PRIEST.

That is but

A fellow tale of sorrow!

James, though not sickly,

From his youth

yet was delicate, And Leonard being always by his side Had done so many offices about him, That, though he was not of a timid nature, Yet still the spirit of a Mountain-boy

In him was somewhat check'd, and when his
Brother

Was gone to sea and he was left alone,
The little colour that he had was soon
Stolen from his cheek, he droop'd, and pin'd,
and pin'd:-

LEONARD.

But these are all the

graves of full

grown men!

PRIEST.

Aye, Sir, that pass'd away; we took him to us:
He was the child of all the dale-he liv'd
Three months with one, and six months with
another,

And wanted neither food, nor clothes, nor love,
And many, many happy days were his;
But, whether blithe or sad, 'tis my belief
His absent Brother still was at his heart.

And, when he liv'd beneath our roof, we found

(A practice till this time unknown to him)
That often, rising from his bed at night,
He in his sleep would walk about, and sleeping
He sought his Brother Leonard-You are
mov'd!

Forgive me, Sir! before I spoke to you,
I judg'd you most unkindly.

LEONARD.

How did he die at last?

But this youth!

PRIEST.

One sweet May morning,

It will be twelve years since when spring returns, He had gone forth among the new-dropp'd lambs,

With two or three companions whom it chanc'd
Some further business summon'd to a house
Which stands at the Dale-head. James, tir'd
perhaps,

Or, from some other cause, remain'd behind..
You see yon precipice-it almost looks
Like some vast building made of many crags,
And in the midst is one particular rock
That rises like a column from the vale,
Whence by our Shepherds it is call'd, the Pillar,
James, pointing to its summit, over which

They all had purpos'd to return together, Inform'd them, that he there would wait for

them:

They parted, and his comrades pass'd that way Some two hours after, but they did not find him

At the appointed place, a circumstance

Of which they took no heed; but one of them, Going by chance, at night, into the house Which at this time was James's home, there learn'd

That nobody had seen him all that day:

The morning came, and still, he was unheard of.

The neighbours were alarm'd, and to the Brook Some went, and some towards the Lake; ere

noon

They found him at the foot, of that same rock Dead, and with mangled limbs. The third day after

I buried him, poor lad, and there he lies!

LEONARD..

And that then is his grave!Before his death You said that he saw many happy Years?

LEONARD.

And all went well with him

PRIEST.

If he had one, the lad had twenty homes..

LEONARD...

And you believe then that his mind was easy

PRIEST..

Yes, long before he died, he found that time Is a true friend to sorrow; and unless

His thoughts were turn'd on Leonard's luckless fortune

He talked about him with a cheerful love.

Nay, God forbid! You recollect I mention'd A habit which disquietude and grief.

Had brought upon him, and we all conjectur'd That, as the day was warm, he had lain down Upon the grass, and, waiting for his comrades He there had fallen asleep, that in his sleep He to the margin of the precipice

Had walk'd, and from the summit had fallen

headlong;

And so no doubt he perish'd: At the time, We guess, that in his hands he must have had His Shepherd's staff; for mid-way in the cliff It had been caught, and there for many years It hung-and moulder'd there...

The Priest here ended→→ The Stranger would have thank'd him, but he felt

Tears rushing in: Both left the spot in silence, And Leonard, when they reach'd the churchyard gate,

As the Priest lifted up the latch, turn'd round,
And, looking at the grave, he said, “ My
Brother!"

The Vicar did not hear the words: And now,
Pointing towards the Cottage, he entreated
That Leonard would partake his homely fare:
The other thank'd him with a fervent voice,
But added, that, the evening being calm,
He would pursue his journey. So they parted.

It was not long ere Leonard reach'd a grove That overhung the road; he there stopp'd short,

And, sitting down beneath the trees, review'd All that the Priest had said: His early years