THE HEBREW MOTHER. So passed they on, 219 O'er Judah's hills; and wheresoe'er the leaves, And softly parting clusters of jet curls, At last the Fane was reached, Turned from the white-robed priest, and round her arm "Alas, my boy! thy gentle gasp is on me, The bright tears quiver in thy pleading eyes, And now fond thoughts arise, And silver cords again to earth have won me, 220 THE HEBREW MOTHER. How the lone paths retrace, where thou wert playing So late along the mountains at my side? And I, in joyous pride, By every place of flowers my course delaying, And, oh the home whence thy bright smile hath parted! Will it not seem as if the sunny day Turned from its door away, While, through its chambers wandering weary hearted, Under the palm-trees thou no more shalt meet me, With the full water urn! Nor will thy sleep's low dove-like murmurs greet me, And thou, will slumber's dewy cloud fall round thee, Without thy mother's hand to smooth thy bed? Wilt thou not vainly spread Thine arms, when darkness as a veil hath wound thee, To fold my neck; and lift up, in thy fear, A cry which none shall hear? What have I said, my child?—will He not hear thee, And, in the hush of holy midnight near thee, THE HEBREW MOTHER. I give thee to thy God !-the God that gave thee, And pure as dew of Hermon, He shall have thee, Therefore, farewell!-I go; my soul may fail me, But thou, my firstborn! droop not, nor bewail me; ON PARTING WITH MY BOOKS. BY LEIGH HUNT. 221 YE dear companions of my silent hours, Wasting of health, vain toil, corroding care, And the world's cold neglect, which surest kills, Unmurmuring, for my good perchance these evils are. NAPOLEON MORIBUNDUS. BY CHARLES MACARTHY. Sume superbiam YES! bury me deep in the infinite sea, As far from the stretch of all earthly control Then my briny pall shall engirdle the world, And each mutinous billow that's sky-ward curled That name shall be storied in annals of crime In the uttermost corners of earth; Now breathed as a curse-now a spell-word sublime, In the glorified land of my birth. Ay! plunge my dark heart in the infinite sea; Shall less than an ocean his sepulchre be 'MID shouts that hailed her from the shore And bade her speed, the bark is gone, The dreary ocean to explore Whose waters sweep the frigid zone ;— And bounding on before the gale, To bright eyes shining through their tears, "Twixt sea and sky, her snowy sail A lessening speck appears. Behold her next 'mid icy isles, Lone wending on her cheerless way; 'Neath skies where summer scarcely smiles, Whose light seems but the shade of day. But while the waves she wanders o'er, Around her form they sink to sleep; The pulse of nature throbs no more— She's chained within the deep! Then Hope for ever took her flight; In which their latest sun went down; |