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Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell

Rode the six hundred.

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Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turned in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while

All the world wonder'd; Plunged in the battery-smoke Right thro' the line they broke; Cossack and Russian

Reel'd from the sabre-stroke

Shatter'd and sunder'd.

Then they rode back, but not,
Not the six hundred.

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Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,

Cannon behind them

Volley'd and thund'red; Stormed at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell,

They that had fought so well

Came through the jaws of Death,

Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

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When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made!
Honor the Light Brigade,

Noble six hundred!

-Lord Tennyson.

HOHENLINDEN

Hohenlinden means tall lindens. It is the name of a great dense and dark forest in Upper Bavaria. In an open space in the very midst of this great forest stands the village of Hohenlinden, nineteen miles east of Munich. The battle of Hohenlinden occurred December 3, 1800, during one of Napoleon's campaigns, between the French under Moreau and the Austrians under Archduke John. It was fought in a blinding snowstorm. The Austrians lost twenty thousand men and the French five thousand.

Few, few shall part where many meet!

The snow shall be their winding-sheet.

This is one of the best war poems in the language. It was in the late Charles A. Dana's famous list of

"ten best poems." The poem should be read first as a whole, then studied line by line, and finally read again somewhat rapidly as a whole. It is a combination of stirring pictures artistically blended with thrilling effect-if the reader has the imagination to re-create the hills of stained snow, the waving banners, and all the dreadful revelry that Munich and Linden saw on that awful night.

HOHENLINDEN

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On Linden, when the sun was low,
All bloodless lay the untrodden snow,
And dark as winter was the flow
Of Iser, rolling rapidly.

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But Linden saw another sight,
When the drum beat at dead of night,
Commanding fires of death to light
The darkness of her scenery.

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By torch and trumpet fast arrayed,
Each horseman drew his battle-blade,
And furious every charger neighed,

To join the dreadful revelry.

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Then shook the hills with thunder riven,
Then rushed the steed to battle driven,
And louder than the bolts of heaven
Far flashed the red artillery.

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But redder yet that light shall glow
On Linden's hills of stainèd snow,
And bloodier yet the torrent flow
Of Iser, rolling rapidly.

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'T is morn, but scarce yon level sun
Can pierce the war-clouds, rolling dun,
Where furious Frank and fiery Hun
Shout in their sulphurous canopy.

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The combat deepens. On, ye brave,
Who rush to glory, or the grave!
Wave, Munich! all thy banners wave,
And charge with all thy chivalry!

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Few, few shall part where many meet!
The snow shall be their winding-sheet;
every turf beneath their feet
Shall be a soldier's sepulcher.

And

-Thomas Campbell.

Linden is an abbreviated form of the name of the forest where the battle was fought. It is situated between the river Iser and the river Inn

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idly."

dark as winter was the flow of Iser, rolling rap

Frank-the French; Hun-the Austrians; fires of deathflashes of artillery.

Bloodier yet the torrent flow-The waters of the Iser are said to have been literally red with blood.

Sulphurous canopy-smoke of the guns.
War-clouds, rolling dun-smoke of battle.

Chivalry here has its primary meaning of cavalry, from cheval, a horse.

THE GIFT OF EMPTY HANDS

Once upon a time two young princes were condemned to death by a certain king. They pleaded for their lives, and each promised the king that if his life were spared he would bring rich and wonderful gifts to the king. The king consented and the two princes started out to seek for the gifts.

One of them had remarkably good luck; everything he sought he secured without the slightest effort or trouble. A rare bird lit on his arm, the most beautiful rose in the world fell on his breast, costly gems lay at his feet.

The other strove manfully to keep his promise, but in spite of all of his efforts he secured nothing. His hands were torn and his feet were bruised in his effort

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