Lazily, lazily, Here sit I. Why should I marry me, Tell me why. FREDERICK E. WEATHERLY. LUCKY JONATHAN. Wretched I, too, have an Eden, E. J. ARMSTRONG. ON A VERY OLD WEDDING RING. I LIKE that ring, that ancient ring. Of massive form, and virgin gold, As firm, as free from base alloy, As were the sterling hearts of old. I like it-for it wafts me back, Far, far along the stream of time, The tale of well-requited love; And youthful faith disdain'd to rove ;How warmly he his suit preferr'd, Though she, unpitying, long denied, Till, soften'd and subdued, at last, He won his fair and blooming bride;— How, till the appointed day arrived, They blamed the lazy-footed hours ;How then the white-robed maiden train Strew'd their glad way with freshest flowers;— And how, before the holy man, They stood in all their youthful pride, And spoke those words, and vow'd those vows The gift of every earthly thing, The hand in hand, the heart in heart,- I like its old and quaint device; Two blended hearts-though time may wear them, No mortal change, no mortal chance, "Till death," shall e'er in sunder tear them. Year after year, 'neath sun and storm, Their hopes in heaven, their trust in God, In changeless, heartfelt, holy love, These two, the world's rough pathways trod. Age might impair their youthful fires, Their strength might fail, 'mid life's bleak weather, Still, hand in hand, they travell'd on, Kind souls they slumber now together. I like its simple posy too; "Mine own dear love, this heart is thine! Thine, when the dark storm howls along, As when the cloudless sunbeams shine. "This heart is thine, mine own dear love! Thine, and thine only, and for ever; Thine, till the springs of life shall fail, Thine, till the chords of life shall sever. Remnant of days departed long, Emblem of plighted troth unbroken, Pledge of devoted faithfulness, Of heartfelt, holy love, the token,— What varied feelings round it cling! For these, I like that ancient ring. G. W. DOANE. THE death of nuptial love is sloth : To keep your mistress in your wife, Keep to the very height your oath, And honour her with arduous life. COVENTRY PATMORE The Angel in the House. (G. Bell.) ONE of us two must rule, and one obey; As unto the bow the cord is, Though she bends him she obeys him, H. W. LONGFELLOW. Hiawatha. MAN, nerved by Love, can cheerily sustain I own a fondly faithful wife, But things there are in wedded life My spouse is crying half the day, H. S. LEIGH. THE gentle wife, who decks his board Who finds her own in his delight, Who, mistress of her maiden charms, At his wild prayer, incredibly Committed them to his proud arms? Unless her choice of him's a slur Which makes her proper credit dim, He never enough can honour her Who past all speech has honour'd him. COVENTRY Patmore. The Angel in the House. (G. Bell) A HUMAN heart should beat for two, FREDERICK LOCKER. wwwwwwww THE DEVONSHIRE LANE. IN a Devonshire lane as I trotted along It holds you as fast as the cage holds a linnet; But though 'tis so long, it is not very wide, And jostle and cross, and run foul of each other. That they shut up the beauties around from the sight; And hence you'll allow, 'tis an inference plain, But, thinks I, too, these banks within which we are pent, With bud, blossom, and berry, are richly besprent, In the rock's gloomy crevice the bright holly grows, Then long be the journey and narrow the way; LET still the woman take An elder than herself: so wears she to him, WILLIAM SHAKSPERE. Twelfth Night. A WIFE! ah, gentle deities! can he All things would prosper, all the world grow wise. Now this is the sum of the matter if ye will be happy in marriage, Confide, love, and be patient: be faithful, firm, and holy. MARTIN F. TUPPER. Proverbial Philosophy. (Longmans.) REMEMBER, few wed whom they would. ON THE WEDDING RING. THIS precious emblem well doth represent "Tis evenness that crowns us with content, Which, when it wanting is, the sacred yoke Becomes uneasy, and with ease is broke. UNKNOWN. A MELANCHOLY CHANGE. The weeds she used to "like so "when you smoked, Are seized and safely in some cupboard poked; Decanters, after "just two glasses," stopped, The little drop at night discreetly dropped, Your boots and hat and gloves in closets shut, Your latch-key chucked into the water-butt; No friend of jollier days allowed to call, While rod and gun lie mouldering in the hall; No! marriage is no state to rush on madly, It begins bridal-y, but ends so saddle-y! ROBERT REECE. Rip Van Winkle. (French.) A WIFE'S LECTURE TO WIVES. Such duty as the subject owes the prince, I am ashamed that women are so simple WILLIAM SHAKspere. Taming of the Shrew. III. SOME WEDDING PICTURES. "Hear the mellow wedding-bells- E. A. POE. HIAWATHA'S WEDDING-FEAST. You shall hear how Pau-Puk-Keewis, Sumptuous was the feast Nokomis She had sent through all the village As a token of the feasting; First they ate the sturgeon, Nahma, Yellow cakes of the Mondamin, But the gracious Hiawatha, Only served their guests in silence. And when all the guests had finished, Old Nokomis, brisk and busy, From an ample pouch of otter Filled the red stone pipes for smoking With tobacco from the South-land, Mixed with bark of the red willow, And with herbs and leaves of fragrance. Then she said, "O Pau-Puk-Keewis, Dance for us your merry dances, Dance the Beggar's Dance to please us, That the feast may be more joyous, That the time may pass more gaily, And our guests be more contented!" H. W. LONGFELLOW. THE BRIDAL DAY. OPEN the temple-gates unto my love, With trembling steps and humble reverence When so ye come into these holy places, Bring her up to th' high altar, that she may The choristers the joyous anthem sing, That all the woods may answer, and their echo ring. Behold whiles she before the altar stands, That even the angels, which continually Oft peeping in her face, that seems more fair But her sad eyes, still fast'ned on the ground, Sing, ye sweet angels! Alleluia sing, That all the woods may answer, and your echo ring. Now all is done: bring home the bride again, Make feast, therefore, now all this live-long day; Pour out the wine without restraint or stay, And sprinkle all the posts and walls with wine; And Hymen also crown with wreaths of vine; And let the Graces dance unto the rest, For they can do it best ; The whiles the maidens do their carol sing, To which the woods shall answer, and their echo ring. Now cease, ye damsels! your delights forepast, Lay her in lilies and in violets, Like unto Maia, when as Jove her took And leave likewise your former lays to sing; EDMUND SPENSER. Epithalamion. JACK'S WEDDIN'. THE waves ha' got their coats o' white The winds are blowin' strong, An' fill the canvas trim and tight, An' drive the ship along. Then gather roun' the capstan, boys, We'll sing the best we know, The mermaids fair our song shall hear, An' Davy Jones below. Let every man, then, fill his can, An' drink a toast wi' me, For jolly, jolly boys, jolly, jolly boys, My gal she lives in Portsmouth town, |