And there I sought her-oft in secret sought her,
From merry mates withdrawn, and mirthful play,
To wear away, by some deep stilly water,

In greenwood lone, the livelong summer day.

Watching the flitting clouds, the fading flowers,
The flying rack athwart the wavy grass;
And murmuring oft, "Alack! this life of ours—
Such are its joys-so swiftly doth it pass!"

And then, mine idle tears (ah, silly maiden !)
Bedropt the liquid glass, like summer rain ;-
And sighs, as from a bosom sorrow-laden,
Heaved the light heart, that knew no real pain.

And then I loved to haunt lone burial places,
Pacing the church-yard earth with noiseless tread ;
To pore in new-made graves for ghastly traces,
Brown crumbling bones of the forgotten dead :

To think of passing bells-of death and dying-
Methought 'twas sweet in early youth to die,
So loved, lamented-in such sweet sleep lying,

The white shroud all with flowers and rosemary

Strewed o'er by loving hands!-But then 'twould grieve me

Too sore, forsooth! the scene my fancy drew;— I could not bear the thought, to die and leave ye; And I have lived, dear friends! to weep for you.

And I have lived to prove that fading flowers

Are life's best joys, and all we love and prizeWhat chilling rains succeed the summer showers, What bitter drops, wrung slow from elder eyes.

ABJURATION.

And I have lived to look on Death and dying,

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To count the sinking pulse-the shortening breath: To watch the last faint life-streak flying-flying,To stoop to start to be alone with-Death.

And I have lived to wear the smiles of gladness,

When all within was cheerless, dark, and coldWhen all earth's joys seemed mockery and madness, And life more tedious than a tale twice told."

And now-and now, pale pining Melancholy !
No longer veiled for me your haggard brow,
In pensive sweetness-such as youthful folly
Fondly conceited-I abjure ye now!

Away-avaunt! No longer now I call ye
"Divinest Melancholy! mild, meek maid!"
No longer may your siren spells enthral me,
A willing captive in your baleful shade.

Give me the voice of mirth, the sound of laughter-
The sparkling glance of Pleasure's roving eye.
The past is past.-Avaunt, thou dark Hereafter!
"Come, eat and drink-to-morrow we must die!"

So, in his desperate mood, the fool hath spoken-
The fool whose heart hath said, "there is no God."
But for the stricken heart, the spirit broken,
There's balm in Gilead yet. The very rod,

If we but kiss it, as the stroke descendeth,
Distilleth balm to allay the inflicted smart,
And ❝ Peace that passeth understanding," blendeth
With the deep sighing of the contrite heart.

Mine be that holy, humble tribulation—

No longer feigned distress-fantastic woe,— I know my griefs,—but then my consolationMy trust, and my immortal hopes, I know.

THE END OF TIME.

"And I saw another mighty Angel come down from Heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was upon his head; and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth, and cried with a loud voice. And the Angel which I saw stand upon the sea, and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to Heaven; and sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created Heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things that therein are, that there should be time no longer!"

REVELATIONS, Chap. x.

I SAW an Angel on a cloud,

Come floating through the air;

The Heavens looked like the world's dark shroud,
All blackened with despair:
With mighty stride he stalkéd forth,
Encompassing the south and north,

And eke the middle clime;

Earth reeled beneath his ponderous weight,
The ocean rolled, all agitate,

Tumultuous and sublime.

A garb of light he rouud him cast,
Blended with Heaven's pure blue;
And thunder's blighting, withering blast,
He round his pathway threw :

Heaven's radiant arch entwined his brow
(Which shone forth with a heavenly glow

THE END OF TIME.

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Of majesty divine),

Seal of the Covenant firm and sure,
That through all ages shall endure,
Until the end of time.

The Heavens drew back to let him pass,-
With terror hence they fled;
All withered was the vernal grass,--
The sea lay bare its bed:

The mountains skipped to and fro,
Threatening the vales to overthrow,—
The troubled world did groan;
The sun withdrew his glittering rays,
Quenched beneath the brighter blaze,
That round the Angel shone.

Upon a mountain's rugged height
He fixed his left foot sure,-
And on the ocean's waves so bright
Planted his right secure :

With arms uplifted to the sky,
He swore, by Him who reigns on high,
Girded with might and power :

And who created earth and sea
In all their vast immensity,-

That-Time should be no more!

Earth quakéd at the fatal sound,
And to its centre shook,-

It reached creation's utmost bound;
Then with majestic look,

He stretched his arm up to the

sun,

And thence pulled forth that mighty one,

And hurled him to the sea:

The moon grew pale with wild affright,

The stars withdrew their glimmering light,-
For light no more could be!

LYRE.

U

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THE END OF TIME.

The mountains melted to their base,
The Heavens fled away;
The sea could find itself no place,
Where it might longer stay:
Mankind in wild confusion fled,
The living mingling with the dead,-
Thrones and dominions fell :
The huge ship sank into the wave,
Engulfed in ocean's yawning grave,—
Buried beneath its swell!

The light still dim and dimmer grew,
Till swallowed up in night;
And then the Angel, to my view,
Shone like a meteor bright;
The tempest ceased its raging breath,-
All nature yielded up to death,

The earth, the sky, the sea;
A dark cloud rose upon my sight,
And shrouded all in tenfold night,-
'Twas blank Eternity!

THE HEBREW MOTHER.

BY MRS. HEMANS.

THE rose was in rich bloom on Sharon's plain,
When a young mother, with her first-born, thence
Went up to Zion; for the boy was vowed
Unto the temple service. By the hand
She led him, and her silent soul, the while,
Oft as the dewy laughter of his eye

Met her sweet serious glance, rejoiced to think
That aught so pure, so beautiful, was hers,
To bring before her God.