But who shall describe the fond widow's distress? I have only a few fleeting moments to stay, All my property is yours, (oft he'd said it before,) And I wish, for your sake, it was twice as much more;" "That and more if I had it," was all he could say. 16 Even now his kind expressions I hear, 'Tis a sad thing to lose a kind husband; O, dear! How I miss to my wishes his thoughtful attention!" A ROYAL PRINCESS.-CHRISTINA G. ROSSETTI. 1, a princess, king-descended, decked with jewels, gilded drest, Would rather be a peasant with her baby at her breast, Two and two my guards behind, two and two before, All my walls are lost in mirrors, whereupon I trace Then I have an ivory chair high to sit upon, Almost like my father's chair, which is an ivory throne; There I sit uplift and upright, there I sit alone. Alone by day, alone by night, alone days without end; My father and my mother give me treasures, search and spend O my father! O my mother! have vou ne'er a friend? As I am a lofty princess, so my father is A lofty king, accomplished in all kingly subtleties Holding in his strong right hand world-kingdoms' balances. He has quarreled with his neighbors, he has scourged his On whose track the vulture swoops, when they ride in state Some to work on roads, canals; some to man his ships; Once it came into my heart and whelmed me like a flood, That these, too, are men and women, human flesh and blood; Men with hearts and men with souls, though trodden down like mud. Our feasting was not glad that night, our music was not gay; I sat beside them sole princess in my exalted place, It showed me that my ladies all are fair to gaze upon, Plump, plenteous-haired, to every one love's secret lore is known, They laugh by day, they sleep by night; ah me, what is a throne? The singing men and women sang that night as usual, Amid the toss of torches to my chamber back we swept; To think of some in galling chains whether they waked or slept. I took my bath of scented milk, delicately waited on, namon, They lit my shaded silver lamp and left me there alone. A day went by, a week went by. One day I heard it said: Men are clamoring, women, children, clamoring to be fed; Men like famished dogs are howling in the streets for bread." So two whispered by my door, not thinking I could hear, Vulgar, naked truth, ungarnished for a royal ear; Fit for cooping in the background, not to stalk so near. But I strained my utmost sense to catch this truth, and mark: There are families out grazing like cattle in the park." 66 A pair of peasants must be saved even if we build an ark." A merry jest, a merry laugh, each strolled upon his way; One was my page, a lad I reared and bore with day by day; One was my youngest maid, as sweet and white as cream in May. Other footsteps followed softly with a weightier tramp; Voices said: "Picked soldiers have been summoned from the camp To quell these base-born ruffians who make free to howl and stamp." "Howl and stamp?" one answered: "They made free to hurl a stone At the minister's state coach, well aimed and stoutly thrown." 'There's work, then, for the soldiers, for this rank crop must be mown." "One I saw, a poor old fool with ashes on his head, Whimpering because a girl had snatched his crust of bread: Then he dropped; when some one raised him, it turned out he was dead." "After us the deluge," was retorted with a laugh: "If bread's the staff of life, they must walk without a staff." "While I've a loaf they're welcome to my blessing and the chaff." These passed. The king: stand up. Said my father with a smile: "Daughter mine, your mother comes to sit with you awhile, She's sad to-day, and who but you her sadness can beguile?" He, too, left me. Shall I touch my harp now while I wait,(I hear them doubling guard below before our palace gate,-) Or shall I work the last gold stitch into my veil of state; Or shall my woman stand and read some unimpassioned scene, There's music of a lulling sort in words that pause between; Or shall she merely fan me while I wait here for the queen? Again I caught my father's voice in sharp word of command: "Charge!" a clash of steel: "Charge again, the rebels stand. Smite and spare not, hand to hand; smite and spare not, hand to hand." There swelled a tumult at the gate, high voices waxing higher; A flash of red reflected light lit the cathedral spire; “Sit and roast there with your meat, sit and bake there with your bread, You who sat to see us starve," one shrieking woman said: "Sit on your throne and roast with your crown upon your head." Nay, this thing will I do, while my mother tarrieth, I will take my fine spun gold, but not to sew therewith, With a ransom in my lap, a king's ransom in my hand, Where they curse king, queen, and princess of this cursed land. They shall take all to buy them bread, take all I have to give; I, if I perish, perish; they to-day shall eat and live; I, if I perish, perish; that's the goal I half conceive: Once to speak before the world, rend bare my heart and show The lesson I have learned which is death, is life, to know. I, if I perish, perish; in the name of God I go. O, BREATHE NOT HIS NAME!-THOMAS MOORE. O, breathe not his name! let it sleep in the shade, But the night dew that falls, though in silence it weeps, MOTH-EATEN.-MARGARET E. SANGSTER. I had a beautiful garment, I folded it close with lavender leaves So never at morn or evening It lay by itself, under clasp and key, There were guests who came to my portal, I bore them company; I knew that I owned a beautiful robe, There were poor who stood at my portal I gave them the tenderest pity, But had nothing besides to spare; At last, on a feast day's coming, I would walk with pride in the marvel So out from the dust I bore it- Who seeks for the fadeless beauty The moth with its blighting steals. |