CLII. A CHARACTER AND A QUESTION. A DUBIOUS, strange, uncomprehended life, A roll of riddles with no answer found,- A daughter of the pit, and-strongly bound For such a sunken soul what room in Heaven? Stars in His hand, and shall not He judge well? JAMES ASHCROFT NOBLE. CLIII. ONLY A WOMAN'S HAIR. Only a woman's hair."-SWIFT. "A special despatch in the 'Tagblatt' states that Wagner's body was laid in the coffin by the widow herself, who, last night, cut off the beautiful hair her husband so admired and placed it in a red cushion under the head of the departed."-"Standard," Feb. 17th, 1883. "ONLY a woman's hair! We may not guess Of love's victorious everlastingness. Such love, O mute musician, doth provide Now love's last gift-only a woman's hair! CLIV. THE RAINBOW. THE raindrops shimmered down the beamy sky: Is clear, and with the purple veil of night Our monarch is arrayed in mystery." my sight Thus wrangling, shouting, hopeless to agree, The drops shot swiftly down the headlong steep, Until at last they fell into the sea. When they arose from out the cold, dark deep, The sun sat throned in stainless majesty, While down a cloud they saw the rainbow sweep. HON. RODEN NOEL. CLV. BY THE SEA. AH! wherefore do I haunt the shadowy tomb, Ash-pale dumb wastes, impenetrably dead, He hath been summoned! and I hold my post Here on the threshold, thirsty for one breath Released from yonder! Leave me! I love my night, More than abounding pulses of your light! CLVI. IN MEMORY OF F. C. C. 6th May, 1882. FAIR Soul, who in this faltering age did show Justice at one with gentleness :-The throe For thou hast ta'en thine innocence on high, Fair souls, and wept, like thee, with lifelong tears |