To plaintive murmurs chang'd, arriv'd within, The cure was wrought; he wip'd the sanious flood, Mute with astonishment the assembly gaze; TO A WOUNDED SINGING BIRD. BARRY CORNWALL. Poor singer hath the fowler's gun, Or the sharp winter done thee harm? We'll lay thee gently in the sun, And breathe on thee and keep thee warm: Perhaps some human kindness still May make amends for human ill. We'll take thee in and nurse thee well, And thou shalt be our feathered child, Fear not nor tremble, little bird,— An accent even thou shouldst know; 'Tis common to the bird and brute, But hark! is that a sound we hear Come chirping from its throat,—— Faint-short-but weak and very clear, And like a grateful note? Another ha-look where it lies, It shivers gasps-is still-it dies!. "Tis dead-'tis dead! and all our care The mother's wo doth pierce the air, LOVED ONCE. MISS E. B. BARRETT. I classed, appraising once, The face of kisses on unanswering clay, The sobbed farewell, the welcome mournfuller ;But all did leaven the air With a less bitter leaven of sure despair, Than these words-I loved ONCE. And who saith, I loved ONCE? Not angels, whose clear eyes, love, love, foresee, Love through eternity! Who by To Love, do apprehend To BE. Not God, called Love, his noble crown-name, casting A light too broad for blasting! The great God changing not from everlasting, Nor ever the 'loved ONCE,' Dost THOU say, victim-Christ, misprized friend! But having loved, Thou lovest to the end! Man desecrates the eternal God-word Love How say ye, 6 we loved once, Ah, friends! and would ye wrong each other so? Whose tears have fallen for you, whose smiles have shone, Such words, we loved them ONCE? Say calm of me, sweet friends, when out of sight? When hearts of better right Stand in between me and your happy light? Ye find my colors fade, And all that is not love in me decayed! Could ye, we loved her once', Say cold of me, when farther put away When mute the lips which deprecate to-day ? Of those who sit and love you up in Heaven, 6 Say not, we loved them once? Say never, ye loved ONCE! God is too near above, the grave, below, And all our moments go Too quickly past our souls, for saying so! There comes no change to justify that change, And yet that word of ONCE, Is humanly acceptive! Kings have said, 'We ruled once,'-idiot tongues, 'We once bestead,' Cripples once danced i' the vines-and bards approved Were once by scornings moved! But Love strikes one hour-LOVE. loved, Who dream that they loved ONCE. Those never THE GRACES OF A GENUINE BARD. BAILEY. The bard must have a kind, courageous heart, And natural chivalry to aid the weak, He must believe the best of every thing; Love all below, and worship all above. All animals are living hieroglyphs, The dashing dog and stealthy-stepping cat, Hawk, bull, and all that breathe, mean something more |