WHOSE imp art thou, with dimpled cheek,
And curly pate, and merry eye,
And arm and shoulders round and sleek,
And soft and fair, thou urchin sly?

What boots it who, with sweet caresses,
First called thee his, or squire or hind?
For thou in every wight that passes
Dost now a friendly playmate find!

Thy downcast glances, grave but cunning,
As fringed eyelids rise and fall,
Thy shyness, swiftly from me running,
"Tis infantine coquetry all!

But far afield thou hast not flown,

With mocks and threats half-lisped, half-spoken,

I feel thee pulling at my gown,

Of right good-will thy simple token!

And thou must laugh and wrestle too,
A mimic warfare with me waging,
To make, as wily lovers do,

Thy after kindness more engaging!

The wilding rose, sweet as thyself,

And new-cropped daisies, are thy treasure;

I'd gladly part with worldly pelf,

To taste again thy youthful pleasure!

But yet, for all thy merry look,

Thy frisks and wiles, the time is coming, When thou shalt sit in cheerless nook,

The weary spell or hornbook thumbing!

Well; let it be! through weal and woe, Thou knowest not now thy future range; Life is a motley shifting show,

And thou a thing of hope and change!

THE DYING EXILE.

BY EDMUND READE.

FAREWELL-a long farewell to thee,
My own, my native land!
Now would to God that I were free
Upon thy rugged strand!
If but for one last look to bless
Thy hills and deep blue sky,
And all my love for thee confess :
Then lay me down and die.

But now I am alone, and none
Will hear when I am dead:
Perchance ere sets that glorious Sun,
My spirit shall be fled!

I watch him yet-and faintly smile
In death, to think that he
Will rise so bright upon that isle,
Where I may never be ;

My Country! while I bless thee, how
My feelings in me swell:

Alas, I never knew till now

I loved thee half so well!

328

THE DYING EXILE.

But when alone among strange men,

When friends forget, and false ones flee;
Something the heart must love, and then
It can but turn to thee!

Farewell, farewell! the sun's last gleams
Are sinking in the sea:
Along the shore the sea-bird screams,
Unheard, unwrecked by me;
I feel my ebbing breath decay,
And fail my darkening sight:
Yet ere I pass away, away,

My native land-good night!

THE STORM.

THE sun went down in beauty-not a cloud
Darkened its radience-yet there might be seen
A few fantastic vapours scattered o'er

The face of the blue heavens ;-some fair and slight
As the pure lawn that shields the maiden's breast;
Some shone like silver some did stream afar,
Faint and dispersed, like the pale horse's mane
Which Death shall stride hereafter, some were glit
tering

Like dolphin's scales, touched out with wavering hues
Of beautiful light-outvying some the rose,
And some the violet, yellow, white, and blue,
Scarlet, and purpling red.-One small lone ship
Was seen, with outstretched sails, keeping its way
In quiet o'er the deep ;-all nature seemed
Fond of tranquillity;-the glassy sea

Scarce rippled-the halcyon slept upon the wave;
The winds were all at rest-and in the east

The crescent moon, then seen imperfectly,
Came onwards, with the vesper star, to see
A summer day's decline.

*

*

*

The sun went down in beauty ;-but the eyes

Of ancient seamen trembled when they saw

A small black and ominous spot far in the distance :--
It spread, and spread-larger and dark-and came
O'ershadowing the skies ;--the ocean rose;

The gathering waves grew large, and broke in hoarse
And hollow sounds;-the mighty winds awoke,
And screamed and whistled through the cordage ;-

birds,

That seemed to have no home, flocked there in terror, And sat with quivering plumage on the mast.

Flashes were seen, and distant sounds were heardPresages of a storm.

*

*

The sun went down in beauty;-but the skies
Were wildly changed.-It was a dreadful night—
No moon was seen, in all the heavens to aid
Or cheer the lone and sea-beat mariner-
Planet nor guiding star broke through the gloom ;—
But the blue lightnings glared along the waters,
As if the Fiend had fired his torch to light
Some wretches to their graves;-the tempest winds
Raving came next, and in deep hollow sounds,
Like those the spirits of the dead do use
When they would speak their evil prophecies,
Muttered of death to come;-then came the thunder
Deepening and crashing as 'twould rend the world;
Or, as the Deity passed aloft in anger

And spoke to man- -Despair-The ship was tossed,
And now stood poised upon the curling billows,
And now 'midst deep and watery chasms that yawned
As 'twere in hunger sank ;-behind there came
Mountains of moving water, with a rush
And sound of gathering power, that did appal

The heart to look on ;-terrible cries were heard;

Sounds of despair some, some like a mother's anguish

Some of intemperate, dark, and dissolute joy-
Music and horrid mirth-but unallied

To joy-madness might be heard amidst

The pauses of the storm-and when the glare
Was strong, rude savage men were seen to dance
In frantic exultation on the deck,

Though all was hopeless.-Hark! the ship has struck,
And the forked lightening seeks the arsenal—
'Tis fired-and mirth and madness are no more!
'Midst columned smoke, deep red, the fragments fly
In fierce confusion-splinters and scorched limbs,
And burning masts, and showers of gold,-torn from
The heart that hugged it e'en till death. Thus doth
Sicilian Etna in her angry moods,

Or Hecla 'mid her wilderness of snows,
Shoot up their burning entrails, with a sound
Louder than that the Titans uttered from

Their subterranean caves, when Jove enchained
Them, daring and rebellious. The black skies,
Shocked at excess of light, returned the sound
In frightful echoes,-as if an alarm

Had spread through all the elements-then came
A horrid silence-deep-unnatural-like
The quiet of the grave!