TO WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT-ON HIS Thy voice proclaims, undaunted and serene, SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY.

BY H. T. TUCKERMAN.

CALM priest of Nature, her maternal hand
Led thee, a reverent child,

To mountain-altars, by the lonely strand,
And through the forest wild.

Haunting her temple, filled with love and awe,
To thy responsive youth

The harmonies of her benignant law
Revealed consoling truth.

Thenceforth, when toiling in the grasp of care
Amid the eager throng,

A votive seer, her greetings thou didst bear,
Her oracles prolong.

The vagrant winds and the far heaving main
Breathed, in thy chastened rhyme,
Their latent music to the soul again,
Above the din of time.

The seasons, at thy call, renewed the spell
That thrilled our better years,
The primal wonder o'er our spirits fell,
And woke the fount of tears.

And Faith's monition, like an organ's strain,
Followed the sea-bird's flight,

The river's bounteous flow, the ripening grain,
And stars' unfathomed light.

The watchwords of the free.

I hear the people pass along the street:

Their rustling garments and their churchyard feet

Make happy music,-murmurous, low, and sweet.

In the dank woods and where the meadows gleam, The breath of summer flowers is in my room,The lowliest flower that smiled

To wisdom's vigil or to fancy's dream,
Thy gentle thought beguiled.

They win fond glances in the prairies' sweep,
And where the moss-clumps lie,

A welcome find when through the mould they
creep,

A requiem when they die.

Unstained thy song with passion's fitful hues
Or pleasure's reckless breath,
For nature's beauty to thy virgin muse
Was solemnized by death.

O'er life's majestic realm and dread repose,
Entranced with holy calm,

From the rapt soul of boyhood then uprose
The memorable psalm.

And roaming lone beneath the woodland shades,
Thy meditative prayer

In the umbrageous aisles and choral glades
We murmur unaware;

Or track the ages with prophetic cheer,
Lured by thy chant sublime,
Till bigotry and kingcraft disappear
In Freedom's chosen clime,-

While on her ramparts with intrepid mien,
O'er faction's angry sea,

The scent of lilies, and the faint perfume
Of crimson pinks and roses all abloom;

And through my open window comes a rush
Of sudden music,-some melodious thrush
Pouring his heart out in one happy gush!

But lovelier far than any bird of spring,
Sweeter than summer's sweetest blossoming,
Thy sacred altars, O my God and King!

Better one day thy holy courts within
Than are a thousand spent in mirthful sin.
Open his gates, that I may enter in!

Nay these preventing bonds; this lifted rod;
These long, long hours of anguish, leaden-shod'
Let me be still, and know that thou art God.

Oh! teach me-what so slow I am to learn-
That where true spirits for thy presence yearn,
There is thy temple, there thine altars burn.

Believing this, these narrow walls expand
Into cathedral glory, vast and grand,
With fretted dome, and arches overspanned.

Yet need I even these fancied signs of thee?
Dear Lord! but enter in, and dwell with me;
Then shall my heart both shrine and temple be.
Fitchburg, Mass.
C. A. M.
-Religious Magazine.

So, instead of going to Belfast, here was Colonel Keith actually taking a lodging and "I always get out of the way of horsesettling himself into it,-nay, even going dealing. I know no greater bore," he anover to Avoncester on a horse-buying expedi-swered.

tion, not merely for the Temples, but for "Mamma sent me down," Conrade was

"Mine, I suspect," returned Mr. Keith. "The fact is," said Rachel, "it is much" Your sister and I made out at luncheon that more difficult to describe from one's own ob- you had known my uncle, Mr. Clare, of Bishservation than from other sources. 99

"I don't see that," said Rachel. "It is abstract reasoning from given facts that I Yes, often; and of Dr. Williams. He aim at, as you will understand when you will be very much interested to hear of you." have heard my 'Human Reeds,' and my "It was a time I well remember," said other- Dear me, there's your door-bell. I Ermine. "He was an Oxford tutor then, thought that colonel was gone for the day." and I was about fourteen, just old enough to "There are other people in the world be- | be delighted to hear clever talk. And his

sermons were memorable; they were the first I ever listened to."

