Wight, a strong nimble person,

20

Winsome, winning, engaging

*

Water - wraith, the spirit of the storm (an imaginary thing). Scowl of heaven, the threatening darkness of the sky, betokening a storm.

30

Out spoke the hardy Highland wight: *

“I'll go, my chief-I'm ready:
It is not for your silver bright,

But for your winsome * lady :
“ And, by my word, the bonny bird

In danger shall not tarry ;
So, though the waves are raging white,

I'll row you o'er the ferry.”
By this the storm grew

loud
apace,

25
The water-wraith * was shrieking ;
And in the scowl of heaven * each face

Grew dark as they were speaking.
But still as wilder blew the wind,

And as the night grew drearer,
Adown the glen rode armed men,

Their trampling sounded nearer.
“Oh! haste thee, haste !” the lady cries,

“Though tempests round us gather ;
I'll meet the raging of the skies,

35
But not an angry father.”
The boat has left a stormy land,

A stormy sea before her -
When, oh ! too strong for human hand,
The tempest * gathered o'er her.

40 And still they rowed amidst the roar

Of waters fast prevailing ;*
Lord Ullin reached that fatal shore,
His wrath * was changed to wailing.*

*
For sore dismayed* through storm and shade, 45

His child he did discover :
One lovely hand she stretched for aid,"

And one was round her lover,
“Come back ! come back !” he cried in grief,
“ Across this stormy water;

50 And I'll forgive your Highland chief ;

My daughter !-oh! my daughter !”
'Twas vain :* the loud waves lashed the shore,

Return or aid preventing ;
The waters wild went o'er his child,

55 And he was left lamenting.*

*

Tempest, a storm.

Prevailing, gaining
the advantage.
Wrath, anger.
Wailing, weeping.
Dismayed, terrified.

Aid, help.

Vain, useless.

Lamenting, mourning loudly.

*

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TO A FIELD MOUSE.—Burns. ROBERT BURNS (1759-1796), the great lyric poet of Scotland, was the son of a small farmer in Ayrshire. He owed little or nothing to education, and, in his genius, followed the impulse of nature alone. Chief poems: Hallowe'en, The Cottar's Saturday Night, Tam o Shanter, and a magnificent collection of songs.

WEE,* sleekit,* cow'rin',* tim'rous beastie, * Wee, very little.
O what a panic's in thy breastie !

Sleekit, sleek, smooth.

Cow'rin', crouching Thou need na start awa sae hasty,

with fear. Wi' bickering brattle ! *

Beastie, little beast. I wad be laith * to rin and chase thee 5

Bickering b,attle, rac

ing backwards and Wi? murdoring pattle !*

forwards.
Laith, unwilling,

loath,
I'm truly sorry man's dominion

Pattle, the stick used Has broken Nature's social union,

for clearing away the And justifies that ill opinion

clodsfrom the plough
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor earth-born companion,

And fellow-mortal !
I doubt na, whyles,* but thou may

thieve;

Whyles, sometimes. What then ? poor beastie, thou maun live! 15 A daimen icker * in a thrave*

A daimen icker, &c., 'S a sma' request :

and then from the I'll get a blessin' wi' the lave, *

bundle. And never miss't !

Thrave, twenty-four sheaves.

The lave, the rest, Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin !

what is left. 20 Its silly wa’s * the win's are strewin':

Wa's, walls.
And naething, now, to big * a new ane,

Big, build.
O’ foggage * green !

Foggage, after-grass.
And bleak December's winds ensuin', * Ensuin', coming on.
Baith snell * and keen !

Snell, biting.
Thou saw the fields laid bare and waste,
And weary winter coming fast;
And cozie * here, beneath the blast,

Cozie, comfortable,
Thou thought to dwell,

happy. Till, crash ! the cruel coulter * past

Coulter, plough-iron. 30 Out thro' thy cell.*

Cell, nest.
That wee bit heap o' leaves and stibble *

Stibble, stalks of corn
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble !

left in the ground

after reapivg. Now thou's turn'd out for a'thy trouble

But house, &c., with. But house or hald, *

out a dwelling place. 35 To thole * the winter's sleety dribble

Thole, bear.

Cranreuch, hoarAnd cranreuch * cauld !

an ear of corn now

*

*

25

*

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THE PET LAMB.— Wordsworth. Dew, the moisture The dew was falling fast, the stars began to which falls upon the blink; earth from the air, chiefly at night.

