the Steals oft among his mouldering thoughts of wisdom, [youth; And she came with it, borne on the airs of Old days sang round her, old memorial days, [flowers all fadedShe crowned with tears, they dressed in And the night fragrance is a harmony All through the old man's soul. Voices of old, [green, The home, the church upon the village Old thoughts that circlelike the birds ofeven Round the grey spire. Soft sweet regrets, like sunset [not. Lighting old windows with gleams day had Ghosts of dead years, whispering old silent names (mouldering now. Through grass-grown pathways, by halls Childhood-the fragrance of forgotten fields; (fragrance Manhood—the unforgotten fields whose feld him, Passed like a breath; the time of buttercups, | Where Romans trembled. Where the wreck The fluttering time of sweet forget-me-nots; was saddest, The time of passion and the rose—the hay Sweet pensive herbs, that had been gay time [man'weeps, elsewhere, (still, Of that last summer of hope! The old With conscious mien of place, rose tall and The old man weeps. And bent with duty. Like some village His aimless hand the joyless book puts by ; children As one that dreams and fears to wake, the Who found a dead king on a battle-field, sage And with decorous care and reverend pity With vacant eye stifies the trembling taper, Composed the lordly ruin, and sat down, Lets in the moonlight, and for once is wise. Grave without tears. At length the giant (Interlude of music.) lay, There went an incense through the mid And everywhere he was begirt with years, night land, Tmen slept. | And everywhere the torn and mouldering Through the hushed holy land where tired Past It fell upon a simple cottage child, Hung him with ivy. For Time, smit with Laid where the lattice opened on the sky, honour And she looked up and said, “Those Of what he slew, cast his own mantle on flowers the stars Smell sweet to-night." God rest her That none should mock the dead. ignorance! - :0:RUINS OF ANCIENT ROME. B. SIMMONS. CAPE USHANT. [whom What of the night, ho! Watcher there Like an old man deaf, blind, and gray, in Upon the armed deck, The years of old stand in the sun and mur That holds within its thunderous lair mur The last of Empire's wreckOf childhood and the dead. From parapets E'en him whose capture now the chain Where the sky rests; from broken niches From captive earth shall smite; -each [them,-- Ho! rocked upon the moaning main, More than Olympus, for the gods dwelt in Watcher, what of the night? Below, from senatorial halls, and seats Imperial ; where the ever-passing Fates “The stars are waning fast-the curl Wore out the stone, strange hermit birds Of morning's coming breeze, croaked forth [heights Far in the North begins to furl Sorrowful sounds; like watchers on the Night's vapour from the seas. Crying the hours of ruin, when the clouds Her every shred of canvas spread, Dressed every myrtle on the walls in mourn The proud ship plunges free, While bears afar, with stormy head, With calm prerogative the eternal pile Cape Ushant on our lee.” Impassive shone with the unearthly light Of immortality. When conquering suns At that last word, as trumpet stirred, Triumphed in jubilant earth, it stood out Forth in the dawning grey [captive i A silent man made to the deck With thoughts of ages: like some mighty His solitary way. Upon his death-bed in a Christian land, And leaning o'er the poop, he gazed And lying, through the chant of psalm and Till on his straining view creed, [brow, That cloud-like speck of land, upraised, Unshriven and stern, with peace upon his Distinct but slowly grew. And on his lips strange gods. Well may he look until his frame Rank weeds and grasses Maddens to marble there; Careless and nodding grew, and asked no ! He risked Renown's all-grasping game, leave, , Dominion or despair ing. dark SIMMONS-THORNBURY. And lost-and lo, in vapour furled, The last of that loved France, For which his prowess cursed the world, Is dwindling from his glance. | No-gladly forward he would dash Amid that onset on, Pealed o'er his empire gone. Should close his grand career, Girt by his heaped and slaughtered host. He lived-for fetters here! Rave on, thou far-resounding deep, Whose billows round him roll! This moment o'er his soul. With trophy-shaping bones, Yet, proud One! could the loftiest day Of thy transcendent power Match with the soul-compelling sway Which in this dreadful hour Of calmest lip and eye The quenchless thirst to die? The morning flashed to day, Rejoicing on his way; That muser cast his view, His fate's devoted few. G. WALTER THORNBURY. 