She only wants training to be the main strength of the Bishopsworthy choir, and perhaps she may find it here."

Rachel was evidently undecided whether chants or marches were Miss Keith's passion,

"There are few sermons that it is not an infliction to listen to," began Rachel ; but she was not heard or noticed. "I assure you they are even more striking and, perhaps, which propensity would render now in his blindness."

the young lady the most distasteful to her

"Blindness! Indeed, I had not heard of self. Ermine thought it merciful to divert

that."

Even Rachel listened with interest as the young officer explained that his uncle, whom both he and Miss Williams talked of as a man of note, of whom every one must have heard, had for the last five years been totally blind, but continued to be an active parish priest, visiting regularly, preaching, and taking a share in the service, which he knew by heart. He had, of course, a curate, who lived with him, and took very good care of him. "No one else?" said Rachel. your sister lived at Bishopsworthy."

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"I thought

the attack by mentioning Mr. Clare's love of music, and hoping his curate could gratify it. "No," Mr. Keith said, " it was very unlucky that Mr. Lifford did not know one note from another; so that this vicar could not delude himself into hoping that his playing on his violin was anything but a nuisance to his companion, and in spite of all the curate's persuasions, he only indulged himself therewith on rare occasions." But as Ermine showed surprise at the retention of a companion devoid of this sixth sense, so valuable to the blind, he added, "No one would suit

No, my sister lives, or has lived, at Lit-him so well. Mr. Lifford has been with him tle Worthy, the next parish, and as unlike it ever since his sight began to fail, and underas possible. It has a railroad in it, and the stands all his ways." Cockneys have come down on it and 'villafied' it. My aunt, Mrs. Lacy Clare, has lived there ever since my sister has been with her; but now her last daughter is to be married, I fancy she wishes to give up housekeeping. "And your sister is coming to Lady Temple," said Rachel, in her peculiar affirmative way of asking questions. "She will find it very dull here."

"With all the advantages of Avoncester at hand?" inquired Alick, with a certain gleam under his flaxen eyelashes that convinced Ermine that he said it in mischief. But Rachel drew herself up gravely, and answered,—

"In Lady Temple's situation any such thing would be most inconsistent with good feeling."

"Such as the cathedral?" calmly, not to say sleepily, inquired Alick, to the excessive diversion of Ermine, who saw that Rachel had never been laughed at in her life, and was utterly at a loss what to make of it.

"If you meant the cathedral," she said, a little uncertainly, recollecting the tone in which Mr. Clare had just been spoken of, and thinking that perhaps Miss Keith might be a curatolatress, "I am afraid it is not of much benefit to people living at this 'distance, and there is not much to be said for the imitation here"

"Yes, that makes a great difference." "And," pursued the young man, coming to something like life as he talked of his uncle," though he is not quite all that a companion might be, my uncle says there would be no keeping the living without him, and I do not believe there would, unless my uncle would have me instead."

Ermine laughed and looked interested, not quite knowing what other answer to make. Rachel lifted up her eyebrows in amazement.

"Another advantage," added Alick, who somehow seemed to accept Ermine as one of the family," is, that he is no impediment to Bessie's living there, for, poor man, he has a wife, but insane."

"Then your sister will live there?" said Rachel. "What an enviable position, to have the control of means of doing good that always falls to the women of a clerical family."

"Tell her so," said the brother, with his odd, suppressed smile.

"What! she does not think so?"

"Now," said Mr. Keith, leaning back, "on my answer depends whether Bessie enters this place with a character for chanting, croquet, or crochet. Which should you like worst, Miss Curtis?"

"I like evasions worst of all," said Ra

You will see what my sister says to it. chel, with a flash of something like playful

spirit, though there was too much asperity | in it.

"But you see, unfortunately, I don't know," said Alick Keith, slowly. "I have never been able to find out, nor she either. I don't know what may be the effect of example," he added. Ermine wondered whether he were in mischief or earnest, and suspected a little of both.

