Laughed in the innocent old way,

Hugged Lizzie but not twice or thrice,

Her gleaming locks showed not one thread of grey Her breath was sweet as May

And light danced in her eyes.

Days, weeks, months, years
Afterwards, when both were wives
With children of their own;

Their mother-hearts beset with fears,
Their lives bound up in tender lives;
Laura would call the little ones
And tell them of her early prime,
Those pleasant days long gone
Of not-returning time:

Would talk about the haunted glen,

The wicked, quaint fruit-merchant men,
Their fruits like honey to the throat

But poison in the blood;

(Men sell not such in any town):

Would tell them how her sister stood

In deadly peril to do her good,

And win the fiery antidote :

Then joining hands to little hands
Would bid them cling together,

"For there is no friend like a sister

In calm or stormy weather;
To cheer one on the tedious way,
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down,
To strengthen whilst one stands."

THE PRINCE'S PROGRESS.

TILL all sweet gums and juices flow.

Till the blossom of blossoms blow, The long hours go and come and go,

The bride) she sleepeth, waketh, sleepeth, Waiting for one whose coming is slow:Hark! the bride weepeth.

"How long shall I wait, come heat come rime?"

66

Till the strong Prince comes, who must come in time"

(Her women say), "there's a mountain to climb. ✔
A river to ford, sleep, dream and sleep;
Sleep" (they say): "we've muffled the chime,
Better dream than weep."

In his world-end palace the strong Prince sat,
Taking his ease on cushion and mat,

Close at hand lay his staff and his hat.

"When wilt thou start? the bride waits, O youth." "Now the moon's at full; I tarried for that,

Now I start in truth.

"But tell me first, true voice of my doom,

Of

my veiled bride in her maiden bloom;

Keeps she watch through glare and through gloom,

Watch for me asleep and awake?""Spell-bound she watches in one white room, And is patient for thy sake.

"By her head lilies and rosebuds grow: The lilies droop, will the rosebuds blow? The silver slim lilies hang the head low;

Their stream is scanty, their sunshine rare : Let the sun blaze out, and let the stream flow, They will blossom and wax fair.

"Red and white poppies grow at her feet, The blood-red wait for sweet summer heat, Wrapped in bud-coats, hairy and neat;

But the white buds swell, one day they will burst, Will open their death cups drowsy and sweetWhich will open the first?"

Then a hundred sad voices lifted a wail, And a hundred glad voices piped on the gale: "Time is short, life is short," they took up the tale : "Life is sweet, love is sweet, use to-day while you

may;

Love is sweet, and to-morrow may fail;

Love is sweet, use to-day."

While the song swept by, beseeching and meek,
Up rose the Prince with a flush on his cheek,
Up he rose to stir and to seek,