Right towards the lamb she look'd; and from that shady I unobserved could see the workings of her face; If Nature to her tongue could measured numbers* bring, Measured 20 Thus, thought I, to her lamb that little maid might sing: 25 "What ails thee, Young one? what? Why pull so at Is it not well with thee? well both for bed and board? Thy limbs are they not strong? and beautiful thou art! peers; * And that green corn all day is rustling in thy ears. "If the sun be shining hot, do but stretch thy woollen * numbers, if she could write verse. Peers, equals. Covert,cover 30 This beech is standing by, its covert thou canst gain; The rain and storm are things that scarcely can come "Rest, little Young one, rest; thou hast forgot the day none, And thy mother from thy side for evermore was gone. "He took thee in his arms, and in pity brought thee A blessed day for thee !-then whither wouldst thou roam ? * A faithful nurse thou hast ; the dam that did thee yean 40 Upon the mountain-tops no kinder could have been. "Thou know'st that twice a day I have brought thee in 45 this can lie in the shade of the beech-tree. Dam, a female sheep having lambs. ten it to the cart like a horse, to har Fresh water from the brook, as clear as ever ran ; ness it. closed place sheep. Belike, perhaps, probably. Raven, a bird of prey. "It will not, will not rest !—Poor creature, can it be That 'tis thy mother's heart which is working so in thee? Things that I know not of belike * to thee are dear, And dreams of things which thou canst neither see nor hear. Alas, the mountain-tops that look so green and fair I've heard of fearful winds and darkness that come there; 50 The little brooks that seem all pastime and all play, 55 -As homeward through the lane I went with lazy This song to myself did I oftentimes repeat; mine Again, and once again, did I repeat the song; belong! For she look'd with such a look, and she spake with such a tone, That I almost received her heart into my own." protected, to keep off anything hurtful. Vacant, empty. Mournings, sorrow- Rachel, daughter of Afflictions, trials, Celestial, heavenly. Bene lictions, blessings. RESIGNATION.-Longfellow. 60 65 THERE is no flock, however watched and tended,* But one dead lamb is there! There is no fire-side, howso'er defended,* The air is full of farewells to the dying, The heart of Rachel * for her children crying, Let us be patient! These severe afflictions But oftentimes celestial* benedictions* * 5 IO We see but dimly through the mists and vapours, 15 What seem to us but sad, funereal * tapers 20 * Funereal, dismal, There is no death! What seems so is transition!* Transition, passage In that great cloister's* stillness and seclusion, Safe from temptation, safe from sin's pollution,* 25 Day after day we think what she is doing 30 * Thus do we walk with her, and keep unbroken May reach her where she lives. Not as a child shall we again behold her; 35 In our embraces we again enfold her. 40 But a fair maiden, in her Father's mansion, * And beautiful with all the soul's expansion,* And though at times impetuous* with emotion* The swelling heart heaves moaning like the ocean That cannot be at rest, 45 We will be patient, and assuage* the feeling We may not wholly stay; By silence sanctifying, not concealing,* The grief that must have way. SOME MURMUR.-Archbishop Trench. RICHARD CHENEVIX TRENCH (1807- ), now Archbishop of Dublin, is the author of The Study of Words; English Past and Present, &c. In early life he published several volumes of poems, in a style resembling that of Wordsworth. BEN JONSON (1573-1637) was the son of a clergyman, and received a university education. He wrote very many plays and poems, some of them marked by great powers. He also perfected the compositions called Masques, which formed a favourite amusement of the Court. It is to his credit that his constant aim was to improve the morals of the day. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, and the flagstone over his grave was inscribed with the words, "O rare Ben Jonson!" 66 Sere, withered. Just, true. Measures, in short periods of time. Ir is not growing like a tree In bulk doth make Man better be; * Is fairer far in May, 5 IO ABOU-BEN-ADHEM AND THE ANGEL.-Leigh Hunt. LEIGH HUNT (1784-1859) was an essayist and critic of the first half of this century. In early life he was editor of the Examiner, a London newspaper. Chief poems: Feast of the Poets, a legend of Florence; and The Palfrey. ABOU-BEN-ADHEM (may his tribe * increase) Exceeding peace had made Ben-Adhem bold, And with a look made all of sweet accord, it Tribe, at first meant a third part, afterwards any division of people; a race or family from the same ancestor; a body of people under one leader. Exceeding, very much, very great. IO Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord." Lo! look, see, be 15 The angel wrote and vanished. The next night It came again with a great wakening light, And showed the names whom love of God had hold; it is a contrac blest, And, lo! Ben-Adhem's name led all the rest.* tion of the word look. Led all the rest, stood first on the list. THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB'S * ARMY. Byron. THE Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, And his cohorts* were gleaming with purple And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea, When the blue waves roll nightly on deep Cohorts, among the Romans, a body of 500 or 600 men, the tenth part of a legion; here it means a company of soldiers. Purple and gold, the dresses of the officers adorned with gold lace. 5 Like the leaves of the forest when summer is Galilee, the sea of * green, That host with their banners at sunset were seen; Galilee or lake of Gennesareth in Palestine was noted for its frequent storms. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judea in the reign of Hezekiah. He afterwards threatened to destroy the king, but a "blast" from the Lord killed 185,000 of his men in one night. |