Yet 'tis sweet balm to our despair, fond, fairest boy, that heaven is God's, and thou art there, with Him in joy: there past are death and all its woes, there beauty's stream for ever flows, and pleasure's day no sunset knows,-Casa Wappy! Farewell, then for a while, farewell-pride of my heart! It cannot be that long we dwell, thus torn apart: time's shadows like the shuttle flee: and, dark howe'er life's night may be, beyond the grave I'll meet with thee,-Casa Wappy! XXXIV.—THE BURIAL OF MOSES. Mrs. C. F. Alexander. By Nebo's lonely mountain, on this side Jordan's wave, And no man knows that sepulchre, and no man saw it e'er; For, the angels of God upturned the sod, and laid the dead man there. That was the grandest funeral that ever passed on earth; But no man heard the trampling, or saw the train go forth- Silently, down from the mountain's crown, the great procession swept. For, beast and bird have seen and heard that which man knoweth not! But when the Warrior dieth, his comrades in the war, With arms reversed and muffled drum, follow his funeral car ; They show the banners taken, they tell his battles won, And after him lead his masterless steed, while peals the minute-gun. Amid the noblest of the land we lay the Sage to rest, And give the Bard an honoured place, with costly marble drest, In the great Minster transept, where lights like glories fall, And the organ rings, and the sweet choir sings, along the emblazoned wall. This was the truest warrior that ever buckled sword; This the most gifted poet that ever breathed a word; And never earth's philosopher traced with his golden pen, On the deathless page, truths half so sage as he wrote down for men. And had he not high honour,-the hill-side for a pall? In that strange grave without a name,-whence his uncoffined clay O lonely grave in Moab's land! O dark Beth-Peor's hill! He hides them deep, like the hidden sleep of him he loved so well! XXXV.-BABY BELL.-J. B. Aldrich. HAVE you not heard the poets tell how came the dainty "Baby Bell" into this world of ours? The Gates of Heaven were left ajar: with folded hands and dreamy eyes, wandering out of Paradise, she saw this planet,-like a star, hung in the glistening depths of even,-its bridges, running to and fro; o'er which the white-winged Angels go, bearing the holy Dead to Heaven! She touched a bridge of flowers,-those feet, so light, they did not bend the bells of the celestial asphodels; they fell like dew upon the flowers: then all the air grew strangely sweet!—And thus came dainty "Baby Bell" into this world of ours. She came, and brought delicious May. The swallows built beneath the eaves: like sunlight, in and out the leaves the robins went, the livelong day; the lily swung its noiseless bell; and, o'er the porch, the trembling vine seemed bursting with its veins of wine. How sweetly, softly, twilight fell! Oh, Earth was full of singing-birds and opening spring-tide flowers, when little, dainty “ Baby Bell" came to this world of ours! O Baby! dainty "Baby Bell !"-how fair she grew from day to day! What woman-nature filled her eyes, what poetry within them lay!those deep and tender twilight eyes, so full of meaning,-pure, and bright, as if she yet stood in the light of those oped Gates of Paradise. . . And so we loved her more and more: ah! never in our hearts before was love so lovely born! We felt we had a link, between this real World and that Unseen, the land beyond the morn! And for the love of those dear eyes,-for love of her whom God led forth (the mother's being ceased on earth when "Baby" came from Paradise),for love of Him who smote our lives, and woke the chords of joy and pain, we said, "Dear Christ!"—our hearts bent down like violets after rain. And now the orchards, which were white and red with blossoms when she came,-were rich in Autumn's yellow prime; the clustered apples burnt like flame, the soft-cheeked peaches blushed and fell, the ivory chestnut burst its shell, the grapes hung purpling in the grange: ... and time wrought just as rich a change in little "Baby Bell." Her lissome form more perfect grew; and, in her features, we could trace, in softened curves, her mother's face. Her angel-nature ripened too: we thought her lovely when she came, but she was holy, saintly now... around her pale, angelic brow we saw a slender ring of flame!