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Our Highland Boy oft visited

The house which held this prize; and, led
By choice or chance, did thither come
One day when no one was at home,
And found the door unbarred.

While there he sate, alone and blind,
That Story flashed upon his mind ;-
A bold thought rouzed him, and he took
The Shell from out its secret nook,
And bore it in his arms.

And with the happy burthen hied,

And pushed it from Loch Levin's side,— Stepped into it; and, without dread,

Following the fancies in his head,

He paddled up and down.

A while he stood upon his feet;
He felt the motion-took his seat;
And dallied thus, till from the shore
The tide retreating more and more

Had sucked, and sucked him in.

And there he is in face of Heaven.
How rapidly the Child is driven !
The fourth part of a mile I ween
He thus had gone, ere he was seen
By any numan eye.

But when he was first seen, oh me
What shrieking and what misery!
For many saw; among the rest

His Mother, she who loved him best,
She saw her poor blind Boy.

But for the Child, the sightless Boy, It is the triumph of his joy!

The bravest Traveller in balloon,

Mounting as if to reach the moon,
Was never half so bless'd.

And let him, let him go his way,
Alone, and innocent, and gay!
For, if good Angels love to wait
On the forlorn unfortunate,

This Child will take no harm.

But now the passionate lament,

Which from the crowd on shore was sent,

The cries which broke from old and young In Gaelic, or the English tongue,

Are stifled-all is still.

And quickly with a silent crew

A Boat is ready to pursue;

And from the shore their course they take,
And swiftly down the running Lake
They follow the blind Boy.

But soon they move with softer pace,
So have ye seen the fowler chase

On Grasmere's clear unruffled breast
A Youngling of the wild-duck's nest
With deftly-lifted oar.

Or as the wily Sailors crept

To seize (while on the Deep it slept)
The hapless Creature which did dwell
Erewhile within the dancing Shell,

They steal upon their prey.

With sound the least that can be made

They follow, more and more afraid, More cautious as they draw more near;

But in his darkness he can hear,

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Lei-gha-Lei-gha"-then did he cry

Lei-gha-Lei-gha"-most eagerly;

Thus did he cry, and thus did pray,
And what he meant was, "Keep away,
And leave me to myself!"

Alas! and when he felt their hands-
You've often heard of magic Wands,

That with a motion overthrow

A palace of the proudest shew,
Or melt it into air.

So all his dreams, that inward light

With which his soul had shone so bright,

All vanish'd;-'twas a heartfelt cross

To him, a heavy, bitter loss,

As he had ever known.

But hark! a gratulating voice
With which the very hills rejoice:

"Tis from the crowd, who tremblingly

Had watch'd the event, and now can see That he is safe at last.

And then, when he was brought to land, Full sure they were a happy band, Which gathering round did on the banks Of that great Water give God thanks, And welcomed the poor Child.

And in the general joy of heart

The blind Boy's little Dog took part;
He leapt about, and oft did kiss
His master's hands in sign of bliss,
With sound like lamentation.

But most of all, his Mother dear,
She who had fainted with her fear,
Rejoiced when waking she espies
The Child; when she can trust her eyes,
And touches the blind Boy.

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