Hunger, and cold, and weariness, these are a frightful three; A thousand flocks were on the hills, a thousand flocks and more, Feeding in sunshine pleasantly; they were the rich man's store: There was the while one little lamb beside a cottage door; A little lamb that rested with the children 'neath the tree, That ate, meek creature, from their hands, and nestled to their knee; That had a place within their hearts, one of the family. But want, even as an armèd man, came down upon their shed, That father, with a downcast eye, upon his threshold stood, Gaunt poverty each pleasant thought had in his heart subdued. "What is the creature's life to us?" said he: "'t will buy us food. "Ay, though the children weep all day, and with down-drooping head Each does his small task mournfully, the hungry must be fed; It went. Oh! parting has a pang the hardest heart to wring, Therefore most sorrowful it was those children small to see, Most sorrowful to hear them plead for the lamb so piteously: "Oh! mother dear, it loveth us; and what beside have we?" "Let's take him to the broad green hill!" in his impotent despair Said one strong boy: "let's take him off, the hills are wide and fair; I know a little hiding place, and we will keep him there." Oh vain! They took the little lamb, and straightway tied him down, With a strong cord they tied him fast; and o'er the common brown, And o'er the hot and flinty roads, they took him to the town. The little children through that day, and throughout all the morrow, From everything about the house a mournful thought did borrow; bread they had to eat was food unto their sorrow. The very Oh! poverty is a weary thing, 't is full of grief and pain; It keepeth down the soul of man, as with an iron chain; It maketh even the little child with heavy sighs complain. THE FAIRIES OF THE CALDON LOW. A MIDSUMMER LEGEND. "AND where have you been, my Mary, "And what did you see, my Mary, "And what did you hear, my Mary, "Oh! tell me all, my Mary, All, all that ever you know; "Then take me on your knee, mother; "And their harp-strings rung so merrily. "And what were the words, my Mary, But let me have my way. "Some of them played with the water, And this,' they said, 'shall speedily turn VOL. XIL "For there has been no water "Oh! the miller, how he will laugh "And some they seized the little winds And each put a horn unto his mouth, "And there,' they said, the merry winds go Away from every horn; And they shall clear the mildew dank From the blind, old widow's corn. "Oh! the poor, blind widow, Though she has been blind so long, She'll be blithe enough when the mildew 's gone, "And some they brought the brown lint-seed, And flung it down from the Low; And this,' they said, 'by the sunrise, "Oh the poor, lame weaver, When he sees his dwindling flax-field "And then outspoke a brownie, "I've spun a piece of hempen cloth, A little sheet for Mary's bed, And an apron for her mother.' "With that I could not help but laugh, 8 "And all on the top of the Caldon Low The mists were cold and gray, And nothing I saw but the mossy stones That round about me lay. "But, coming down from the hill-top, How busy the jolly miller was, "And I peeped into the widow's field, The yellow ears of the mildewed corn, "And down by the weaver's croft I stole, To see if the flax were sprung; But I met the weaver at his gate, "Now, this is all I heard, mother, So, pr'ythee, make my bed, mother. |