-God's hand had taken away the seal that held the portals of her speech; and oft she said a few strange words, whose meaning lay beyond our reach. She never was a child to us, we never held her being's key; we could not teach her holy things: she was Christ's self in purity. It came upon us by degrees, we saw its shadow ere it fell,-the knowledge that our God had sent His Messenger for "Baby Bell." We shuddered, with unlanguaged pain; and all our hopes were changed to fears, and all our thoughts ran into tears-like sunshine into rain. We cried aloud, in our belief, "Oh, smite us gently, gently, God! teach us to bend and kiss ... the rod, and perfect grow through grief." Ah! how we loved her, God can tell; her heart was folded deep in ours—our hearts are broken, "Baby Bell!" At last he came the Messenger-the Messenger from Unseen Lands! And what did dainty "Baby Bell ?" She only crossed her little hands,she only looked more meek and fair! We parted back her silken hair, we wove the roses round her brow,-white buds, the summer's drifted snow,-wrapt her, from head foot, in flowers . . . and thus went dainty "Baby Bell" out of this world of ours! XXXVI. THE ANCIENT MARINER.-(Condensation.)-8. T. Coleridge. It is an ancient Mariner, and he stoppeth one of three:- The Bridegroom's doors are opened wide, and I am next of kin; He holds him with his skinny hand:-"There was a ship," quoth he; "Hold off! unhand me, gray-beard loon!" Eftstoons his hand dropped he. He holds him with his glittering eye:-the Wedding-guest stood still, And listens like a three years' child-the Mariner hath his will! The Wedding-guest sat on a stone: he cannot choose but hear; It cracked and growled, and roared and howled, like noises in a swound! "God save thee, ancient Mariner, from the fiends that plague thee thus! be; And we did speak, only to break the silence of the sea !— Day after day, day after day, we stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean. Water, water, everywhere, and all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink. The very deep did rot: Alas that ever this should be; There passed a weary time. Each throat was parched, and glazed each eye. A weary time! a weary time! How glazed each weary eye! With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, we could nor laugh nor wail; Through utter drought all dumb we stood; I bit my arm, blood, and cried, A sail! a sail! I sucked.my See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more! hither to work us weal, nears! Are those her sails that glance in the sun, like restless gossameres? grate ;) And is that Woman all her crew? Is that a Death? And are there two? Is Death that Woman's mate? The naked hulk alongside came, and the twain were casting dice; The game is done! I've won, I've won!' quoth she, and whistles thrice. "I fear thee, Ancient Mariner, I fear thy skinny hand! And thou art long, and lank, and brown, as is the ribbed sea-sand! I fear thee and thy glittering eye, and thy skinny hand, so brown." "Fear not, fear not, thou Wedding-guest,-this body dropped not down. Alone, alone, all, all alone,-alone on a wide, wide sea! And never a Saint took pity on my soul in agony. The many men so beautiful! and they all dead did lie; And a thousand thousand slimy things lived on; and so did I. I looked upon the rotting sea, and drew my eyes away; I looked upon the rotting deck,...and there the dead men lay! I looked to heaven, and tried to pray; but, or ever a prayer had gushed, A wicked whisper came, and made my heart as dry as dust. Beyond the shadow of the ship I watched the water-snakes: They moved in tracks of shining white, and when they reared, the elfish light fell off in hoary flakes. Within the shadow of the ship I watched their rich attire; Blue, glossy-green, and velvet-black, they coiled and swam; and every track was a flash of golden fire! Oh, happy living things! no tongue their beauty might declare: And soon I heard a roaring wind; it did not come a-near; It had been strange, even in a dream, to have seen these dead men rise. Swiftly, swiftly flew the ship—yet she sailed softly too; I pass like Night from land to land; I have strange power of speech: The moment that his face I see, I know the man that must hear me: to him my tale I teach. O Wedding-guest! this soul hath been alone on a wide, wide sea; So lonely 'twas, that God Himself scarce seemed there to be. Oh, sweeter than the marriage feast-'tis sweeter far to me To walk together to the kirk with a goodly company !- To walk together to the kirk, and all together pray; While each to his Great Father bends,-old men, and babes, and loving friends, and youths, and maidens gay. Farewell, farewell! but this I tell to thee, thou Wedding-guest : |