"The wounds I might have healed!

The human sorrow and smart! And yet it never was in my soul To play so ill a part;

But evil is wrought by want of thought, As well as want of heart!'

She clasped her fervent hands,

And the tears began to stream;
Large, and bitter, and fast they fell,
Remorse was so extreme;

And yet, O, yet, that many a dame
Would dream the Lady's Dream!

I

KNEW by his looks what he'd come for
plainly had seen from the first

It must come to this sooner or later, and I'd made my mind for the worst.

I

up

So I hid myself under the curtains, where the loving pair couldn't see me,

In order to watch their proceedings, and hear what he said unto she.

I saw he was fearfully nervous, that in fact he was suffering pain,

By the way that he fussed with his collar and poked all the chairs with his cane;

That he blushed; that he wouldn't look at her, but kept his eyes fixed on the floor,

And took the unusual precaution of taking his seat near the door.

He began, "It is-er-er-fine weather, -remarkable weather for May."

"Do you think so?" said she; "it is raining."—"Oh, so it is raming to-day.

I meant 'twill be pleasant to-morrow," he stammered: "er-er-do you skate?"

"Oh, yes! she replied, "at the season; but isn't May rather too late?"

The silence that followed was awful; he continued, "I see a sweet dove,"

('Twas only an innocent sparrow, but blind are the eyes of true love,)

"A dove of most beautiful plumage on the top of that wide-spreading tree,

Which reminds me," she sighed, "O, sweet maiden! which reminds me, dear angel, of thee."

Her countenance changed in a moment; there followed a terrible pause;

I felt that the crisis was coming, and hastily dropped on all fours,

In order to see the thing better. His face grew as white as a sheet,

He gave one spasmodical effort, and lifelessly dropped at her feet.

She said what she said I won't tell you. She raised the poor wretch from the ground.

I drew back my head for an instant.

Oh, what was that sound?

Good heavens!

I eagerly peered through the darkness,-for twilight had made the room dim,

And plainly perceived it was kissing,-and kissing not all done by him.

I burst into loud fits of laughter: know it was terribly

mean,

Still I couldn't resist the temptation to appear for a while on the scene;

But she viewed me with perfect composure as she kissed him again with a smile

And remarked, 'twixt that kiss and the next one, that "she'd known I was there all the while

Houghton, Mifflin & Company. Reprinted with per

mission. By HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW.

"SPE

PEAK! speak! thou fearful guest!
Who, with thy hollow breast

Still in rude armour drest,

Comest to daunt me!

Wrapt not in Eastern balms,
But with thy fleshless palms
Stretched, as if asking alms,

Why dost thou haunt me?"

Then, from those cavernous eyes
Pale flashes seemed to rise,
As when the Northern skies
Gleam in December;
And, like the water's flow
Under December's snow,
Came a dull voice of woe
From the heart's chamber.

"I was a Viking old!

My deeds, though manifold,
No Skald in song has told,
No Saga taught thee!
Take heed, that in thy verse
Thou dost the tale rehearse,
Else dread a dead man's curse;
For this I sought thee.

"Far in the Northern Land,
By the wild Baltic's strand,
I, with my childish hand,
Tamed the ger-falcon;

And, with my skates fast-bound, Skimmed the half-frozen Sound, That the poor whimpering hound Trembled to walk on.

"Oft to his frozen lair

Tracked I the grisly bear,

While from my path the hare
Fled like a shadow;
Oft through the forest dark
Followed the were-wolf's bark,
Until the soaring lark

Sang from the meadow.

"But when I older grew,
Joining a corsair's crew,
O'er the dark sea I flew
With the marauders.
Wild was the life we led;
Many the souls that sped,
Many the hearts that bled,
By our stern orders.

"Many a wassail-bout
Wore the long winter out;
Often our midnight shout
Set the cocks crowing,
As we the Berserk's tale
Measured in cups of ale,
Draining the oaken pail,
Filled to o'erflowing.

"Once as I told in glee Tales of the stormy sea,