"Twas here we learned to conjugate “amo, amas, amat," While glances from the lasses made our hearts go pit-a-pat; "Twas here we fell in love, you know, with girls who looked us through

Yours with her piercing eyes of black, and mine with eyes of blue.

Our sweethearts-pretty girls were they-to us how very

dear

Bow down your head with me, my boy, and shed for them a tear;

With them the earthly school is out; each lovely maid now stands

Before the one Great Master, in the "house not made with hands."

You tell me you are far out West; a lawyer, deep in laws, With Joe, who sat behind us here, and tickled us with

straws;

Look out for number one, my boys; may wealth come at your touch;

But with your long, strong legal straws don't tickle men too much.

Here, to the right, sat Jimmy Jones - you must remember Jim

He's teaching now, and punishing, as master punished him; What an unlucky lad he was! his sky was dark with woes; Whoever did the sinning it was Jim who got the blows.

Those days are all gone by, my boys; life's hill we're going down,

With here and there a silver hair amid the school-boy brown; But memory can never die, so we'll talk o'er the joys

We shared together, in this house, when you and I were boys.

Though ruthless hands may tear it down-this old house lone and drear,

They'll not destroy the characters that started out from here; Time's angry waves may sweep the shore and wash out all beside:

Bright as the stars that shine above, they shall for aye abide.

I've seen the new house, Charley: 'tis the pride of all the town,

And laughing lads and lasses go its broad steps up and down;

But you or I, my dear old friend, can't love it half as well As this condemned, forsaken one, with cracked and tongueless bell.

THE KING AND THE LOCUSTS.

A STORY WITHOUT AN END.

'There was a certain king, who, like many other kings, was very fond of hearing stories told. To this amusement he gave up all his time; but yet he was never satisfied. All the `exertions of all his courtiers were in vain. The more he heard, the more he wanted to hear. At last he made a proclamation, that if any man would tell him a story that should last forever, he would make him his heir, and give him the princess, his daughter, in marriage; but if any one should pretend that he had such a story, but should fail—that is, if the story did come to an end-he was to have his head chopped off.

For such a rich prize as a beautiful princess and a kingdom, many candidates appeared; and dreadfully long stories some of them told. Some lasted a week, some a month, some six months: poor fellows, they all spun them out as long as they possibly could, you may be sure; but all in vain ; sooner or later they all came to an end; and, one after another, the unlucky story-tellers had their heads chopped off.

At last came a man who said that he had a story which would last for ever, if his Majesty would be pleased to give him a trial.

He was warned of his danger: they told him how many others had tried, and lost their heads; but he said he was not afraid, and so he was brought before the king. He was a man of a very composed and deliberate manner of speaking; and, after making all requisite stipulations for time for his eating, drinking, and sleeping, he thus began his story:

"O king! there was once a king who was a great tyrant; and, desiring to increase his riches, he seized upon all the corn and grain in his kingdom, and put it into an immense granary, which he built on purpose, as high as a mountain. "This he did for several years, till the granary was quite full up to the top. He then stopped up doors and windows, and closed it up fast on all sides.

"But the bricklayers had, by accident, left a very small hole near the top of the granary. And there came a flight

of locusts, and tried to get at the corn; but the hole was so small that only one locust could pass through it at a time. So one locust went in and carried off one grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn-”

He had gone on thus from morning to night (except while he was engaged at his meals) for about a month; when the king, though a very patient king, began to be rather tired of the locusts, and interrupted his story with: "Well, well, we have had enough of the locusts; we will suppose that they have helped themselves to all the corn they wanted; tell us what happened afterwards." To which the story-teller answered, very deliberately, "If it please your Majesty, it is impossible to tell you what happened afterwards before I have told you what happened first." And so he went on again; “And then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn." The king listened with admirable patience six months more, when he again interrupted him with:"O friend! I am weary of your locusts! How soon do you think they will have done?" To which the story-teller made answer: "O king! who can tell? At the time to which my story has come, the locusts have cleared away a small space, it may be a cubit, each way round the inside of the hole; and the air is still dark with locusts on all sides; but let the king have patience, and, no doubt, we shall come to the end of them in time."

