THE NILE.

TREAMING from far, of source mysterious

ST

God of a race like children of a dream— [still, So hazed in mists of Time remote they seemI roll, as I have rolled, 'twixt plain, mount, hill, My destiny of ages to fulfil :

A desert I inspire with life to teem,

I make a land where'er my waters gleam,
And breathe my annual blessings as I will.
I was Old Egypt's and Old Egypt mine,
Or e'er thy races, Europe, yet were known,
And now thy young of yesterday combine
To probe the darkness of our glory flown:
Ask them if they, perchance, e'en yet divine
How much shall by my Dead be overthrown.

1880.

A

TO AUGUSTA.

have rolled;

NOTHER circle from thy birth complete! And fifteen times year after year Yet, surely, heretofore hath life been sweet, Nor grief found heart her curtain to unfold: But happy days, alas! too soon are told, And they who live must look for changing skies, Yet shall thy guardian angel ne'er grow cold, Nor suffer tears to overwhelm those eyes!

In all the.spangled universe no star

Doth shine unguided by a Hand Divine,
And all the lives they hold are dearer far,

And all are guided too, and so is thine! [thy song,
Then bloom, young flower, young bird, put forth
Thy share of sunshine shall be bright and long!

A

THE MOTHER'S LAMENT.

MOTHER mourned her child, a daughter,

And in her earliest agonies of grief [lost, The dearest voice dared not attempt relief, In waves so rude of anguish was she tossed! But when the first calm ray of reason crossed Her smitten soul, and she could meditate, Sense of her sorrow came to soften fate, E'en by the very wound that it had cost:

"My daughter," she exclaimed, "thus torn away, Hadst thou in life as mother known to love,

Perchance thou, too, hadst known such bitter day As I, thy mourning mother, now must prove;

The pangs

this separation costs to me,

I thank my God, can never torture thee!"

FOLLOW THE LIGHT.

OLLOW the Light-it cannot lead astray;

FOLL

Thy danger lies in doubting-tread thy way; Follow the Light-its path is dark to find, But it were death to pause, outrun, delay; If thou dost hope again to hail the day, Follow-nor trust the darkness of thy mind. 'Tis a hard thing, and passing hard, to do! Sometimes it stands, or flickers; seems untrue;

It cannot be 'tis probing thy mistrust.

It drags o'er bruising rocks; in the dank dew
Of chill Despond it chains thee; but anew
It will move onward, shine and guide-it must.
It will not slay nor quit thee: hold thou fast:
Invoking, or upbraiding, cleave to the last!

Follow the Light!

CONTENT AND AMBITION.

MORNING

ORNING was beautiful; along the dale
The enamelled meadows laughed with

flowers of spring,

The birds had long begun to build and sing,
The opening year might seem to cry, All Hail!
Yet did the balmy air and sunshine fail

To chase away the clouds that still would cling
On all the mountain tops, there hovering,

As cloudy thoughts will o'er high hearts prevail.
Content held converse with the day below,
With birds, flowers, sunshine, meadows, prattling
Ambition chafed a wider scope to know, [stream;
To him these softer scenes must idle seem; [snow,
He marched and mounted midst the crags and
And passed the day in labour, mist, and dream.

L