And these keen stars, the bridal gems of night, Filled from the inner fountain of deep light, Clear speaking from their throne of glorious blue, Of the glad home above, beyond our view,- This life of ours, these lingering years of earth, A little while, and the great second birth Of time shall come,-the prophet's ancient theme. Shall give the kingdom for our endless home,- GRIPER GREG. Griper Greg, of the village of Willoughby Waterless, Were there no claimants upon his cold charity— Fatherless, motherless, Forkless and knifeless, Dinnerless, supperless wretches to pray or beg- 66 Give us some victuals our faint frames to cherish?" Yes, there were orphans, Tom, Jack, Dick, and Ned, No sister, no daughter, no wife, to take care of him; And many more hunger-bit, tatter-clad sorrowers One day the snow fell thick and fast, No sight was there, except the snow, Had I my gold here by my side, "They are good words ye'v said!" cried beggar-man Pat, Enough to the miser his heart-grief to hear: "They are good words ye’v said; and no better by preacher Were ever delivered about the dear crayture; Make me mellow with him, and no ill shall betide ye, For to Willoughby Waterless safely I'll guide ye!”' "Oh, joy!" shouted Greg, "guide me home from the waste, So home sped the miser, by beggar Pat guided, Griper Greg, all a-cold, shared the brandy with Pat, Sleep seized him so nimbly, he stopped in his story, Meanwhile the thief-beggar-man far off was drinking 'BIAH CATHCART'S PROPOSAL.-H. W. BEECHER, They were walking silently and gravely home one Sunday afternoon, under the tall elms that lined the street for half a mile. Neither had spoken. There had been some little parish quarrel, and on that afternoon the text was, "A new commandment I write unto you, that ye love one another." But after the sermon was done the text was the best part of it. Some one said that Parson Marsh's sermons were like the meeting-house,-the steeple was the only thing that folks could see after they got home. Once or twice 'Biah He plucked a flower They walked slowly, without a word. essayed to speak, but was still silent. from between the pickets of the fence, and unconsciously pulled it to pieces, as, with a troubled face, he glanced at Rachel, and then, as fearing she would catch his eye, ho looked at the trees, at the clouds, at the grass, at everything, and saw nothing,-nothing but Rachel. The most solemn hour of human experience is not that of Death, but of Life, -when the heart is born again, and from a natural heart becomes a heart of Love! What wonder that it is a silent hour and perplexed? Is the soul confused? Why not, when the divine Spirit, rolling clear across the aerial ocean, breaks upon the heart's shore with all the mystery of heaven? uncertain lights dim the eye, if above the head of him that Is it strange that truly loves hover clouds of saintly spirits? Why should not the tongue stammer and refuse its accustomed offices, when all the world-skies, trees, plains, hills, atmosphere, and the solid earth-springs forth in new colors, with strange meanings, and seems to chant for the soul the glory of that mystic Law with which God has bound to himself his infinite realm, -the law of Love? loves that love is sacrifice, death to self, resurrection, and Then, for the first time, when one so glory, is man brought into harmony with the whole universe; and, like him who beheld the seventh heaven, hears things unlawful to be uttered. The great elm-trees sighed as the fitful breeze swept their tops. The soft shadows flitted back and forth beneath the walker's feet, fell upon them in light and dark, ran over the ground, quivered and shook, until sober Cathcart thought that his heart was throwing its shifting network of hope and fear along the ground before him. How strangely his voice sounded to him, as, at length, all his emotions could only say, "Rachel,-how did you like the sermon?" Quietly she answered,— "I liked the text." "A new commandment I write unto you, that ye love one another.' Rachel, will you help me keep it?" At first she looked down and lost a little color; then, raising her face, she turned upon him her large eyes, with a look both clear and tender. had given way, and her eyes blossomed into full beauty. It was as if some painful restraint Not another word was spoken. They walked home hand in hand. He neither smiled nor exulted. He saw neither the trees, nor the long level rays of sunlight that were slanting across the fields. His soul was overshadowed with a cloud as if God were drawing near. He had never felt so solemn, This woman's life had been intrusted to him! Long years, the whole length of life,-the eternal years beyond, seemed in an indistinct way to rise up in his imagi SS nation. All that he could say, as he left her at the door, was, 66 'Rachel, this is forever-forever." It She again said nothing, but turned to him with a clear and open face, in which joy and trust wrought beauty. seemed to him as if a light fell upon him from her eyes. There was a look that descended and covered him as with an atmosphere; and all the way home he was as one walkHe had never felt such personal ing in a luminous cloud. He that wins such love is crowned, and dignity as now. may call himself king. He did not feel the earth under his feet. As he drew near his lodgings, the sun went down. The children began to pour forth, no longer restrained. Abiah turned to his evening chores. No animal that night but had reason to bless him. The children found him unuAnd Aunt Keziah said to her sissually good and tender. ter, "Abiah's been goin' to meetin' very regular for some weeks, and I shouldn't wonder, by the way he looks, if he had got a hope. I trust he ain't deceivin' himself." He had a hope, and he was not deceived; for in a few months, at the close of the service one Sunday morning, the minister read from the pulpit: "Marriage is intended between Abiah Cathcart and Rachel Liscomb, both of this town, and this is the first publishing of the banns." LOST MR. BLAKE.-W. S. GILBERT. Mr. Blake was a regular out-and-out hardened sinner, And seldom thought of going to church more than twice He was quite indifferent as to the special kinds of dresses That the clergyman wore at the church where he used to go to pray, |