peaceful trance, and forgot his sufferings in a blessed respite. How did I finally save him from the asylum? I took him to a neighboring university, and made him discharge the burden of his persecuting rhymes into the eager ears of the poor, unthinking students. How is it with them, now? The result is too sad to tell. Why did I write this article? It was for a worthy, even a noble, purpose. It was to warn you, reader, if you should come across those merciless rhymes, to avoid them-avoid them as you would a pestilence! MARK TWAIN. THE USED-TO-BE. From Rhymes of Childhood," by permission of The Bowen-Merrill Co., Indianapolis, Indiana. BEYOND the purple, hazy trees Of summer's utmost boundaries, Beyond the sands, beyond the seas, A land enchanted-such as swung That dazed men with its melody- Is the fair Used-to-be. A land where music ever girds The air with belts of singing birds, And sows all sounds with such sweet words, A meaning lives so sweet to me, Lost laughter ripples limpidly From lips brimmed o'er with the glee Lost laughter, and the whistled tunes When starlight fell so mistily That, peering up from bended knee, O land of love and dreamy thoughts, And all ye blooms that longingly JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY. OWEN MOORE. WEN MOORE went away OWEN Owin' more than he could pay; THE NATION'S DEFENDERS. ODE FOR JULY 4. From "Songs of History," by permission of New England Publishing Co., Boston, Mass. A GAIN wake the song to the nation's defenders, The years of prosperity rise and increase; The summer days glow with their shadowless splen dors, And blow the war-bugles the sweet notes of peace. Here, here where the Northmen their harbored sail shifted, And wondering turned to the dark seas again, And the knights of the Fleur-de-lis gallantly lifted The banners of Francis-awake the glad strain To the valor of old, To the flag we behold, And the twice twenty stars that our banners unfold! Sing the Pilgrims of old, who, by dark foes surrounded, Their lone, tentless way through the still forests trod, Who knelt by the Charles and our Ilion founded Who caught the free spirit of Cromwell and Vane, To the flag we behold, And the twice twenty stars that our banners unfold! Defenders of Might to King George's towns loyal, When o'er them the Red Cross of Albion blew; Defenders of Right, in humanity royal, Beneath the white stars of the century new. They stood as one man when the Red Cross was o'er them, They stood as one man 'neath the new flag again; The years glowed behind them, the years glowed before them, And shall glow forever-awake the glad strain To the valor of old, To the flag we behold, And the twice twenty stars that our banners unfold! Sing, sing them who fell by each palm-shaded river, The white marbles bloom for their sakes, and the pages Of history gladden with hope-wake the strain To the flag we behold, And the twice twenty stars that our banners unfold! Then sing ye the song of the nation's defenders, blow, The natal day hail that to memory renders The debt that to Liberty's martyrs we owe! In spirit they come when the bugles are blowing The sweet notes of peace on our festival days; In spirit they live in the great empires growing, And shall live forever!-sing, sing ye the praise Of the valor of old, Of the flag we behold, And the twice twenty stars that our banners unfold! HEZEKIAH BUTTERWORTH. THE POETRY OF CITY AND COUNTRY LIFE. By permission of and arrangement with Houghton, Mifflin & Co. Boston, Mass. THERE should the scholar live? In solitude or in society? In the green stillness of the country, where he can hear the heart of Nature beat; or in the dark, gray city, where he can hear and feel the throbbing heart of man? I will make |