The bride kiss'd the goblet; the knight took it up, That never a hall such a galliard did grace! While her mother did fret, and her father did fume, And the bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet and plume, And the bride-maidens whispered, ""Twere better by far To have match'd our fair cousin with young Lochinvar." One touch to her hand, and one word in her ear, When they reach'd the hall door, and the charger stood near, So light to the croupe the fair lady he swung, So light to the saddle before her he sprung! "She is won! we are gone, over bank, bush, and scaur ; They'll have fleet steeds that follow!" quoth young Lochinvar. There was mounting 'mong Græmes of the Netherby clan; Fosters, Fenwicks, and Musgraves, they rode and they ran; There was racing and chasing on Cannobie Lea, But the lost bride of Netherby ne'er did they see! So daring in love, and so dauntless in war, Have ye e'er heard of gallant like young Lochinvar! ALLEN-A-DALE. BY SIR WALTER SCOTT. ALLEN-A-DALE has no faggot for burning, tale! And tell me the craft of bold Allen-a-Dale. Allen-a-Dale was ne'er belted a knight, Though his spur be as sharp, and his blade be as bright; Allen-a-Dale is no baron or lord, Yet twenty tall yeomen will draw at his word; Allen-a-Dale to his wooing has come; The mother she asked of his household and home; Though the castle of Richmond stand fair on the hill, My hall," quoth bold Allen, "shows gallanter still; 'Tis the blue vault of heaven, with its crescent so pale, And with all its bright spangles !" said Allen-a-Dale. The father was steel, and the mother was stone; JOHN LITTLEJOHN. BY CHARLES MACKAY. JOHN LITTLEJOHN was stanch and strong, Instead of silver, a coin of brass, He took his hammer, and said with a frown, "The coin is spurious, nail it down." John Littlejohn was firm and true, You could not cheat him in "two and two;" John Littlejohn maintained the right, Through storm and shine, in the world's despite ; When told that kings had a right divine, When told that events might justify That a decent hope of future good Might excuse departure from rectitude; That a lie, if white, was of small offence, To be forgiven by men of sense, "Nay, nay," said John, with a sigh and a frown, "The coin is spurious, nail it down." THE ANGEL'S WHISPER. BY SAMUEL LOVER. A BABY was sleeping, its mother was weeping, And she cried, "Dermot, darling, oh! come back to me." Her beads while she numbered, the baby still slumbered, And smiled in her face, while she bended her knee. "Oh! blessed be that warning, my child, thy sleep adorning, For I know that the angels are whispering with thee. "And while they are keeping bright watch o'er thy sleeping, Oh! pray to them softly, my baby, with me; And say thou wouldst rather they'd watched o'er thy father, For I know that the angels are whispering with thee." The dawn of the morning saw Dermot returning, And the wife wept with joy her babe's father to see, And closely caressing her child, with a blessing, Said, "I knew that the angels were whispering with thee." |