A long, mysterious, and perplexing strain And, in her mirthful moments, would she seek The bachelor's room, and spoil his lonely rest; Or with old maids play many a wicked freak ; Or rattle loudly at the miser's chest, Till he woke trembling; she would often wreak Her vengeance on stern fathers who repress'd Their children's young and innocent loves, and sold (Like our two Kings) their happiness for gold. I KNEW that Death was stern and strong, II. Oh! hast thou ne'er in fancy view'd The shadows dark of days to comeTheir toils and cares, a hideous brood, Strife with the world's fierce multitude,— Pain, sickness, agony, distress, When yearns the heart in weariness Tow'rds absent friends, the dead, the lost, And those by fortune tempest-toss'd To some far-distant home? Though many an hour of love and mirth May cheer man's spirit here on earth, And friends may meet in moments gay, Yet oh! far oftener must it bear Aching in anguish deep and lone, To man such sympathies were given, Might be renew'd in Heaven. Then tell not me-it cannot be, That Death, my love, may alter thee. III. And hast thou ne'er at fall of Even, When moans the breeze in sounds of woe, And, in the stillness of the hour, The voice of waters solemn seems Felt some unknown mysterious Power Breathe o'er thee, from the woods and streams, Till wandering thoughts spring up on high, 1 Thou must have felt that witching hour, Its deep, and calm, and silent power; Thou must have felt that tearful gushing From the heart's fresh and lonely springs; Then rise, each sense to rapture hushing, And they who loved, whose spirits love us, In dreamlike wanderings. They tell of some untroubled land, Where souls that love repose together, And feel, while yet we breathe beneath, IV. In sleep I dream of happy days, That smile beyond the tomb; And fond imagination roves Through wondrous valleys, fields, and groves, And skies eternally serene, Make one perpetual bloom. And ever in those dreams divine, Thy gentle spirit stands by mine; Thy form is floating in my view; 1821. NO. II. I HAD a wondrous dream-methought I stood I gazed upon the forms around me. One |