"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; And yet, O, yet, that many a dame I KNEW by his looks what he'd come for 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! Still in rude armour drest, Comest to daunt me! Wrapt not in Eastern balms, Why dost thou haunt me?" Then, from those cavernous eyes "I was a Viking old! My deeds, though manifold, "Far in the Northern Land, 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 Sang from the meadow. "But when I older grew, "Many a wassail-bout "Once as I told in glee Tales of the stormy sea, |