CHRIST AND THE SULTAN'S DAUGHTER.

Into what sweet young frame is fled?
How often has my soul looked out
Into young children's eyes,

If there she hidden lies.
In vain as yet, but not a doubt
Dwells in my constant mind,
That I her loving soul shall find
In some fair form some day;
And marriage vows our souls shall bind :
She will not say me nay.

A SUDDEN DEATH.

A BLOW, a day-long sickness, and a death!
The angel bade him rise and gave short time
For girding for departure, Peter-like;
Then oped life's prison door, and led to light.

CHRIST AND THE SULTAN'S DAUGHTER.

A GERMAN LEGEND.

(PUBLISHED 1858.)

A DAUGHTER fair the sultan had,
Who dearly loved the flowers,
Who gazed upon them pleased and glad,
Throughout the summer hours.
And oftentimes she longed to know
Who might their Master be,

That clothed the earth with beauty so;
"Oh! in my heart," said she,

"I love Him deeply; should He come Into this land of ours,

I soon would leave my pleasant home and tend His flowers."

To go

27

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CHRIST AND THE SULTAN'S DAUGHTER.

To her there came a form one night,
A glorious form to see :—
"Awake, awake, O maiden bright!
My love is fixed on thee.”

She rose, and from her casement saw,
With glory circled round,

That Master whom she longed so for ;
Then bowed she to the ground,
To welcome Him, and then she cried,
"Tell, fairest youth to me,

Whence comest Thou? for, far and wide,
Our land owns none like Thee."

"Fair maid, who in thy father's home
Hast often thought of Me,

The Master of the flowers has come
From His Sire's realms to thee."
"Dear Lord, how far is Thy sire's land?
For I will go," said she,

"To tend His flowers with careful hand
For ever." "Then," said He,

"It lies in far eternity,

Where I'll crown thee mine own."
A ring from off His hand took He,
Brighter than gold it shone.

He gave it her, and asked her troth;
She pledged herself His bride;

And then His cruel wounds burst forth
In awful crimson tide.

In fear she questioned, but He said,
"These wounds I had for thee;
For thee, O love, my blood I shed;
For thee, hung on the tree.

O bride, my Father calls; haste, haste!
Long sought I such an one."

The maid her love in Christ hath placed,
Her bridal wreath hath won.

"A WHITE HORSE, AND HE THAT SAT UPON HIM."

A BALLAD.

"Good morning, little Madeline,
How bright you look, and well!
Ah! your face shows me, darling mine,
You have a tale to tell."

"Dear mother, in my sleep last night,
I had a dream so strange;

A man, upon a horse quite white,

Came riding to the

grange.

"Upon his head there was a crown,
His face was beautiful;

But though there was no tear or frown,
'Twas stern and sorrowful.

"And Lucy came in robe of white,

With lilies in her hair;

And in her eyes was such a light!
And oh! she looked so fair!

"And soon he set her by his side;
On me she looked, so bright!

Then looked to heaven, and they did ride
Away into the night."

She ceased. The mother cried, "My child!"

When Ralph ran in and said,

In sorrow, and a terror wild,

"O mother! Lucy's dead!"

"THEIR ANGELS."

A SUMMER eve, and the world was still,
When I saw three children climb the hill,
Whose top was crowned by a ruined cross,
Yellow with lichen, and green with moss;
Bright in the light of the dying sun

As the face of a saint whose course is run:
I saw them kneel with arms on their breast,
To the sign of blessing, the sign of rest,
Their eyes to the ground bent humbly down;
But the ivory eyelids were globes of light,
And the hair of two, of a fair faint brown,
Grew golden-the other was dark as night,
But in the warm sunshine beautiful.
And I heard the hum of their evening prayer
Come softly along the quiet air;

But, lo! Oh, glorious miracle !

There were angels bending above the three; Ah! long had the angels passed from me; And I raised my arms with a gesture wild,"God! make me again as a little child."

"A SHOCK OF CORN FULLY RIPE."

(PUBLISHED 1858.)

VERY calm, and very silent,

Lay my father there ;

On the whiteness of the pillow
Shone his silver hair.

"Raise the blind up, will

you,

Willie ?

I would see the night;"

Earth in her young spring lay sleeping,

Kissed by the moonlight.

"And now put the lamp out, Willie ;

I would see my star."

Trees below it, while above it
Stretched a cloudy bar.

"It will soon be shrouded, father."
"Yes, my son, it will."
Quietly the vapours hid it,
And the room was still.

FENELON'S PRAYER.

LORD, take this stubborn heart of mine,
I cannot give it Thee;
And when Thou hast it, keep it Thine,
Nor give it back to me.

I cannot keep it, Lord divine,
From sin and Satan free;

Oh! for Thy Son, the Saviour's sake,
Assured my soul's salvation make,
In very spite of me!

THE PREACHER.

O, My brothers, let us hear him!
For his words are words of power;
At his glance our tempters cower,
And the very devils fear him.

In his eyes are tears of sorrow,
As he thinks of our life's morrow:
Wanderers from the fold he sees us;
O, my brothers, let us hear him!
Truly he has been with Jesus,

And the Christ is ever near him.