1828-1876. THE OLD GRENADIER'S STORY. 'Twas the day beside the Pyramids, It seems but an hour ago,That Kleber's Foot stood firm in squares, Returning blow for blow. The Mamelukes were tossing Their standards to the sky, When I heard a child's voice say, "My men, Teach me the way to die!" He lives, perchance, the past again, From the fierce hour when first On the astounded hearts of men His meteor presence burst; When blood-besotted Anarchy Sank, quelled, amid the glare Of thy far-sweeping musketry, Fame-fraught Vendémiaire ! 'Twas a little drummer, with his side Torn terribly with shot; As though the wound were not. And when the Mamelukes' wild horse Burst with a scream and cry, He said, “O men of the Forty-third, Teach me the way to die! And darker thoughts oppress him now Her ill-requited love Whose faith, as beauteous as her brow, Brought blessings from above; Her trampled heart, his darkening star, The cry of outraged Man, And white-lipped Rout and wolfish War Loud thundering on his van. “My mother has got other sons, With stouter hearts than mine, To pour out free as wine. "Fair are this earth and sky; Then comrades of the Forty-third, Teach me the way to die !" Oh for the sulphurous eve of June, When down that Belgian hill He led unbroken still! Upon destruction's marge, Nor king-like share with desperate pride Their vainly glorious charge? I saw Salenche, of the granite heart, Wiping his burning eyesIt was by far more pitiful Than mere loud sobs and cries. EDWARD ATHERSTONE. SUNRISE. One bit his cartridge till his lip Grew black as winter sky: Teach me the way to die!" The sergeant flung down flag, With a wet and bloody rag, But never made reply, “ Teach me the way to die!" Then, with a shout that flew to God, They strode into the fray; I saw their red plumes join and wave, But slowly melt away. The last who went a wounded man Bade the poor boy good bye, And said, “We men of the Forty-third Teach you the way to die!". I never saw so sad a look As the poor youngster cast, When the hot smoke of cannon In cloud and whirlwind passed. Earth shook, and heaven answered. I watched his eagle eye As he faintly moaned, "The Forty-third Teach me the way to die!" SOON I began with eager foot to climb The high cliff, from whose top I might behold grass The glorious spectacle. The short soft Had caught a plenteous dew: the moun. tain herbs (long Repaid my rude tread with sweet fragrance: The ascent and steep; and often did I pause To breatheand look around on the rich vales And swelling hills, each moment bright ening. Thus with alternate toil and rest I climbed To the high summit, then walked gently on, Till by the cliff's precipitous edge I stood. Oh, then what glories burst upon my sight! The interminable ocean lay beneath At depth immense ;- not quiet as before, For a faint breath of air, even at the height On which I stood I scarce felt, played overit, Waking innumerous dimples on its face, As though 'twere conscious of the splendid guest That e'en then touched the threshold of heaven's gates, And smiled to bid him welcome. Far away To either hand the broad curved beach stretched on; (vance And I could see the slow-paced waves adOne after one, and spread upon the sands, Making a slender edge of pearly foam Just as they broke;--then softly falling back, Noiseless to me on that tall head of rock, As it had been a picture, or descried Through optic tubes leagues off. A tender mist Was round the horizon and along the vales; But the hill-tops stood in a crystal air ; The cope of heaven was clear and deeply blue, [east And not a cloud was visible. Towards the An atmosphere of golden light, that grew Momently brighter, and intensely bright, Proclaimed the approaching sun. Now, now he comes ! A dazzling point emerges from the sea; It spreads; it rises ;-—now it seems a dome Of burning gold;-higher and rounder now It mounts-it swells ; now like a huge balloon Of light and fire, it rests upon the rim Of waters; lingers there a moment; thenSoars up. Exulting I stretched forth my arms, | And hailed the king of summer. Every hill Then, with a musket for a crutch, He leaped into the fight; 1, with a bullet in my hip, Had neither strength nor might. But, proudly beating on his drum, A fever in his eye, I heard him moan, "The Forty-third Taught me the way to die!" They found him on the morrow, Stretched on a heap of dead; Who at his bidding bled. And closed bis dauntless eye ; Taught him the way to die!" 'Tis forty years from then till now, The grave gapes at my feet, I feel my old heart beat. Hearing a feeble cry, Teach me the way to die!" |