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THE BALLAD OF CASSANDRA SOUTHWICK.

But I felt a hard hand press my own, and kind words met my

ear:

"God bless thee, and preserve thee, my gentle girl and dear!"

A weight seemed lifted from my heart,—a pitying friend was nigh,

I felt it in his hard, rough hand, and saw it in his eye;

And when again the sheriff spoke, that voice, so kind to me, Growled back its stormy answer like the roaring of the sea:

"Pile my ship with bars of silver-pack with coins of Spanish gold,

From keel-piece up to deck-plank, the roomage of her hold, By the living God who made me !—I would sooner in your bay Sink ship and crew and cargo than bear this child away!”

"Well answered, worthy captain, shame on their cruel laws!" Ran through the crowd in murmurs loud the people's just applause.

"Like the herdsman of Tekoa, in Israel of old,

Shall we see the poor and righteous again for silver sold?"

I looked on haughty Endicott; with weapon half way drawn, Swept round the throng his lion glare of bitter hate and scorn; Fiercely he drew his bridle rein, and turned in silence back, And sneering priest and baffled clerk rode murmuring in his track.

Hard after them the sheriff looked, in bitterness of soul; Thrice smote his staff upon the ground, and crushed his parchment roll.

"Good friends," he said, "since both have fled, the ruler and the priest,

Judge ye, if from their further work I be not well released."

THE BALLAD OF CASSANDRA SOUTHWICK.

103

Loud was the cheer which, full and clear, swept round the

silent bay,

As, with kind words and kinder looks, he bade me go my way; For He who turns the courses of the streamlet of the glen, And the river of great waters, had turned the hearts of men.

Oh, at that hour the very earth seemed changed beneath my

eye,

A holier wonder round me rose the blue walls of the sky,

A lovelier light on rock and hill, and stream and woodland lay,

And softer lapsed on sunnier sands the waters of the bay.

Thanksgiving to the Lord of life!-to Him all praises be, Who from the hands of evil men hath set his handmaid free; All praise to Him before whose power the mighty are afraid, Who takes the crafty in the snare, which for the poor is laid!

Sing, oh, my soul, rejoicingly, on evening's twilight calm Uplift the loud thanksgiving-pour forth the grateful psalm ; Let all dear hearts with me rejoice, as did the saints of old, When of the Lord's good angel the rescued Peter told.

And weep and howl, ye evil priests and mighty men of wrong, The Lord shall smite the proud and lay His hand upon the strong.

Woe to the wicked rulers in His avenging hour!

Woe to the wolves who seek the flocks to ravish and devour:

But let the humble ones arise, the poor in heart be glad,
And let the mourning ones again with robes of praise be clad,
For He who cooled the furnace, and smoothed the stormy

wave,

And tamed the Chaldean lions, is mighty still to save!

Che Little Pilgrim.

In a large old house with two kind aunts,
The little Marian dwelt,

And a happy child she was I ween,
For though at times she felt
That playmates would be better far,
Than either birds or flowers,
Yet her kind aunts and story books
Soothed many lonely hours.

Her favourite haunt in the summer time,

Was a large old Apple tree, And oft amid its boughs she sat,

With her pet book on her knee. The "Pilgrim's Progress" was its name, And Marian loved it much; It is indeed a precious book, There are not many such. She read it in her little bed,And by the winter fire, And in summer in her Apple-tree,

As though she ne'er could tire. But unexplained, 'tis just the book To puzzle a young brain,

And the poor child had no kind friend,

The meaning to explain.

For though her aunts were very kind,

They were not very wise,

They only said, "dont read so child,

For sure you'll hurt your eyes!" But Marian still went reading on, And visions strange and wild, Began to fill the little head,

Of the lonely dreaming child.

THE LITTLE PILGRIM.

For she thought that Christian and his wife,

And all his children too,

Had left behind their pleasant home

And done what she must do.
"I'll take my Bible," said the child,
"And seek the road to Heaven,
I'll try to find the wicket gate,'
And hope to be forgiven!

I wish my aunts would go with
But 'tis in vain to ask,

me,

They are so deaf, and rather lame,

They'd think it quite a task.

No! I must go alone, I see,

And I'll not let them know,

Or like poor Christian's friends, they'll say,
My dear you must not go!

But I must wait till some grand scheme,

Can all their thoughts engage;
And then I'll leave my pleasant home,

And go on Pilgrimage."

She had not waited long, before

One fine autumnal day,

She saw the large old coach arrive,

To take her aunts away. "We're going out to spend the day,"

The two old ladies said,

"We mean to visit Mrs. Blair,

Poor soul, she's sick in bed.

But Marian you must stay at home,

The lady's ill you see,

You can have your dinner if you like;

In the large old Apple-tree.

And play in the garden all the day,
Quite happy and content."

105

106

THE LITTLE PILGRIM.

A few more parting words were said,
And off the ladies went.
The servants too, were all engaged
"The day is come at last,"
Said Marian, "but oh I wish,
My Pilgrimage were past!"
She knelt beneath her Apple-tree,
And for God's assistance pray'd,
Then with her basket in her hand,
Went forth, the little maid!
Behind the house where Marian dwelt,
Far off in the distance lay,

A high, steep hill, which the sun at morn,
Tinged with its earliest ray.
And that Difficulty was its name,

The child had often thought;
Toward that hill she turned her head,

With hopeful visions fraught.
The flowers seemed to welcome her;
'Twas a lovely Autumn morn,
The little lark sang merrily,

Above the waving corn.

"Ah, little lark, you sing," she said,
"On your early Pilgrimage,

I too will sing, for pleasant thoughts,

Should now my mind engage.

In sweet, clear strains she sung a hymn,

And tripp'd lightly on her way,

Until a pool of thick, soft mud,

Across her pathway lay.

"This is the Slough of Despond," she cried,

Yet she bravely ventured thro'

And safely reached the other side;

But she lost one little shoe!