Alas! thou might'st have died, and yet beside thee
Have never seen my form or heard me speak,
Love's last fond accents might have been denied thee,
Love's latest kiss have never pressed thy cheek;
I might have mingled in the world, and never
Have felt the blessing that thy latest prayer
Was for the one that soon from thee must sever,
Was, that he yet thy happiness might share.

The midnight came, and I could never slumber,

The morning came, and brought the night's unrest,
The thought that thou in pain the hours must number,
Filled with a deeper pain my quickened breast;
And, when at eve, the stars so calm and holy
Looked on the earth, then came the bitter fear

That thy pure soul unfit for mine so lowly,
Must seek their sky, its only fitting sphere.

But thou art spared me, oh, this stubborn spirit,
Unbent before, is meek and thankful now,

The garland of thy love I did not merit,

And yet it is not plucked from off my brow; And, in my dreams, thy semblance, like an angel, Smiles gently on me, bids me not to fear, Into my spirit sinks the blest Evangel,

And echoes sweetly, Be thou of good cheer.'

THE ROSARY.

THEY sat together in the wood,
The maiden and the boy,

And through the shade the sunlight fell,
Like sorrow crossed with joy.
So in their hearts Love's virgin ore
Was crossed with Grief's alloy.

'And take,' she said, 'this cross and chain, And wear it on thy breast:

I've counted oft each bead and link

To lull me to my rest;

And many a time this little cross

Hath to my lips been press'd.

'Thou goest from me

I no more

Shall watch about thy way;

I shall not see thy form at eve,
Or hear thy voice by day;
All that my weakness leaves for me
Is for thy sake to pray.

If Evil lure thee from the Right,

If Conscience plead in vain, Oh! like an iron link to Truth,

Heaven make this fragile chain! And may this cross burn in thy heart, Till thou art strong again.

'If bluer, softer eyes than mine
Seem worlds of love to thee,
If other lips and other tones
Croud out my memory,
Still be this chain about thy soul,
To draw thee back to me.'

And so they parted: she to wear,
Above, an angel's crown,
And he to feel, on land or sea,

In forest or in town,

A cross and chain upon his heart,

From the far heaven let down.

CAPE COTTAGE.

We stood upon the ragged rocks,

When the long day was nearly done, The waves had ceased their sullen shocks

And lapped our feet with murmuring tone, And, o'er the Bay, in streaming locks Blew the red tresses of the Sun.

Along the west the golden bars
Still to a deeper glory grew,
Above our heads, the faint few stars

Looked out from the unfathomed blue,

And the far city's clamorous jars

Seemed melted in that evening hue.

Oh sunset sky, oh purple tide,

Oh friends to friends that closer press'd, Those glories have in darkness died, And ye have left my longing breast,

I could not keep you by my side,

Nor fix that radiance in the west.

Upon those rocks the waves shall beat

With the same low and murmurous strain,

Across those waves with glancing feet
The sunset rays shall seek the main;

But when together shall we meet,

Cape Cottage, on thy shores again?

NEARER TO THEE.

YEARS, years have fled, since, hushed in thy last slumber,
They laid thee down beneath the old elm tree;
But with a patient heart each day I number,
Because it brings me nearer still to thee.

Twilight comes, and robes in softest splendor
All that is beautiful on land and sea,
And o'er my spirit flings an influence tender,
For in that hour I nearer seem to thee.

The night is gone; and as the mists of morning
Before the Day-god's burning presence flee,
Thus in my heart a welcome light is dawning,
That cheers me as I nearer press to thee.

I sometimes think thy spirit kindly watches
Over the heart that loved so tenderly;
For there are rapturous moments when it catches
As if in dreams, a blessed glimpse of thee.

In those sweet seasons thou dost come before me,
With loveliness that earth may never see:

I feel thy presence like a blessing o'er me,
And then I know I nearer am to thee.