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LVI. THE CAMEL'S NOSE

I. Once in his shop a workman wrought,

With languid hand and listless thought,
When through the open window's space,

Behold! a camel thrust his face:

My nose is cold," he meekly cried ; "O, let me warm it by thy side!"

2. Since no denial word was said,
In came the nose, in came the head;
As sure as sermon follows text,
The long and scraggy neck came next;
And then, as falls the threatening storm,
In leaped the whole ungainly form.

3. Aghast the owner gazed around,
And on the rude invader frowned,
Convinced, as closer still he prest,
There was no room for such a guest;
Yet more astonished heard him say,
"If thou art troubled go away,
For in this place I choose to stay."

4.

O youthful hearts to gladness born,
Treat not this Arab lore with scorn!

To evil habit's earliest wile

Lend neither ear, nor glance, nor smile-
Choke the dark fountain ere it flows,

Nor e'en admit the camel's nose!

- L. H. SIGOURNEY.

I.

LVII. FOR WANT OF A NAIL

1. "Good morning, neighbor, and how have you fared?"

2. "Excellently. The weather was fine and the fair well attended. I sold everything at good prices, and have my pockets full of silver and gold."

3.

Well, tell no one till you are safe at home again. And, by the way, I see your horse has lost a nail from his left front shoe. Better stop at the next village and have it attended to."

4. "Perhaps so.

Good morning!"

We'll see. I'm in great haste.

5. "If I were you, I would take no risks. Good morning!"

6. Horse and driver went on at a smart trot till they reached the next village. Here the man stopped for a bite to eat, but did not spare time to have his horse shod.

7. On they went, through village after village, and more than once some friendly voice called out

to the driver to tell him his horse was losing a shoe. This only annoyed the man, and he urged the horse on faster, so impatient was he to reach home and tell his family what good luck he had had at the fair.

8. When the journey was nearly ended they came to a steep part of the road that has from that day to this been called Horseleg Hill. For here it was that the poor beast paid for his master's carelessness by falling and breaking his leg.

9. The horse was worth more in money alone than all the man had made at the fair, to say nothing of the love the master's children all bore him, for he was a gentle beast. He had to be shot to end his pain, for there was no curing him.

"For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.

For want of a shoe, the horse was lost.

For want of a horse, the rider was lost.

For want of a rider, the battle was lost.
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost
All for the want of a horseshoe nail!"

LVIII. UNDER THE HOLLY BOUGH

1. Ye who have scorned each other,

Or injured friend or brother,

In this fast fading year;

Ye who, by word or deed,

Have made a kind heart bleed,
Come, gather here.

Let sinned against and sinning
Forget their strife's beginning,
And join in friendship now; -
Be links no longer broken-
Be sweet forgiveness spoken
Under the Holly bough.

2. Ye who have loved each other,
Sister, and friend, and brother,
In this fast fading year:
Mother, and sire, and child,

Young man, and maiden mild,

Come, gather here;

And let your hearts grow fonder,
As memory shall ponder

Each past unbroken vow.
Old loves and younger wooing
Are sweet in the renewing,
Under the Holly bough.

3. Ye who have nourished sadness, Estranged from hope and gladness, In this fast fading year;

Ye with o'erburdened mind,
Made aliens from your kind,
Come, gather here.

Let not the useless sorrow
Pursue you night and morrow:
If e'er you hoped, hope now—
Take heart

uncloud your faces,

And join in our embraces

Under the Holly bough.

CHARLES MACKAY.

LIX.

AN INCIDENT OF GETTYSBURG

1. Though never a war was fought with more earnestness than the war between the states, never a war was marked by more deeds of noble kindness. between the men, officers, and privates of the contending sides. Serving at the front during the entire war as a captain of engineers in the Confederate army, many such deeds came under my observation, while many more have been related to me by credible eyewitnesses.

2. Here is one especially worthy of record. The advance of the Confederate line of battle commenced early on the morning of July 1, 1863, at Gettysburg. The infantry division commanded by Major General John B. Gordon of Georgia was among the first to attack. Its objective point was the left of the Second Corps of the Union army.

3. The daring commander of that corps occupied

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