4

THE FAIRIES OF CALDON-LOW.

For
you

must have seen the fairies
Last night on the Caldon-Low."
“ Then take me on your knee, mother,

And listen, mother mine :
A hundred fairies danced last night,

And the harpers they were nine.
And merry was the glee of the harp-strings,

And their dancing feet so small;
But, oh, the sound of their talking

Was merrier far than all !

*

For some they played with the water,

And rolled it down the hill ; • And this,' they said, shall speedily turn The poor

old miller's mill.
For there has been no water

Ever since the first of May;
And a busy man shall the miller be

By the dawning of the day.
Oh, the miller, how he will laugh

When he sees the mill-dam rise !
The jolly old miller, how he will laugh,

Till the tears fill both his eyes !!
And some they seized the little winds

That sounded over the hill,
And each put a horn into his mouth,

And blew so sharp and shrill :
* And there,' said they, 'ye merry winds go,

Away from every horn;

THE FAIRIES OF CALDON-LOW.

5

And these shall clear the mildew dank

From the blind old widow's corn.'

And then upspoke a Brownie

With a long beard on his chin: *I have spun up all the tow,' said he,

· And I want some more to spin. I've spun a piece of hempen cloth,

And I want to spin another,-A little sheet for Mary's bed,

And an apron for her mother.' And with that I could not help but laugh,

And I laughed out loud and free ;
And then on the top of the Caldon-Low

There was no one left but me.
But as I came down from the hill-top,

I heard afar below
How busy the jolly miller was,

And how merry the wheel did go.
And I peeped into the widow's field;

And sure enough was seen
The yellow ears of the mildewed corn

All standing stiff and green.

Now this is all I heard, mother,

And all that I did see;
So prithee make my bed, mother,

For I'm tired as I can be.”

MARY HOWITT.

AN ENGLISH LANDSCAPE.

Ever charming, ever new,
When will the landscape tire the view !
The fountain's fall, the river's flow,
The woody valleys warm and low,
The windy summit wild and high,
Roughly rushing on the sky;
The pleasant seat, the ruin'd tower,
The naked rock, the shady bower;
The town and village, dome and farm,-
Each give each a double charm,
As pearls upon an Ethiop's arm.

See on the mountain's southern side,
Where the prospect opens wide,
Where the evening gilds the tide,
How close and small the hedges lie!
What streaks of meadows cross the eye!
A step, methinks, may pass the stream,
So little distant dangers seem ;
So we mistake the future's face,
Ey'd through hope's deluding glass :
As

yon summits soft and fair,
Clad in colours of the air,
Which to those who journey near,
Barren, brown, and rough appear ;
Still we tread the same coarse way,-
The present's still a cloudy day.

Oh, may I with myself agree,
And never covet what I see!

AN ENGLISH LANDSCAPE.

7

Content me with an humble shade,
My passions tam'd, my wishes laid !
For while our wishes wildly roll,
We banish quiet from the soul :
'Tis thus the busy beat the air,
And misers gather wealth and care.

Now, even now, my joys run high,
As on the mountain-turf I lie;
While the wanton zephyr sings,
And in the vale perfumes his wings ;
While the waters murmur deep,
While the shepherd charms his sheep,
While the birds unbounded fly,
And with music fill the sky;
Now, even now, my joys run high.

Be full, ye courts; be great who will ;
Search for Peace with all your skill ;
Open wide the lofty door,
Seek her on the marble floor :
In vain you search—she is not there;
In vain ye search the domes of care !
Grass and flow'rs Quiet treads
On the meads and mountain-heads,
Along with Pleasure close allied,
Ever by each other's side ;
And often by the murmuring rill
Hears the thrush, while all is still
Within the groves of Grongar Hill.

DYER.

DIALOGUE BETWEEN A MOTHER AND CHILD.
Ou, tell me about that bright, bright star;
I have watch'd it long, and it seems so far,
And yet so near; oh, tell to me
How this wonderful thing may

be!” “Thy question seems simple, my darling child” (Then answered the lady with voice so mild); 6. Yet, dear one, I cannot tell to thee, How this wonderful thing may be ; I see the star, and so dost thou, Twinkling (as ever it twinkleth) now; But how, or why, it twinkleth so, Nor I, nor thou, my child, may know. We see its beauty is very bright, That it adds new beauty to beautiful night ; And we know that He hath fixed it there, The God who heareth thine evening prayer. And so we know it is very meet That we with love that star should greet ; As it looketh down from its home above To lead our soul to the Father of love. I know but little, my gentle child" (Thus spoke the lady with voice so mild): so I am a child in things so high As the wonders of earth, and air, and sky. But I will teach thee all I can, And then when thou growest to be a man,