Gems In Verse

The sails we aee on the oceau Are as white as can bo, But never oue in the harbor As white as the sails at sea. The clouds that crown the mountalns With purple and golden light Turn to cold gray mist and vapor Ere ever we reach the height. The mountains wcar crowns of glory Only wlien seen from afar. And the sails luse all their whitcness Insido of the harbor bar. Oh, Distance, the dear enchanter, Still hold in the magie veil The glory of far olT mountains, The gleam of the far off saill Hide in thy robes of splendor, O mountain gold and grayl O sail in thy roowy uhiteness: Come not iuto port, I prny. - Carlotta Perry. Clear the Way. Men of thought, be up and stirring Night anl day. Sow the seed, wil hdraw the curtain, Clear thu way! Men of action. aid and cheer them As ye may. There's a folnt about to stream; There's a light about to beam; There's a warnith about to glow; There's a flower about to blow; There's a miduight blackness changing Into gray! Men of thought and men of action, Clear the way! Once the welcome light has broken, Who ahall say What the. uniinairied glories Oí the 'las1.What the evil that shall perish In its ray? Aid the dawning, tongue and pen; Aid it, tapes of honest men: Aid it, paper; aid it, type; Aid it, for the hour is ripe, And our earnest must not slacken Into play. Men of thought and men of action, Clear the way! Lol the cloud's about to vanish From the day. And a brazen wrong to crumble Into clay. Lo! the Right'8 about to conquer. Clear the way! With the Hight shall many moro Enter, smiling. at the door; With the giant Wrong shall fall Many others, great and small, That for ages long have held us For their prey. Men of thought and men of action, Clear the way! -Charles Mackay. Press Thou His Hand. If thou dost bid thy f riend farevrell. But forone night though that farewell maybe, Press thou his hand in thine. How canst thou teil how far from thee Fate or caprice may lead his steps ere that tomorrow comes? Men have been known to lightly turn the corner of a street, And days havo grown to months, and months to lagging years Ere they have looked in loving eyes again. Partiug, at best, is underlaid With tears and pain. Therefore, lest sudden death should come botween, Or time or distanco, clasp with pressure flrm The hand of him who goeth forth: Unseen, Fate goeth too. - Coventry Patmore. Incident of the French Camp. You know we French stormed Ratisbon. A mile or so away, On a little mound. Napoleon Stood on our storming day, With neck out-thrust- you fancy how - Legs wide, arms locked behind. As if to balance the proue brow Oppressive witb his mind. Just as, perhaps, he mused, "My plan3 That soar to earth may fall. Let once uiy army leader Lannes Waver at ponder walI"- Out 'twizt the battery smokes there fievr A rider, bound on boand Full gaüopiug, nor bridle drew Until he reached the inound. Then off there flung in smiling joy. And held himself erect By just his horse's mane, a boy. You hardly could suspect (So tight he kept his Ups oompressed Scarce any blood came througli) - You looked twice ere you saw his breast Was all but shot in two. "Well," cried he, "emperor, by God's grace Wu've got you, Ratisbonl The marshal's in the market place. And you'll be there anon To see your flag bird Qap his vans Where I, to heart's desire, Perched himl" The chief's cye flashed; his plana Boared up again like öre. The chief's eye flashed, but preseutly Softened itself, as sheathes A film the mot her eagle'6 eyo When her bruised cuglet breathes. "You're wounded!" 'kNay,'' the soldier's pride Touched to the quick, he said, I'm killed, sirel" And his chief beside, Smiling, the boy feil dead. - Robert Browning. Two. In golden lands of sunshino and of love, One sported, glad as bright winged birds in flight; From f urrowed seas, while storm winds crashed above, One lifted hopeless eyes to meet the night. Lo! how the gods do cheat our human powera Of skill to read the future from the pastl Death, like a serpent, bit among the flowers; Life rode triumphant on the whirlwind's blastl - Mary Elizabeth Blake.