SOMEWHERE OR OTHER.

THER.

S

OMEWHERE or other there must surely be

The face not seen, the voice not heard,

The heart that not yet never yet

Made answer to my word.

- ah me!

Somewhere or other, may be near or far;
Past land and sea, clean out of sight;
Beyond the wandering moon, beyond the star
That tracks her night by night.

Somewhere or other, may be far or near;
With just a wall, a hedge, between ;
With just the last leaves of the dying year
Fallen on a turf grown green.

A CHILL.

'HAT can lambkins do
HAT

WHA

All the keen night through?

Nestle by their woolly mother,
The careful ewe.

What can nestlings do

In the nightly dew?

Sleep beneath their mother's wing

Till day breaks anew.

If in field or tree

There might only be

Such a warm soft sleeping-place

Found for me!

CHILD'S TALK IN APRIL.

I

WISH you were a pleasant wren,

And I your small accepted mate;
How we'd look down on toilsome men!
We'd rise and go to bed at eight
Or it may be not quite so late.

Then you should see the nest I'd build,
The wondrous nest for you and me;
The outside rough, perhaps, but filled
With wool and down: ah, you should see
The cosey nest that it would be.

We'd have our change of hope and fear,
Small quarrels, reconcilements sweet:

I'd perch by you to chirp and cheer,
Or hop about on active feet
And fetch you dainty bits to eat.

We'd be so happy by the day,

So safe and happy through the night, We both should feel, and I should say, It's all one season of delight,

And we 'll make merry whilst we may.

Perhaps some day there 'd be an egg
When spring had blossomed from the snow:
I'd stand triumphant on one leg;

Like chanticleer I'd almost crow

To let our little neighbors know.

Next

you should sit and I would sing Through lengthening days of sunny spring: Till, if you wearied of the task,

I'd sit; and you should spread your wing
From bough to bough; I'd sit and bask.

Fancy the breaking of the shell,

The chirp, the chickens wet and bare,
The untried proud paternal swell;
And you with housewife-matron air
Enacting choicer bills of fare.

Fancy the embryo coats of down,

The gradual feathers soft and sleek ; Till clothed and strong from tail to crown, With virgin warblings in their beak, They too go forth to soar and seek.

So would it last an April through
And early summer fresh with dew:

Then should we part and live as twain,
Love-time would bring me back to you

And build our happy nest again.

GONE FOREVER.

O

HAPPY rose-bud blooming
Upon thy parent tree,

Nay, thou art too presuming;
For soon the earth entombing
Thy faded charms shall be,
And the chill damp consuming.

O happy skylark springing

Up to the broad blue sky, Too fearless in thy winging, Too gladsome in thy singing, Thou also soon shalt lie

Where no sweet notes are ringing.

And through life's shine and shower
We shall have joy and pain;
But in the summer bower,
And at the morning hour,

We still shall look in vain

For the same bird and flower.