I heard a voice ; it said “ Drink, pretty creature,

drink!" Espied, saw. And looking o'er the hedge, before me I espied

A snow-white mountain lamb, with a maiden at

its side. Kine, cows. Nor sheep, nor kine were near; the lamb was all alone

5 Tether’d, fastened. And by a slender cord was tether'd * to a stone ;

With one knee on the grass did the little maiden

kneel,
While to that mountain lamb she gave its even-

ing meal.
The lamb, while from her hand he thus his

supper took,
Seem'd to feast with head and ears ; and his tail

with pleasure shook :
“Drink, pretty creature, drink !” she said in

such a tone
That I almost received her heart into my own.
'Twas little Barbara Lewthwaite, a child of

beauty rare !
I watch'd them with delight, they were a lovely

pair;
Now

with her empty can the maiden turn'd away; 15 But ere ten yards were gone, her footsteps did

10

she stay.

*

verse,

*

*

lie in the shade of the beech-tree.

Right towards the lamb she look'd ; and from that shady

place
I unobserved could see the workings of her face;

If Nature to her tongue could measured numbers * bring, Measured 20 Thus, thought I, to her lamb that little maid might sing: numbers, “What ails thee, Young one? what? Why pull so at poetry.

thy cord ?
Is it not well with thee? well both for bed and board ?
Thy plot of grass is soft, and green as grass can be ;

Rest, little Young one, rest ; what is't that aileth thee?
25
“ What is it thou would seek? What is wanting to thy

heart?
Thy limbs are they not strong ? and beautiful thou art !
This grass is tender grass ; these flowers they have no
peers ;

Peers, equals
And that green com all day is rustling in thy ears.
“ If the sun be shining hot, do but stretch thy woollen

chain ; 30 This beech is standing by, its covert * thou canst gain ; Covert,coverFor rain and mountain-storms !—the like thou need'st ing; it could

not fear,
The rain and storm are things that scarcely can come

here.
“Rest, little Young one, rest; thou hast forgot the day

When my father found thee first in places far away ;
35 Many flocks were on the hills, but thou wert own’d by

none,
And thy mother from thy side for evermore was gone.
“He took thee in his arms, and in pity brought thee

home :
A blesséd day for thee !—then whither wouldst thou

roam ?
A faithful nurse thou hast; the dam * that did thee yean Dam, a

female sheep 40 Upon the mountain-tops no kinder could have been.

having “ Thou know'st that twice a day I have brought thee in fresh water from the brook, as clear as ever ran; And twice in the day, when the ground is wet with dew, Yoke, to fasI bring thee draughts of milk, warm milk it is and new.

horse, to har 45 “Thy limbs will shortly be twice as stout as they are now, ness it.

Then I'll yoke* thee to my cart like a pony in the plough! Fold, an en-
My playmate thou shalt be ; and when the wind is cold closed place

for keeping Our hearth shall be thy bed, our house shall be thy fold.* sheep.

*

lambs,

this can

ten it to the cart like a

*

prey.

“It will not, will not rest!-Poor creature, can it be That 'tis thy mother's heart which is working so in thee?

50 Belike, perhaps, Things that I know not of belike * to thee are dear, probably.

And dreams of things which thou canst neither see

nor hear. “ Alas, the mountain-tops that look so green and fair I've heard of fearful winds and darkness that come

there; The little brooks that seem all pastime and all play, 55

When they are angry, roar like lions for their prey. Raven, a bird of “Here thou need'st not dread the raven* in the sky;

Night and day thou art safe,- --our cottage is hard by. * Hard by, close at hand, near.

Why bleat so after me? Why pull so at thy chain ?
Sleep—and at break of day I will come to thee

again !"
-As homeward through the lane I went with lazy

feet,
This song to myself did I oftentimes repeat;
And it seem'd, as I retraced the ballad line by line,
That but half of it was hers, and one half of it was

mine

Again, and once again, did I repeat the song ; 65 Damsel, a girl.

“ Nay," said I,“ more than half to the damsel* must

belong!
For she look'd with such a look, and she spake with

such a tone,
That I almost received her heart into my own.”

60

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*

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Tended, taken care of.
Defended, guarded,
protected, to keep off
anything hurtful.
Vacant, empty.
Mournings, sorrow
ing for the dead.
Rachel, daughter of
Laban, and wife of
Jacob.
Afflictions, trials,
hardships.
Celestial, heavenly.
Benedictions, bless-
ings.
Assume, to put on.
Disguise, a false ap-
pearance.

RESIGNATION.- Longfellow.
THERE is no flock, however watched and

tended, *
But one dead lamb is there!
There is no fire-side, howso'er defended, *

But has one vacant* chair !
The air is full of farewells to the dying, 5

And mournings * for the dead ;
The heart of Rachel * for her children crying,

Will not be comforted.
Let us be patient! These severe afflictions

Not from the ground arise,
But oftentimes celestial * benedictions

Assume * this dark disguise. *

IO

*