It  tranced  his  form,  and  helpless  kept
His  passioned  eye  in  fixedness
Upon  the  maid  that  shades  did  dress
In  loveliest  colors  of  the  eve,
That  heart  and  eye  could  scarce  believe
Were  earthly  maid  that  did  confess
A  human  ail,  a  human  woe.
And  strangely  born  of  loveliest  bride,
Where  naught  but  sunsliine  soft  should  go,

And  love  and  joy  in  mingled  tide.
But  ah,  my  youth  and  love-eyed  maid!

'Twere  many  a  tale  a  bride  could  tell
Of  love  that  came,  but  lived  to  fade,

And  marriage  turned  to  funeral  bell;
For  Peris  won  to  wedding  garb,

By  softened  tale  from  modest  youth
Have  often  found  god  Cupid's  barb

Was  not  the  barb  of  tieckless  truth  I
How  oft  the  maid  'neath  hawthorn  shade.
Where  love  and  joy  at  once  were  stayed.
Has  oped  her  ear  to  passioned  tale,
Has  felt  a  love  from  heaven  strayed.
And  there  in  beauty  meek  arrayed.
Thrown  from  her  heart  soft  Virtue's  mail!
How  many  a  maid  of  loveliest  form.
Has  won  a  pure  unsullied  heart.
And  led  the  days  in  jmrity  born

That  came  of  ('upid's  honeyed  dart!
'Tis  chance,  or  luck,  or  what  you  like.
The  gcKKl  and  bad  are  kings  in  reign,
The  sun  may  shine  all  argent  briglit.
Its  disk  may  ray  without  a  stain;
The  sun  may  shine  in  beds  of  gold.
And  pale  in  clouds  of  inky  night,
Tlie  sun  may  rise  on  loveliest  fold.
And  set  in  gloom  that  lias  no  light;
But  yet  a  line  in  poet's  phrase.
To  maid  and  youth  of  softened  gazo.
THE  LAD  T  OF  DABDALE,  43

There  is  a  hope  tho'  not  of  life,
Where  care,  and  woe,  and  teemful  strife,
Are  never  part  of  endless  days,
But  love,  and  peace,  and  seraph  rays.
