"By his blood you have tracked him to his lair!
Would you bid the spirit part?—
He that durst harm one single hair
Must reach it through my heart.
I cannot weep, for my brain is dry-
Nor plead, for I know not how;
But my aim is sure, and the shaft may fly,-
And the bubbling life-blood flow !

"Yet leave me, while dim life remains, To list his parting sigh;

To kiss away those gory stains,

To close his beamless eye!

Ye will not! no-he triumphs still,
Whose foes his death-pangs dread-
His was the power-yours but the will:
Back-back-he is not dead!

"His was the power that held in thrall,
Through many a glorious year,
Priests, burghers, nobles, princes-all
Slaves worship, hate, or fear.
Wrongs, insults, injuries thrust him forth
A bandit-chief to dwell;

How he avenged his slighted worth,

Ye, cravens, best may tell !

"His spirit lives in the mountain breath,
It flows in the mountain wave;
Rock-stream-hath done the work of death

Yon deep ravine-the grave!-

That which hath been again may be !

Ah! by yon fleeting sun,

Who stirs, no morning ray shall see-
His sand of life has run !"

Defiance shone in her flashing eye,
But her heart beat wild with fear-
She starts the bandit's last faint sigh
Breathes on her sharpened ear-

She gazes on each stiffening limb,

And the death-damp chills her brow ;— "For him I lived-I die with him! Slaves, do your office now!"

OUR FOLKS.-ETHEL LYNN.

"HIE, Harry! Harry, halt,

And tell a soldier just a thing or two; Had a furlough? been to see

How all the folks in Jersey do.

It's a year ago since I was there,

Aye, with a bullet from Fair Oaks;

But since you've been home, old comrade, dear,
Say, did you see any of our folks?

You did! oh, I am so glad!

For if I do look grim and gruff,

I've got some feeling. People think

A soldier's heart is mighty tough,

But when the bullets fly, and hot saltpetre smokes

And whole battalions lie afield,

One is apt to think about his folks.

And so you saw them-when and where?

The old man, is he lively yet?

And little sis, has she grown tall?

And then you know her friend, that Anna Ross-
Confound it, how this pipe chokes!

Come, Hal, and tell me, like a man,

All the news about our folks;

You saw them at the church, you say?

It's very likely, they are always there on Sunday. What! no, no! a funeral, why

Harry, how you halt and stare!

And all were well, and all were out?
Come, truly, this can't be a hoax;
Why don't you tell me, like a man,
All the news about our folks?"

"I say all's well, old comrade, dear,
I say all's well, for He knows best,
Who takes his young lambs in His arms,
Ere the sun sinks in the west.

The soldier's strokes deal left and right,
And flowers fall as well as oaks;

And fair Anna blooms no more,

And that's the matter with your folks.

Bear up, old friend."

Well, nobody speaks, only the dull camp raven croaks,

Then soldiers whisper, "Boys, be still,

There's some bad news from Granger's folks."

He turns his back upon his grief,

And vainly sought to hide the tears
Kind nature sends to woe's relief,

BB

Then answering said, “Ah, well! Hal, I'll try,
But in my throat there's something chokes;
Because you see I'd thought so long

To count her in among our folks.
All may be well, still I can't help thinking,
I might have kept this trouble off
By being gentle, kind and true;

But may be not! she's safe up there,
And when His hand deals other strokes,
She'll stand at heaven's gates, I know,
And wait, and welcome all our folks.”

A CHILD'S DREAM OF A STAR.-CHARLES DICKENS.

THERE was once a child, and he strolled about a good deal, and thought of a number of things. He had a sister who was a child too, and his constant companion. They wondered at the beauty of flowers; they wondered at the height and blueness of the sky; they wondered at the depth of the water; they wondered at the goodness and power of God, who made them lovely.

They used to say to one another sometimes: Supposing all the children upon earth were to die, would the flowers, and the water, and the sky be sorry? They believed they would be sorry. For, said they, the buds are the children of the flowers, and the little playful streams that gambol down the hillsides are the children of the water, and the smallest bright specks playing at hide and seek in the sky all night must surely be the children of the stars; and they would all be grieved to see their play. mates, the children of men, no more.

There was one clear shining star that used to come out in the sky before the rest, near the church spire, above the graves. It was larger and more beautiful, they thought, than all the others, and every night they watched. for it, standing hand-in-hand at a window. Whoever saw it first, cried out, "I see the star." And after that, they cried out both together, knowing so well when it would rise, and where. So they grew to be such friends with it that, before laying down in their bed, they always looked out once again to bid it good night; and when they were

turning around to sleep, they used to say, "God bless the star!"

But while she was still very young, oh, very young, the sister drooped, and came to be so weak that she could no longer stand in the window at night, and then the child looked sadly out by himself, and when he saw the star, turned round and said to the patient pale face on the bed, "I see the star!" and then a smile would come upon the face, and a little weak voice used to say, "God bless my brother and the star!"

And so the time came, all too soon, when the child looked out all alone, and when there was no face on the bed, and when there was a grave among the graves, not there before, and when the star made long rays down toward him as he saw it through his tears.

Now these rays were so bright, and they seemed to make such a shining way from earth to heaven, that when the child went to his solitary bed, he dreamed about the star; and dreamed that, laying where he was, he saw a train of people taken up that sparkling road by angels; And the star, opening, showing him a great world of light, where many more such angels waited to receive them.

All these angels, who were waiting, turned their beaming eyes upon the people who were carried up into the star; and some came out from the long rows in which they stood, and fell upon the people's necks, and kissed them tenderly, and went away with them down avenues of light, and were so happy in their company, that lying in his bed he wept for joy.

But there were many angels who did not go with them, and among them one he knew. The patient face that once had lain upon the bed was glorified and radiant, but his heart found out his sister among all the host.

His sister's angel lingered near the entrance of the star, and said to the leader among those who had brought the people thither;

"Is my brother come?"

And he said, "No!"

She was turning hopefully away, when the child stretched out his arms, and cried, "Oh, sister, I am here! Take me!" And then she turned her beaming eyes upon

him, and it was night; and the star was shining into the room, making long rays down towards him as he saw it through his tears.

From that hour forth, the child looked out upon the star as the home he was to go to when his time should come; and he thought that he did not belong to the earth alone, but to the star too, because of his sister's angel gone before.

There was a baby born to be a brother to the child, and, while he was so little that he never yet had spoken a word, he stretched out his tiny form on his bed, and died.

Again the child dreamed of the opened star, and of the company of angels, and the train of people, and the rows. of angels, with their beaming eyes all turned upon those people's faces.

Said his sister's angel to the leader:

"Is my brother come?"

And he said, "Not that one, but another!"

As the child beheld his brother's angel in her arms, he cried, "Oh, my sister, I am here! Take me!" And sho turned and smiled upon him.—and the star was shining.

He grew to be a young man, and was busy at his books, when an old servant came to him and said:

"Thy mother is no more. I bring her blessing on her darling son."

Again at night he saw the star, and all that former company. Said his sister's angel to the leader, "Is my brother come?"

And he said, "Thy mother!"

A mighty cry of joy went forth through all the star, because the mother was re-united to her two children. And he stretched out his arms and cried, "Oh, mother, sister, and brother, I am here! Take me!" And they answered him, "Not yet !"-and the star was shining.

He grew to be a man, whose hair was turning gray, and he was sitting in his chair by the fireside, heavy with grief, and with his face bedewed with tears, when the star opened once again.

Said his sister's angel to the leader, "Is my brother come?"

And he said, "Nay, but his maiden daughter!"