THE shades of night were falling fast,
As through an Alpine' village passed
A youth, who bore, mid snow and ice,
A banner, with the strange device,

3

Excelsior!

5

His brow was sad; his eye beneath

4

Flashed like a falchion from its sheath, And like a silver clarion 5 rung

The accents of that unknown tongue,

In happy homes he saw the light

Of household fires gleam warm and
bright:

Above, the spectral glaciers shone,
And from his lips escaped a groan,

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Excelsior! 15

Try not the pass!" the old man said, "Dark lowers the tempest overhead, The roaring torrent is deep and wide!" And loud that clarion voice replied,

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Excelsior!

Oh stay!" the maiden said, "and rest
Thy weary head upon this breast!"
A tear stood in his bright blue eye,
But still he answered, with a sigh,

Excelsior!

"Beware the pine-tree's withered branch!
Beware the awful avalanche !"7

This was the peasant's last good-night!
A voice replied, far up the height,

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At break of day, as heavenward

Excelsior!

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The pious monks of Saint Bernard o

Uttered the oft-repeated prayer,

A voice cried through the startled air,

Excelsior!

A traveller, by the faithful hound,"
Half-buried in the snow was found,
Still grasping in his hand of ice

That banner, with the strange device,

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Excelsior! 40

There, in the twilight, cold and grey,
Lifeless, but beautiful, he lay,
And from the sky, serene and far,
A voice fell, like a falling star,

NOTES.

1 Excelsior, Latin, meaning higher.
2 Alpine, belonging to the Alps.
3 Device, motto or emblem.
4 Falchion, a sword.

5 Clarion, a clear-sounding trumpet.
6 Lowers, darkens, looks threaten-
ing.

Excelsior! 45

7 Avalanche, a great mass of snow rolling down the mountain-side.

8 Saint Bernard, a convent situated in a pass of the same name in the Alps.

9 Faithful hound, the St. Bernard dog.

A WET SHEET AND A FLOWING SEA.

A WET sheet and a flowing sea

A wind that follows fast,

And fills the white and rustling sail,

And bends the gallant mast

And bends the gallant mast, my boys,
While, like the eagle free,

Away the good ship flies, and leaves
Old England on the lee.

"Oh for a soft and gentle wind!"

I heard a fair one cry.

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ΙΟ

But give to me the snoring breeze,
And white waves heaving high-
And white waves heaving high, my boys,
The good ship tight and free;
The world of waters is our home,
And

merry men are we.

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There's tempest in yon hornèd moon,
The lightning in yon cloud;
And hark the music, mariners!
The wind is piping loud-
The wind is piping loud, my boys,
The lightning flashing free;
While the hollow oak our palace is,
Our heritage the sea.

2.1

WHAT I LIVE FOR.

I LIVE for those who love me,

Whose hearts are kind and true;
For the heaven that smiles above me,
And awaits my spirit too;
For all human ties that bind me,
For the task my God assigned1 me,
For the bright hopes left behind me,
And the good that I can do.

I live to learn their story
Who suffered for my sake,
To emulate their glory,

2

And follow in their wake,

3

Bards, patriots, martyrs, sages,

The noble of all ages,

4

Whose deeds crown History's pages,
And Time's great volume make.

I live to hail that season,

By gifted minds foretold,
When man shall live by reason,
And not alone by gold;
When man to man united,
And every wrong thing righted,
The whole world shall be lighted
As Eden was of old.

I live for those who love me,

For those who know me true;

For the heaven that smiles above me,
And awaits my spirit too;

5

ΙΟ

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