He was the man for Nellie

She didn't know no ill;
Mother, she tried to stop it,

But you know young girls' will.
Well, it's the same old story—
Common enough, you say;
But he was a soft-tongued devil,
And got her to run away.
More than a month, or later,

We heard from the poor young thing-
He had run away and left her

Without any weddin' ring!

Back to her home we brought her,
Back to her mother's side;
Filled with a ragin' fever,

She fell at my feet and died!
Frantic with shame and sorrow,
Her mother began to sink,
And died in less than a fortnight;
That's when I took to drink.
Come, give me a glass now, Colonel,
And I'll be on my way,

And I'll tramp till I catch that scoundrel,
If it takes till the Judgment Day.

66

BAPTISM DEFENDED.

A minister who does not believe immersion is baptism was holding a protracted meeting, and one night preached on the subject of baptism. In the course of his remarks he said, "Some believe it necessary to go down into the water, and come up out of it, to be baptized." But this he claimed to be fallacy, for the preposition "into" does not mean into, at all times. Moses," he said, "we are told, went up into the mountain, and the Saviour was taken up into a high mountain, &c. Now we do not suppose that either went into a mountain, but unto it. So with going down into the water; it means simply going down close by or near to the water, and being baptized in the ordinary way by sprinkling or pouring."

He carried this idea out fully, and in due season and style closed his discourse, when an invitation was given for any one so disposed to arise and express his thoughts. Quite a number of the brethren arose and said they were glad they

had been present on this occasion, and that they were well pleased with the sound sermon they had just heard. Finally a corpulent gentlemen of Teutonic extraction, a stranger to all, arose and broke a silence that was almost painful, as follows:

"Mister Breacher, I ish so glad I vas here to-night, for I has had explained to my mint some dings.dat I never could pelief pefore. Oh, I ish so glad dat into does not mean into at all, but shust close by or near to, for now I can pelief manish dings vot I could not pelief pefore. We reat, Mister Breacher, dat Taniel vas cast into de ten of lions and came out alife! Now I neffer could pelief dat, for de wilt peasts would shust eat him right off; put now it is fery clear to my mint. He vas shust close by or near to, and tid not get into de ten at all. Oh, I ish so glad I vas here to-night. 'Again we reat dat de Heprew children vas cast into de firish furnace, and dat air alwish look like a peeg story, too, for dey would have peen purnt up; put it ish all plain to my mint now for dey were shust cast near by or close to de firish furnace. Oh, I vas so glad I vas here to-night.

66

"And den, Mister Breacher, it ish said dat Jonah was cast into de sea and taken into de whalesh pelly. Now I neffer could pelief dat. It alwaysh seemed to me to pe a peeg feesh story, put it ish all plain to my mint now. He vas not taken into de whalesh pelly at all, put shust shumpt onto his pack and rode ashore. Oh, I vas so glad I vas here to-night!

"And now, Mister Breacher, if you will shust explain two more passages of Scriptures I shall pe, oh, so happy dat I vas here to-night! One of dem ish vere it saish de vicked shall pe cast into a lake dat purns mit fire and primsthone alwaysh. Oh, Mister Breacher, shall I pe cast into dat lake if I am vicked! or shust py or near to, shust near enough to be comfortable? Oh, I hopes you tell me I shall pe cast only shust py a good vay off, and I vill pe so glad I vas here to-night! De odder passage ish dat vich saish, plessed are dey who do dese commandments, dat dey may haf right to de dree of life and enter in drough de gates of de city, and not shust close py, or near to, shust near enough to see vat I haf lostand I shall pe so glad I vas here to-night!"

MONEY MUSK.-BENJ. F. TAYLOR.

66
ABRIDGED FROM 'THE OLD BARN."

Ah, the buxom girls that helped the boys-
The nobler Helens of humbler Troys-
As they stripped the husks with rustling fold
From eight-rowed corn as yellow as gold,

By the candle-light in pumpkin bowls,
And the gleams that showed fantastic holes
In the quaint old lantern's tattooed tin,
From the hermit glim set up within;

By the rarer light in girlish eyes
As dark as wells, or as blue as skies.
I hear the laugh when the ear is red,
I see the blush with the forfeit paid,

The cedar cakes with the ancient twist,
The cider cup that the girls have kissed.
And I see the fiddler through the dusk
As he twangs the ghost of "Money Musk!"

The boys and girls in a double row
Wait face to face till the magic bow
Shall whip the tune from the violin,
And the merry pulse of the feet begin.

MONEY MUSK

In shirt of check, and tallowed hair,
The fiddler sits in the bulrush chair
Like Moses' basket stranded there

On the brink of Father Nile.

He feels the fiddle's slender neck,

Picks out the notes with thrum and check, And times the tune with nod and beck, And thinks it a weary while.

All ready! Now he gives the call,

Cries, "Honor to the ladies!" All

The jolly tides of laughter fall

And ebb in a happy smile.

D-o-w-n comes the bow on every string, "First couple join right hands and swing!"

As light as any blue-bird's wing

"Swing once and a half times round."

Whirls Mary Martin all in blue

Calico gown and stockings new,

And tinted eyes that tell you true,

Dance all to the dancing sound.

She flits about big Moses Brown,

Who holds her hands to keep her down
And thinks her hair a golden crown

And his heart turns over once!
His cheek with Mary's breath is wet,
It gives a second somerset!

He means to win the maiden yet,

Alas, for the awkward dunce!

Your stoga boot has crushed my toe!" "I'd rather dance with one-legged Joe!" "You clumsy fellow!" "Pass below!"

And the first pair dance apart.
Then "Forward six !" advance, retreat,
Like midges gay in sunbeam street
'Tis Money Musk by merry feet

And the Money Musk by heart!
"Three quarters round your partner swing !"
Across the set!" The rafters ring,
The girls and boys have taken wing

And have brought their roses out!
"Tis "Forward six!" with rustic grace,
Ah, rarer far than-" Swing to place!"
Than golden clouds of old point-lace
They bring the dance about.

Then clasping hands all-" Right and left!!"
All swiftly weave the measure deft
Across the woof in loving weft

And the Money Musk is dore!

Oh, dancers of the rustling husk,

Good-night, sweethearts, 'tis growing dusk, Good-night for aye to Money Musk,

For the heavy march begun!

Part Nineteenth.