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"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting

“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

Leave

my loneliness unbroken!-quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting,

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door : And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow, that lies floating o

the floor

Shall be lifted-Nevermore!

EDGAR ALLAN POE.

LODGINGS FOR SINGLE GENTLEMEN.

WHO has e'er been in London, that overgrown place,
Has seen ""
Lodgings to Let" stare him full in the face.
Some are good, and let dearly; while some, 't is well

known,

Are so dear, and so bad, they are best let alone.

WILL WADDLE, whose temper was studious and lonely
Hired lodgings that took Single Gentlemen only;
But WILL was so fat, he appeared like a tun,—
Or like two SINGLE GENTLEMEN rolled into ONE.

He entered his rooms, and to bed he retreated;
But, all the night long, he felt fevered and heated;
And, though heavy to weigh, as a score of fat sheep,
He was not, by any means, heavy to sleep.

Next night 't was the same!-and the next! and the next!

He perspired like an ox; he was nervous, and vexed; Week passed after week, till by weekly succession, His weakly condition was past all expression.

In six months his acquaintance began much to doubt

him:

For his skin "like a lady's loose gown," hung about him.

He sent for a Doctor, and cried, like a ninny,

"I have lost many pounds-make me well-there's a guinea."

The Doctor looked wise:-" a slow fever," he said;
Prescribed sudorifics,-and going to bed.

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Sudorifics in bed," exclaimed WILL,

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are humbugs! 'I've enough of them there, without paying for drugs!"

WILL kicked out the Doctor:-but when ill indeed,
E'en dismissing the Doctor don't always succeed;
So, calling his host-he said-"Sir, do you know,
"I'm the fat SINGLE GENTLEMAN, six months ago?

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"Look ye, Landlord, I think," argued WILL with a grin, That with honest intentions you first took me in: "But from the first night-and to say it I'm bold— "I've been so very hot, that I'm sure I caught cold!"

Quoth the landlord-" Till now, I ne'er had a dispute; "I've let lodgings ten years, I'm a baker to boot; "In airing your sheets, sir, my wife is no sloven; "And your bed is immediately-over my OVEN."

"The OVEN!!!"-says Will;-says the host, "

this passion?

Why

"In that excellent bed died three people of fashion.

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Why so crusty, good sir?"-" Zounds!" cried Will in

a taking,

"Who would not be crusty, with half a year's baking?

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Will paid for his rooms :-cried the host, with a sneer, "Well, I see you've been going away half a year."

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'Friend, we can't well agree;-yet no quarrel "-Will

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THE LEGEND OF HORATIUS.

Our spake the Consul roundly:

"The bridge must straight go down;

For, since Janiculum is lost,

Nought else can save the town."

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"Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul,

With all the speed ye may;
I, with two more to help me,
Will hold the foe in play.

In yon

strait path a thousand

May well be stopped by three.

Now who will stand on either hand, And keep the bridge with me?"

Then out spake Spurius Lartius;
A Ramnian proud was he:
"Lo, I will stand at thy right hand,
And keep the bridge with thee."
And out spake strong Herminius;
Of Titian blood was he:
"I will abide on thy left side,
And keep the bridge with thee."

"Horatius," quoth the Consul,

"As thou say'st, so let it be." And straight against that great array Forth went the dauntless Three. For Romans in Rome's quarrel

Spared neither land nor gold,

Nor son nor wife, nor limb nor life, In the brave days of old.

Then none was for a party;

Then all were for the state;

Then the great man helped the poor, And the poor man loved the great :

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