As if a door in heaven should be
Open'd and then closed suddenly,
The vision came and went,

The light shone and was spent.

On England's annals, through the long
Hereafter of her speech and song,

That light its rays shall cast
From portals of the past.

A Lady with a Lamp shall stand
In the great history of the land,
A noble type of good,
Heroic womanhood.

Nor even shall be wanting here
The palm, the lily, and the spear,
The symbols that of yore

-American.

Saint Filomena bore.*

H. W. LONGFELLOW, 1807

*At Pisa the church of San Francisco contains a chapel dedicated lately to Santa Filomena; over the altar is a picture, by Sabatelli, representing the saint as a beautiful, nymph-like figure, floating down from heaven, attended by two angels bearing the lily, palm, and javelin, and beneath, in the foreground, the sick and maimed, who are healed by her intercession. -MRS JAMESON, Sacred and Legendary Art.

LOVE'S FAIRY RING.

WHILE Titans war with social Jove,
My own sweet wife and I
We make Elysium in our love,
And let the world go by!
Oh, never hearts beat half so light
With crownéd Queen or King!
Oh, never world was half so bright
As is our fairy-ring,

Dear love!

Our hallow'd fairy-ring.

Our world of empire is not large,

But priceless wealth it holds;
A little heaven links marge to marge,
But what rich realms it folds !
And clasping all from outer strife

Sits Love with folden wing,
A-brood o'er dearer life-in-life,

Within our fairy-ring,

Dear love!

Our hallow'd fairy-ring.

Thou leanest thy true heart on mine,
And bravely bearest up!

Aye mingling Love's most precious wine
In Life's most bitter cup!

And evermore the circling hours
New gifts of glory bring;

We live and love like happy flowers,
All in our fairy-ring,

Dear love!

Our hallow'd fairy-ring.

We've known a many sorrows, sweet!
We've wept a many tears,
And often trod with trembling feet
Our pilgrimage of years.

But when our sky grew dark and wild,
All closelier did we cling:

Clouds broke to beauty as you smiled, Peace crown'd our fairy-ring,

Dear love!

Our hallow'd fairy-ring.

Away grim Lords of Murderdom;
Away, O Hate and Strife!

Hence, revellers, reeling drunken from
Your feast of human life!

Heaven shield our little Goshen round From ills that with them spring, And never be their footprints found Within our fairy-ring,

Dear love!

Our hallow'd fairy-ring.

But come, ye who the truth dare own,

Or work in Love's dear name;

Come all who wear the Martyr's crown—
The Mystic's robe of flame!

Sweet souls a Christless world doth doom,
Like birds smote blind, to sing!

For such, we'll aye make welcome room
Within our fairy-ring,

Dear love!

Our hallow'd fairy-ring.

GERALD MASSEY, 1828

PROPHECIES.

OUR spirits grow in love and strength
Whene'er we reach a present truth,

And see a grand result at length,

Like manhood springing out of youth.

The first bird singing in the dell

May sing so exquisitely well,

That man may think, to hear its tone,

He loves it for itself alone.

And yet his love will grow more strong,
And break upon him unaware,

Whene'er that lonely bird of song

Suggests a thousand singers there!

The first word from an infant heard,
The weak attempt to utter "mother,"
Hath deeper meaning in the word,
Because it intimates another.

A noble deed, where such is rare,

And friendly thoughts, when such are few, Should bring us Hope, because they bear A faithful image to the view

What truth can dare, and kindness do.

And like the singing of a bird,
And like the infant's earliest word,
They cone, as prophets, single-handed,
To tell of beauties more expanded.

For kindly thoughts and noble deeds,
However rare and few their powers,
Should give us faith in what succeeds;
For Nature like a conqueror leads,
And all her fruits come after flowers.
E. H. BURRINGTON,