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His Mother throve upon the money,

Ate and revived and kissed her son:

But oh! when she perceived her Johnny, And understood what he had done

All and only for her sake,

She sobbed as if her heart must break.

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"HOLLOW-SOUNDING & MYSTERIOUS.” 77

"HOLLOW-SOUNDING AND MYSTERIOUS."

HERE 'S no replying

THER

To the Wind's sighing,

Telling, foretelling,

Dying, undying,

Dwindling and swelling,

Complaining, droning,

Whistling and moaning,

Ever beginning,

Ending, repeating,

Hinting and dinning,

Lagging and fleeting

We've no replying

Living or dying

To the Wind's sighing.

What are you telling,
Variable Wind-tone?

What would be teaching,

O sinking, swelling,

Desolate Wind-moan?

Ever for ever

Teaching and preaching,

Never, ah never

Making us wiser

The earliest riser

Catches no meaning,
The last who hearkens
Garners no gleaning

Of wisdom's treasure,

While the world darkens :

Living or dying,

In pain, in pleasure,

We've no replying

To wordless flying

Wind's sighing.

MAIDEN MAY.

M

AIDEN MAY sat in her bower,

In her blush rose bower in flower,

Sweet of scent;

Sat and dreamed away an hour,

Half content, half uncontent.

"Why should rose blossoms be born, Tender blossoms, on a thorn

Though so sweet?

Never a thorn besets the corn

Scentless in its strength complete.

"Why are roses all so frail,

At the mercy of the gale,
Of a breath?

Yet so sweet and perfect pale,

Still so sweet in life and death."

Maiden May sat in her bower,
In her blush rose bower in flower,
Where a linnet

Made one bristling branch the tower

For her nest and young ones in it.

"Gay and clear the linnet trills ; Yet the skylark only, thrills

Heaven and earth

When he breasts the height, and fills Height and depth with song and mirth.

"Nightingales which yield to night

Solitary strange delight,

Reign alone:

But the lark for all his height

Fills no solitary throne;

"While he sings, a hundred sing; Wing their flight below his wing Yet in flight;

Each a lovely joyful thing

To the measure of its delight.

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