22 WE ARE SEVEN. 18. WE ARE SEVEN. A SIMPLE Child, dear brother Jim, I met a little cottage Girl: She was eight years old, she said; She had a rustic, woodland air, "Sisters and brothers, little Maid, "How many? Seven in all," she said, “And where are they? I pray you tell." She answered, "Seven are we; And two are gone to sea. "Two of us in the church-yard lie, "You say that two at Conway dwell, Yet you are seven! I pray you tell, WE ARE SEVEN. Then did the little Maid reply, "You run about, my little Maid, "Their graves are green, they may be seen," The little Maid replied, 23 "Twelve steps or more from my mother's door, And they are side by side. "My stockings there I often knit, "And often, after sunset, Sir, I take my little porringer, "The first that died was sister Jane, "So in the church-yard she was laid; £4 A SONG OF SPRING. "And when the ground was white with snow, And I could run and slide, "How many are you, then ?" said I, "O Master! we are seven.' "But they are dead; those two are dead! WORDSWORTH. 19. A SONG OF SPRING. WHEN Swelling buds their sheaths forsake— The virgin Spring is fair to see. When streams through banks of daisies run— Spring holds her court in grove and lea. When cowslips load with sweets the air— HARRIS. THE MAY QUEEN. 25 25 20. THE MAY QUEEN. You must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear; To-morrow 'ill be the happiest time of all the glad New-year; Of all the glad New-year, mother, the maddest merriest day For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen the May. There's many a black black eye, they say, but none so bright as mine; There's Margaret and Mary, there's Kate and Caroline; But none so fair as little Alice in all the land they say, So I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. I sleep so sound all night, mother, that I shall never wake, If you do not call me loud, when the day begins to break: But I must gather knots of flowers, and buds and garlands gay, For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. Little Effie shall go with me to-morrow to the green, And you'll be there, too, mother, to see me made the Queen; For the shepherd lads on every side 'ill come from far away, And I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. The honeysuckle round the porch has wov'n its wavy bowers, And by the meadow-trenches blow the faint sweet cuckooflowers, And the wild marsh-marigold shines like fire in swamps and hollows gray, And I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. The night-winds come and go,mother, upon the meadow-grass, And the happy stars above them seem to brighten as they pass; There will not be a drop of rain the whole of the live-long day, And I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. D 26 THE DIVINE IMAGE. All the valley, mother, 'ill be fresh and green and still, So you must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear; To-morrow 'ill be the happiest time of all the glad New-year; To-morrow 'ill be of all the year the maddest merriest day, For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. TENNYSON. 21. THE DIVINE IMAGE. To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love, For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love, And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love, Is man, For Mercy has a human heart, Pity a human face, And Love, the Human Form Divine, Then every man of every clime, Prays to the Human Form Divine, BLAKE, |