land,

VOCABULARY:

dū'-ty—that which a person is bound to do; that which he should do. grieve to sorrow or mourn.

stär'-tle-to move suddenly or to be excited when alarmed.

WORDS AND PHRASES:

"sluices'-gates for regulating the supply of water.

"duty held him fast"

"the sun is under the sea''

"mortal fear"

"narrow bound''

"And he felt the sunshine come and go

As Peter came and went''

neadow-land. so 1 tide if it were by a wonderful walls of earth

n to some cot

hold back the

ik of running

vas the hardeter had to

hero? is Peter beero?

CASABIANCA

FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS

Felicia Hemans (1793-1835), an English poet, was born in Liverpool. She lived much of the time in North Wales. "Casabianca'' and "The Landing of the Pilgrims' are her best known poems.

1

THE boy stood on the burning deck
Whence all but he had fled,

The flame that lit the battle's wreck
Shone round him o'er the dead.

2

Yet beautiful and bright he stood,
As born to rule the storm-

A creature of heroic blood,

A proud, though child-like form.

Book One

Casabianca

9

t go

id,

There came a burst of thunder sound

The boy-oh! where was he?

Ask of the winds that far around
With fragments strewed the sea!-

10

With mast, and helm, and pennon fair,

That well had borne their part;

But the noblest thing which perished there
Was that young faithful heart!

HELPS TO STUDY

Historical: The hero of this poem was the son of Louis Casabianca, the captain of L'Orient, the flag-ship of the fleet which carried Bonaparte and his army to Egypt. In the Battle of the Nile the powder magazine exploded, the ship was burned, and the captain and his son perished.

THE Woman was old, and ragged, and gray,
And bent with the chill of the winter's day.
The street was wet with the recent snow,
And the woman's feet were aged and slow.

2

She stood at the crossing and waited long
Alone, uncared for, amid the throng
Of human beings who passed her by,
Nor heeded the glance of her anxious eye.

3

Down the street with laughter and shout,
Glad in the freedom of "school let out,”
Came the boys like a flock of sheep,
Hailing the snow piled white and deep.

4

Past the woman so old and gray.

Hastened the children on their way,

*From Harper's Weekly. Copyright, 1878, by Harper & Brothers.

ook One

rond"

d"

gray,

s day.

›w,

low.

ng

'e.

thers.

Somebody's Mother

Nor offered a helping hand to her,
So meek, so timid, afraid to stir,

Lest the carriage wheels or the horses' feet
Should crowd her down in the slippery street.

5

At last came one of the merry troop,
The gayest laddie of all the group;
He paused beside her and whispered low,
"I'll help you across if you wish to go."

6

Her aged hand on his strong young arm
She placed, and so, without hurt or harm,
He guided her trembling feet along,
Proud that his own were firm and strong.

7

Then back again to his friends he went,
His young heart happy and well content.
"She's somebody's mother, boys, you know,
For all she's aged and poor and slow;

8

"And I hope some fellow will lend a hand
To help my mother, you understand,
If ever she's poor, and old, and gray,
When her own dear boy is far away."

9

And "somebody's mother" bowed low her head,
In her home that night, and the prayer she said,

Was, "God be kind to the noble boy,

Who is somebody's son and pride and joy."