There's mercy in every place,

And mercy, encouraging thought!
Gives even affliction a grace,
And reconciles man to his lot.

Cowper.

TH

CASABIANCA.

'HE boy stood on the burning deck,
Whence all but he had fled;

The flame that lit the battle's wreck
Shone round him o'er the dead.

Yet beautiful and bright he stood,
As born to rule the storm;
A creature of heroic blood,

A brave though childlike form.

The flames roll'd on-he would not go
Without his father's word;
That father, faint in death below,
His voice no longer heard.

He call'd aloud—“ Say, father, say
If yet my task is done!"
He knew not that the chieftain lay
Unconscious of his son.

"Speak, father!" once again he cried,
If I may yet be gone;"
And but the booming shots replied,
And fast the flames roll'd on.

Upon his brow he felt their breath,

And in his waving hair,

And look'd from that lone post of death In still yet brave despair.

And shouted but once more aloud,
"My father, must I stay?”

While o'er him fast, through sail and shroud,
The wreathing fires made way.

They wrapp'd the ship in splendour wild,
They caught the flag on high,

And stream'd above the gallant child,
Like banners in the sky.

There came a burst of thunder-sound-
The boy!-oh, where was he?
Ask of the winds, that far around
With fragments strew'd the sea!—

With mast, and helm, and pennon fair,
That well had borne their part;
But the noblest thing that perish'd there
Was that young faithful heart.

Mrs Hemans.

NEVER GIVE UP.

NEVER give up! it is wiser and better

Always to hope than once to despair!

Fling off the load of Doubt's heavy fetter,
And break the dark spell of tyrannical Care.
Never give up! or the burden may sink you ;
Providence kindly has mingled the cup,
And in all trials or troubles, bethink you,

The watchword of life must be, Never give up!

Never give up! there are chances and changes
Helping the hopeful a hundred to one,
And through the chaos High Wisdom arranges
Ever success-if you'll only hope on.

Never give up! for the wisest is boldest,
Knowing that Providence mingles the cup;
And of all maxims the best, as the oldest,

Is the true watchword of Never give up!

Never give up! though the grapeshot may rattle, Or the full thunder-cloud over you burst: Stand like a rock, and the storm or the battle Little shall harm you, though doing the worst, Never give up! if adversity presses,

Providence wisely has mingled the cup ; And the best counsel in all your distresses, Is the stout watchword of Never give up! Tupper.

THE VISION AT THE PYRAMIDS.

A TALE BY ONE OF NAPOLEON'S OLD GUARDS.

HE Pyramids! the Pyramids !
How massively they stand,

With their summits in the heavens,
And their bases in the sand.
How many years have rolled away
Since those huge stones were piled,
Yet sternly, as of old, they frown
Upon the desert wild!

Long years have traced upon my brow
Their path with heavy hand,
Since first I saw those mighty forms,
The monarchs of the sand;
When France's yet unconquered sons,
With wan and heavy look,
Trod wearily the burning sands,
To meet the Mameluke,

Oh, wearily, oh, wearily,

We trod the burning plain,

And many brave men laid them down
Who never rose again;

Struck down by vengeful Mameluke,
Who ever hovered nigh,

And left all stiffening in their blood
Beneath the desert sky.

Beneath that sky, which cloudless burned
Upon our blood-stained track
Slowly we marched, with saddened hearts,
Not daring to look back;

But every bosom throbbed afresh,
And every heart grew light,

When those huge mounds of pilèd stones
First burst upon our sight.

We were in Egypt ! in that land
Of which I oft had dreamed-
I gazed upon the self-same mounds
On which the sun had beamed,
As Memnon's giant effigy,

When night's dark course was run,
Warmed by the beams of new-born day,
Made music to the sun!

We were in Egypt! each huge mound
Seemed eloquent with speech,
Fraught with the wondrous history
That mighty ruins teach;

No more we thought of toil and thirst,

Of wounds and comrades slain,

But silently, with lifted eyes,

We halted on the plain.

Then through our ranks our General rode,

And pointed to those stones,

Like solemn voices heard at night,

The music of his tones;