Down In The Meadow

Vc strollod down the meadow one moruing iu slimmer, And gathered some biossoins that grew by thp way, And haard in tho lowlands the brówn partritlge drummer Beat up its brown soldiers to drill for the day. The robina were gay, and the blackbirds wero merry, And biuebirds were caroling söftly yt olPar ; And iar away np in the limbs oí a clierry, The sound of a mother-bird's talk we could kear. The air was astir vith a jlilant choru?, For all things seèmed glad in that midsurnmer mom ; There was sunshine behind us, and sunshine boiore us, And sunsliine ou wheat fields and rank rows of corn. We stopped by the Btilö Whens tho fragrant HMI i-lover Held up to the morning lts clusters of red, For the, kiss of the aun, as a girl to her lover Lifts up her pink cheek with her wishea unsai 1. We stood hand in hand and looked out on the nieadttws That ghstoned afar n the glow of the morn, And noticed the shiiting and tremulous shadows The blithe breezes made in the rows of the corn. " Did you hear what the wind said f " I asked of the maiden Who stood by my side, with her hand in my ovvn. She answered, "Ah, no ! for the breezes are laden With too many whispers to hear one alone," "heird, love," I anwered ; "they said 'Sec tliose lovtfn ; They walk through the meadow with hesrts full of bliss ; Their secret the wind nymph most quickly discovers ; 'Tis told in a look, in a word, in a kiss." She blüshsd, and I aaw all the roses grow paler Witli enVy aud longing. She lifted her eyes, With a shy, feigned expression that cöuld "not avail her ; 1 kiiew that he feit neither fear nor surprise, Then I kissed her, and lo ! all the winds feil to siuging Some merry, glad song that was almost a psalm, And down deep in my heart was a nielody ringing That chimed with all nature in infinite calm.