A Pantomime

The itreets wete filled wiüi pasaars-liyi ïhe snmmcr sun sank down, "With slanting boam and moliow ray, Bchinil the busy town ; Across the street trom whero I sat A wiudow, open wide, Vas partty draped by eurtains, Bwsepüig back on citlicr side ; And tlms tlie wmdow-sill appeared AU bi'oad and white between, And resting kindly on its edgu A pair of hands were seen ; A pair of quite: uneven hands, li' balanced in a scale, For oih' was vcry muscular, The othcr vory frail. But, jadging by tho sequel, I conclude i that, of course, Tho sinallest of tho hands I aaw Il:ul most magnetio force: Becauso tho large and suubumed ono Had such an easy way Of ever moving uear it, As il on the window lay. Tlipy touched- of courso it was by chance, And done with easy graoe - The littlc hand siid coyly back, And liid beuoaththe I. Tlion peepiug out, as though to say Thai mustnot happen more, It looked just twice as tompting As it had looked befare. So, after much of skirmishing, Advancing, anti retreat, The two in some peculiar way Again had chanced to meet. This time, willi easy contidence, The brown hand "held the white, And clasping it abont so close It bid it trom my sight, Except one fmger, ivhich appeared So fair and topering, On which a third hand canio to place A slonder diamond ring. The sun had long siiicc bidden BehinJ the western trees : The cortaina o't;r the two elasped hands Movel idly in the breeae. I had seen the old, old story told In many and many a way - By eyes, to oyes that spoke again, And in Shakspearoan play ; But never yet had i beheld A tableau half as tine As this enacted o'er the way In living pantomime. God bless you, hands ! hold fast and truo Through all the coming yeara, Clasping in love and sympathy Through all your smiles and tears; And when you ford the river, liunniiig cold and dark and still, Clasp you each other juat as close As now upon tho sill I