THE DRUM. Yonder is a little drum hanging on the wall; | Around him many a parching tongue for Dusty wreaths, and tattered flags, round about it fall. A shepherd youth, on Cheviot's hills, watched the sheep whose skin A cunning workman wrought, and gave the little drum its din. "Water!" faintly crying: Oh, that he were on Cheviot's hills, with velvet verdure spread, Or lying 'mid the blooming heath where oft he made his bed! Or could he drink of those sweet rills that trickle to its vales, Oh, pleasant are fair Cheviot's hills, with Or breathe once more the balminess of velvet verdure spread; And pleasant 'tis among its heath to Cheviot's mountain gales! length upon his wearied eyes the mists of slumber come, And he is in his home again-till wakened by the drum! Take arms! take arms!" his leader cries, 66 the hated foeman's nigh!" Guns loudly roar, steel clanks on steel, and thousands fall to die. The shepherd's blood makes red the sand: "Oh, water!-give me some! 'My voice might reach a friendly ear-but for that little drum!" 'Mid moaning men, and dying men, the drummer kept his way, And many a one, by "glory" lured, did curse the drum that day. "Rub-a-dub!" and "rub-a-dub!" the drummer beat aloud The shepherd died! and, ere the morn, the hot sand was his shroud. And this is "glory?"-Yes; and still will man the tempter follow, On Egypt's arid wastes of sand the shepherd Nor learn that Glory, like its Drum, is but now is lying; a sound-and hollow! WINTER AND SPRING. " ADIEU! adieu!" Father Winter said " Adieu! I'm off to the rocks and caves, Or, perhaps, I'll sink in the northern waves, " The fountains you lock up so tight, And the brooks will set to running. The boughs you've caked all o'er with ice, I stick them round with buds so nice- Good luck! good luck to your hoary And when the tree is in blossoms dressed, locks!" Said the gay young Spring, advancing; "Go take your nap 'mid the caves and rocks, While I o'er the earth am dancing. The bird with her songs so merry Will come on its limb to build her nest, There's not a spot where your foot has trod, The earth and air by their joyfulness You hard old clumsy fellow! Not a hill nor a vale nor a single sod, And I shall spread them o'er with grass, Shall show the good I'm doing; And the skies beam down with smiles, to bless The course that I'm pursuing."— To push off, too, when it comes your turn, He spoke of a home, where in childhood's He knew that they, with all suffering done, glee Encircled the throne of the Holy One! He chased from the wild flowers the singing bee; And followed afar, with a heart as light As its sparkling wings, the butterfly's flight; And pulled young flowers, where they grew 'neath the beams Though ours be a pillared and lofty home, Where Want, with his pale train, never may come, Oh, scorn not the poor with the scorner's jest, Who seek in the shade of our hall to rest! Of the sun's fair light, by his own blue For He who hath made the poor may soon streams: Darken the sky of our glowing noon, Yet he left all these, through the world to And leave us with woe, in the world's bleak roam ! Why, O mother! did he leave his home?" wild: Oh, soften the griefs of the poor, my child! WILLIAM P. BROWN. BIRDS OF PASSAGE. BIRDS! joyous birds of the wandering wing! | We have swept o'er cities in song reWhence is it ye come with the flowers of spring? nowned Silent they lie with the deserts around! "We come from the shores of the green We have crossed proud rivers, whose tide old Nile, hath rolled From the land where the roses of Sharon All dark with the warrior blood of old; And each worn wing hath regained its home, smile, From the palms that wave through the Indian sky, From the myrrh-trees of glowing Araby. Under peasant's roof-tree or monarch's dome." THOU art no lingerer in monarch's hall; Thou art walking the billows, and Ocean smiles But a gleam of thee on its casement fell, And it laughed into beauty at that bright spell. To the earth's wild places a guest thou art, Thou hast touched with glory his thousand A tender light on the ruin's head. Thou hast lit up the ships and the feathery Thou takest through the dim church-aişle foam, And gladdened the sailor like words from home. To the solemn depths of the forest shades Thou art streaming on through their green arcades; thy way, And its pillars from twilight flash forth to day; And its high pale tombs, with their trophies old, Are bathed in a flood as of burning gold. And the quivering leaves that have caught And thou turnest not from the humblest thy glow, Like fire-flies glance to the pools below. I looked on the mountains-a vapour lay came A crown and a mantle of living flame! grave, Where a flower to the sighing winds may wave; Thou scatterest its gloom like the dreams of rest, Thou sleepest in love on its grassy breast. Sunbeam of Summer! oh, what is like thee? I looked on the peasant's lowly cot, spot; of heaven. MRS. HEMANS. THE TIME FOR PRAYER. Then let thy prayer arise WHEN is the time for prayer?— With the first beams that light the morning For those who in thy joys and sorrows sky, Ere for the toils of day thou dost prepare, Lift up thy thoughts on high; Commend thy loved ones to His watchful care: Morn is the time for prayer! And in the noontide hour, If worn by toil or by sad cares opprest, Thy voice shall reach Him through the fields of air: Noon is the time for prayer! When the bright sun hath set,— Whilst yet eve's glowing colours deck the skies,― When with the loved, at home, again thou'st met, share: Eve is the time for prayer! And when the stars come forth,When to the trusting heart sweet hopes are given, And the deep stillness of the hour gives birth To pure bright dreams of heaven,-Kneel to thy God, ask strength life's illa to bear : Night is the time for prayer! When is the time for prayer? In every hour, while life is spared to thee In crowds or solitude-in joy or care Thy thoughts should heavenward flee. At home-at morn and eve-with loved ones there, Bend thou the knee in prayer! BE KIND. ANON. Be kind to the old man, while strong in Be kind to the hardened who never hath thy youth prayed; |