Hugged in the clinging billow's clasp, From sea-weed fringe to mountain heather, The British oak with rooted grasp Her slender handful holds together; With cliffs of white and bowers of green, In earth's broad temple where we stand, Fanned by the eastern gales that brought us, We hold the missal in our hand, Bright with the lines our Mother taught us; Where'er its blazoned page betrays The glistening links of gilded fetters, Enough! To speed a parting friend Yet stay, these feeble accents blend With rays of light from eyes that glisten. Good by! once more, and kindly tell In words of peace the young world's story, And say, besides, we love too well Our mothers' soil, our fathers' glory! THE LAST BLOSSOM. THOUGH Young no more, we still would dream Who knows a woman's wild caprice? Has softly smoothed the papal chair. When sixty bids us sigh in vain To melt the heart of sweet sixteen, We think upon those ladies twain Who loved so well the tough old Dean. We see the Patriarch's wintry face, Tranced in her lord's Olympian smile The musky daughter of the Nile, Might we but share one wild caress My bosom heaves, remembering yet The morning of that blissful day, When Rose, the flower of spring, I met, And gave my raptured soul away. Flung from her eyes of purest blue, O'er sense and spirit, heart and brain. Thou com❜st to cheer my waning age, She blushes! Ah, reluctant maid, O'er girlhood's yielding barricade Floats the great Leveller's crimson fold! Come to my arms ! - love heeds not years; A voice behind me uttered, Rose ! Sweet was her smile, but not for me; Alas! when woman looks too kind, Just turn your foolish head and see, Some youth is walking close behind! "THE BOYS." HAS there any old fellow got mixed with the boys? If there has, take him out, without making a noise. Hang the Almanac's cheat and the Catalogue's spite! Old time is a liar! We're twenty to-night! We're twenty! We're twenty! Who says we are more? He's tipsy, young jackanapes!-show him the door! "Gray temples at twenty?"-Yes! white if we please; Where the snow-flakes fall thickest there's nothing can freeze! Was it snowing I spoke of? Excuse the mistake! |