306 THE DRUNKARD'S RESOLUTION. Drop, O drop some golden handfulls- Never mellow furrows crumbled And the seed is choked and dead. And entreat her not to leave you But, when stars through fields of shadow Send her empty not away. Then the city round about her, Home from famine-yea, for her. (Sober.) THE DRUNKARD'S RESOLUTION. (To his bottle.) OUCH thee! No, viper of vengeance! Did you not promise?-aye- (Tasting.) ADVICE TO A YOUNG LAWYER. (Feeling good.) But instead of this-villain! Left my pocket as empty as a cuckoo's nest Touch thee! sure as there's vengeance But-one embrace before thou diest ; Ah! thou hast some virtue yet! To give the devil his due; And-(tasting)—though devil thou art, (Feeling better.) Thou hast a pleasant face (Tasting.) (Feeling best.) A sparkling eye—a ruby lip— A blushing cheek-and thy breath- Bre-e-ezes that e-ver gambolled Till the break of day, A-a-mong the beds of ros-es. My honey-(tasting)—thou shalt not die— And fight like Her (hic) cules; 307 I'll tea-a-ch the parson (hic) a little wisdom; I'll live on mil (hic)k and ho-n-ey, And― (falling)-be-be-the-ha-hap-pi-est man on earth (hic). ADVICE TO A YOUNG LAWYER. BE brief, be pointed; let your matter stand In order, lucid and compact, at hand; Spend not your words on trifles, but condense; And learn-how hard the task!-to cease when done. 308 THE ELOQUENCE OF THE EAST AND WEST. Who draws a labored length of reasoning out, Puts straws in line for winds to whisk about He who would win his cause, with power must frame TH THE ELOQUENCE OF THE EAST AND WEST. HE eloquence of the West, as contrasted with that of the East, presents many striking peculiarities. The eloquence of the East is sober, condensed, metaphysical; that of the West is free, lofty, agitating, grand, impassioned. The East is pure, chastened down to a defiance of critical censure, sharpened to a fineness too razor-like to climb the mountains or carve the rocks; the West defies and transcends criticisms, un bosoms mighty thoughts, applies motives to the human mind as strong as the rush of a whirlwind, in language varied, yet strong, and, if ever defective, yet grand. The thoughts of the West are large. In the East, a river means the brawling and foaming Merrimac, the mountain-fed Kennebec, or the poetic Connecticut. In the West, the same word means the proud flow of waves too wide to roar and cincturing half the globe in their course. In the East, a plain means a patch of THE BRIDAL OF MALAHIDE. 309 earth hedged by circumambient mountains, defended on either hand by rock and water. In the West, a plain means a patch of territory over which the sun rises and sets through a thousand successive horizons, and above whose carpet of verdure heaven spreads out half her stars. In the East, a wind means a blast which whistles with the mountain-beech or maple, or plays fitfully with the falling snow. In the West the same word means the roaring impulse which accumulates about the head-waters of the far-wandering Missouri, passes a distance in which Europe might be laid out in length and breadth, and pours its vast volume of tornado into the Gulf of Mexico. THE BRIDAL OF MALAHIDE.-GERALD GRIFFIN. HE joy-bells are ringing in gay Malahide, THE The fresh wind is singing along the sea-side; Swell, swell the gay measure! roll trumpet and drum! Before the high altar young Maud stands arrayed! The words are repeated, the bridal is done, Hark! 'mid the gay clangor that compassed their car, Where the lines in disorder unguarded are found! 310 THE BRIDAL OF MALAHIDE. As wakes the good shepherd, the watchful and bold, While the new-married lady looks fainting and pale. "Son, husband, and brother, arise to the strife, Farrah! to the battle! They form into line- On, burgher and yeoman! to die or to do! The eve is declining in lone Malahide : The maidens are twining gay wreaths for the bride; Hark! loud from the mountain-'tis victory's cry! With foreheads unruffled the conquerors come- Ye saw him at morning, how gallant and gay! But, oh, for the maiden who mourns for that chief, Ye maidens attending, forbear to condole! |