Thus encouraged, the king listened on for another full year, the story-teller still going on as before: "And then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn," till at last the poor king could bear it no longer, and cried out: "O man, that is enough! Take my

daughter! take my kingdom! take anything-take everything! only let us hear no more of those abominable locusts!"

And so the story-teller was married to the king's daughter, and was declared heir to the throne; and nobody ever expressed a wish to hear the rest of his story, for he said it was impossible to come to the other part of it till he had done with the locusts. The unreasonable caprice of the foolish king was thus overmatched by the ingenious device of the wise man.

ABRAM AND ZIMRI.-CLARENCE Cook.

Abram and Zimri owned a field together-
A level field hid in a happy vale;

They plowed it with one plow, and in the spring
Sowed, walking side by side, the fruitful seed.
In harvest, when the glad earth smiled with grain,
Each carried to his home one-half the sheaves,
And stored them with much labor in his barns.
Now, Abram had a wife and seven sons,
But Zimri dwelt alone within his house.

One night, before the sheaves were gathered in,
As Zimri lay upon his lonely bed

And counted in his mind his little gains,
He thought upon his brother Abram's lot,
And said, "I dwell alone within my house,
But Abram hath a wife and seven sons,
And yet we share the harvest sheaves alike.
He surely needeth more for life than I;
I will arise, and gird myself, and go

Down to the field, and add to his from mine."

So he arose, and girded up his loins,
And went out softly to the level field;
The moon shone out from dusky bars of clouds,
The trees stood black against the cold blue sky,
The branches waved and whispered in the wind.
So Zimri, guided by the shifting light,
Went down the mountain path, and found the field,
Took from his store of sheaves a generous third,
And bore them gladly to his brother's heap,
And then went back to sleep and happy dreams.

Now, that same night, as Abram lay in bed,
Thinking upon his blissful state in life,
He thought upon his brother Zimri's lot,
And said, "He dwells within his house alone,
He goeth forth to toil with few to help,
He goeth home at night to a cold house,
And hath few other friends but me and mine,"

(For these two tilled the happy vale alone,)

64

While I, whom Heaven hath very greatly blessed,
Dwell happy with my wife and seven sons,

Who aid me in my toil and make it light,
And yet we share the harvest sheaves alike.
This surely is not pleasing unto God;
I will arise, and gird myself, and go

Out to the field, and borrow from my store,
And add unto my brother Zimri's pile."

So he arose and girded up his loins,

And went down softly to the level field;

The moon shone out from silver bars of clouds,
The trees stood blank against the starry sky,

The dark leaves waved and whispered in the breeze.

So Abram, guided by the doubtful light,

Passed down the mountain path and found the field,
Took from his store of sheaves a generous third,
And added them unto his brother's heap;
Then he went back to sleep and happy dreams.

So the next morning with the early sun
The brothers rose, and went out to their toil;
And when they came to see the heavy sheaves,
Each wondered in his heart to find his heap,
Though he had given a third, was still the same.
Now, the next night went Zimri to the field,
Took from his store of sheaves a generous share,
And placed them on his brother Abram's heap,
And then lay down behind his pile to watch.
The moon looked out from bars of silvery cloud,
The cedars stood up black against the sky,
The olive branches whispered in the wind.
Then Abram came down softly from his home,
And, looking to the right and left, went on;
Took from his ample store a generous third,
And laid it on his brother Zimri's pile.

Then Zimri rose, and caught him in his arms,
And wept upon his neck, and kissed his cheek;
And Abram saw the whole, and could not speak,
Neither could Zimri. So they walked along

Back to their homes, and thanked their God in prayer That he had bound them in such loving bands.