To-day I thought it so unkind

Of John and brother Ben;
They laugh'd, and said my little bird
Would never come again.

They little knew the wound they gave,
The sorrow and the pain!

O wren! I'd give a thousand pounds
To bring you back again.

THE LINNET.

AND dost thou weep, my Henry dear,
Because thy linnet's dead?
Ah Henry! 'tis a transient tear,
Forgot as soon as shed.

Thou❜lt soon forget thy bird, my boy;
Thou'lt soon forget thy pain;
And laughing mirth, and dimpled joy,
Succeed that tear again.

O, happy childhood! blissful day!
To memory ever dear!

When joy so quickly sheds its ray

To dry the transient tear.

HUSH O!

HUSH O! Hush O! my baby dear!
I'll rock thee to and fro;
And when I see thy little tear,
I'll sing a sweet Hush O!

O stop those little plaintive cries!
Why rend my bosom so?

And close at once thy pretty eyes,
And I will sing Hush O!

Hush O! Hush O! my baby doat!
I will not leave thee,-no,
But here I'll sit with cheerful note,
And sing a sweet Hush O!

Hush O! Hush O! stop, stop thy cries!

Thy mother now must go :

And close at once thy pretty eyes,

And I will sing Hush O!

That purling stream by yonder tree,

As down it murmurs wild,

Joins with the stream, and then with me,

To lull my little child.

Hush O! Hush O! my baby dear!

I'll rock thee to and fro;

C

26

THE OLD CRAB.

And when I see thy little tear,
I'll sing a sweet Hush O!

THE OLD CRAB.

THE wind it blew loud, and the sea it ran high, And white o'er the rocks dash'd the spray, When mamma coming in, call'd out, “Robert, my child!

'Tis so cold, and the strand looks so stormy and wild,

You'd better not go out to-day!"

He made no reply; but sat still in his chair,
Apparently reading his book:

But scarce had the evening come on, when away
Robert put on his hat, and then off to the sea,
To fish for some crabs in a nook.

O'er cliffs and o'er caverns he flew like a doe,
Till he came to a very large cave,

All cover'd with sea weed, and green moss, and

shells,

And nice little flowers, which the boys call sea

bells,

Thrown in by the foam of the wave!

In a niche in this cavern there liv'd an old crab, Though indeed she was seldom at home;

For she generally spent all her time out at sea, With another old crab who liv'd down in the bay,

Enjoying the pure sparkling foam.

I think this old crab, by the grandmother's side,
Was kin to the other old crab;

Indeed I'm not sure; but no matter for that,
I know he would frequently joke in his chat,
And call her "My dear cousin Drab.”

He used very often to come and prescribe,
For a very great quack he was thought;

And whe poor old Drab would get sick, and be

wail

A pain in her stomach, her head, or her tail,
A blister was instantly got.

I remember one day, O no wonder I laugh,
Old Drab got a pain in her head:
The doctor immediately feeling her hand,
Said, "Cousin, it is my especial command

That you should be blister'd and bled."

Next week came the doctor, and knock'd at the door,

With the air of a skilful M. D.

28

THE OLD CRAB.

"O see what a nice purse I've made of this shell, Be so good, my dear Drab, as you now have got well,

Be so good to remember the fee."

Then old Drab so sly gave the doctor a push,

And jostled him over the cliff:

But soon 'twas made up, and again they spoke

free;

Yet still an attentive observer could see

They were to each other quite stiff.

But nonsense! sheer nonsense! I've strayed from my tale,

And gallop'd from Robert away:

But where was I?-stop! O, I now recollect, He was passing the schooner, you know, that was wreck'd

On the rocks by the side of the bay.

Says Robert, "Pray are you at home, Mrs. Crab?" While into a hole in the rock

He thrust his right hand-" O, my lad, you shall know;

Pray am I at home? yes, indeed, I am so!"

O dear! what a terrible shock!

When Crab made a desperate snap at his hand, Robert shriek'd, and most sad was the shout;