I'll take you past each picket-guard,
For fear you might miscarry.”

Yet still as wilder surged that flood,
And as the night grew drear'er,
The soldier at his post still stood,
- Transfixed with mortal terror.

"Oh! haste thee, haste!" the horseman cries,

66

Though it should rain and thunder,

I'd meet the raging of the skies,
But not Jeff Davis' anger."

The twain have left Virginia's shore,
Sad Maryland receives them;
The soldier vows that never more
Shall fanatics deceive him.

Says Inker-man, with mournful smile :
"Southward no more I'll roam;

I'll steer my bark to Erin's Isle,

For Erin is my

-New-Orleans Picayune.

home."

P. H. D.

THE HEMPEN CRAVAT.

BY R. H. STODDARD.

THE Southern costume, have you heard of it,

sirs?

Is a single shirt-collar and a big pair of spurs ; 'Tis airy for summer, there's no doubt of that, But not half so neat as a hempen cravat.

To begin with the collar: suppose a long march, In the hot, broiling sun, what becomes of the starch?

Why, it wilts down with sweat-a nasty thing that, Which is never the case with the hempen cravat!

Their spurs may be good till a battle begins,

But won't they be likely to scratch their own shins When they come to retreat? for they may come to that,

But they cannot retreat, with the hempen cravat!

O the hempen cravat is an elegant thing!
For once on your neck, it gives you full swing;
These hot Southern gentlemen ought to like that,
For they all want to swing-in the hempen cravat!

'Tis as cheap as 'tis useful, a blessing to-day, When the South, owing millions, has nothing to pay; So, to show our good will, (they've but little of that,)

We'll furnish them, gratis, the hempen cravat!

We try it on Pat, when he snatches a knife,
And slithers the windpipe of mother or wife;
He was crazy with whiskey, no matter for that,
He must die like a dog in the hempen cravat!

What is Pat's little frolic to what they have done?
'Tis the foulest conspiracy under the sun;
The treason of Arnold was nothing to that,
Yet he richly deserved the hempen cravat!

They plotted like him, with no wrongs to repay;
How could they be wronged, when they had their

They bullied the North, we submitted to that,
And, once in a while, to the hempen cravat!

They wasted our treasure, by putting in Cobb
To shell it out freely, in other words, rob;
When the country was bankrupt he brought us
to that-

He resigned, and ran off from the hempen cravat!

We had a few arsenals, so they employed

A traitor to empty them-Brigadier Floyd;
He sent our arms South, for this and for that,
And stripped us of all—but the hempen cravat!

Our gold in their pockets, our guns in their hands, Of course we must listen to all their demands; They will break up the Union—what say ye to that? My answer, brave boys, is the hempen cravat!

By the blood of our sires, that on Bunker's old hill Was poured out like water, (it flows in us still!) We will crush them, or perish, (no danger of that!) With sword, and with shot, and the hempen cravat!

Should we happen to meet with these bold pirateers, They'll find a queer slip-knot tied under their ears, And swift at the yard-arm-a gallus place that— They'll dance a gay jig, in the hempen cravat!

Then work all your rope-walks, and working them, sing,

"O the hempen cravat is a wonderful thing!" Who can mention a better, may take my old hat, But till then I go in for the hempen cravat!

AB

ABOU BEN BUTLER.

BOU BEN BUTLER (may his tribe increase!)

Awoke one night down by the old Balize, And saw, outside the comfort of his room, Making it warmer for the gathering gloom, A black man shivering in the winter's cold. Exceeding courage made Ben Butler bold, And to the presence in the dark he said: "What wantest thou?" The figure raised its head,

And with a look made of all sad accord, Answered "The men who'll serve the purpose

of the Lord."

"And am I one ?" said Butler.

"Nay, not so,"

Replied the black man. Butler spoke more low, But cheerly still; and said: "As I am Ben, You'll not have cause to tell me that again!"

The figure bowed and vanished. The next night It came once more, environed strong in light, And showed the names whom love of Freedom

blessed,

And lo! Ben Butler's name led all the rest.