"I shall be very happy to show Miss Keith any of my ways," said Rachel, with no doubts at all;" but she will find me terribly impeded here. When does she come?"

"Not for a month or six weeks, when the wedding will be over. It is high time she saw something of her respected guardian." "The colonel?"

"Yes; " then to Ermine, "Every one turns to him with reliance and confidence. I believe no one in the army received so many last charges as he has done, or executes them more fully." 'And,"

66

Really," ," said Rachel, when he was gone, "if he had not that silly military tone of joking, there might be something tolerable about him if he got into good hands. He seems to have some good notions about his sister. She must be just out of the schoolroom, at the very turn of life, and I will try to get her into my training and show her a little of the real beauty and usefulness of the career she has before her. How late he has stayed! I am afraid there is no time for the manuscripts."

And though Ermine was too honest to say she was sorry, Rachel did not miss the regret.

Colonel Keith came the next day, and under his arm was a parcel, which was laid in little Rose's arms, and when unrolled, proved to contain a magnificent wax doll, no doubt long the object of unrequited attachment to many a little Avoncestrian, a creature of beauteous and unmeaning face, limpid eyes, hair that could be brushed, and all her visible said Ermine, feeling pleasure members waxen, as far as could be seen becolor her cheek more deeply than was conven-low the provisional habiliment of pink paper ient, "you are relations.” that enveloped her. Little Rose's color became crimson, and she did not utter a word, while her aunt coloring almost as much, laughed and asked where were her thanks.

66

"So far away that only a Scotsman would acknowledge the cousinship."

"But do not you call yourself Scotch ?" said Ermine, who had for years thought it glorious to do so.

"Oh!" with a long gasp, "it can't be

for me!"

"Do you think it is for your aunt?" said the colonel.

"Oh, thank you! But such a beautiful creature for me!" said Rose, with another gasp, quite oppressed. "Aunt Ermine, how shall I ever make her clothes nice enough?"

"We will see about that, my dear. Now take her into the verandah and introduce her to Violetta."

"Yes; " then pausing and looking into the fixed eyes, "Aunt Ermine, I never saw such a beauty, except that one the little girl

"There's no place I want to see as much left behind on the bench on the esplanade, as Scotland," said Rachel.

66

Oh, yes! young ladies always do." "It is not for a young-lady reason,' " said Rachel, bluntly; "I want to understand the principle of diffused education, as there practised. The other places I really should care to see are the Grand Reformatory for the Destitute in Holland, and the Hospital for Cretins in Switzerland."

"Scotch pedants, Dutch thieves, Swiss goitres-I will bear your tastes in mind," said Mr. Keith, rising to take leave.

when Aunt Ailie said I should be coveting if I went on wishing Violetta was like her."

"I remember," said Ermine. "I have heard enough of that ne plus ultra of doll! Indeed, Colin, you have given a great deal of pleasure, where the materials of pleasure are few. No one can guess the delight a doll is to a solitary, imaginative child." Thank ," he said, smiling.

T

you,

"I believe I shall enjoy it as much as Rose," added Ermine, "both for play and as a study. Please turn my chair a little this

way; I want to see the introdution to Violetta. cause mine betrays womanhood; but I have Here comes the beauty, in Rose's own cloak." just heard that he is to stay away six weeks Colonel Keith leaned over the back of her more, and people must be put out of their chair and silently watched; but the scene was misery before that. Will you copy a few not quite what they expected. Violetta was for me? Here is some paper with the office sitting in her" slantingdicular " position on stamp." her chair placed on a bench, and her little mistress knelt down before her, took her in her arms, and began to hug her.

There was no debating the point, for her desire of secrecy was prompted by the resolution to leave him unbound, whereas his wish for publicity was with the purpose of binding himself, and Ermine was determined that discussion was above all to be avoided, and that she would, after the first explanation, keep the conversation upon other subjects. So she only answered with another reproving look and smile, and said, "And now I am going to make you useful. The editor of the odical,-things she does not half understand, Traveller is travelling, and has left his and enunciates as if no one had even heard of work to me. I have been keeping some let-them before." ters for him to answer in his own hand, be