And we danced about the May-pole and in the hazel copse,

Till Charles's Wain came out above the tall white chimney-tops.

IV.

There's not a flower on all the hills: the frost is on the pane:

I only wish to live till the snowdrops come again: I wish the snow would melt and the sun come out on high:

I long to see a flower so before the day I die.

V.

The building rook 'ill caw from the windy tall elmtree,

And the tufted plover pipe along the fallow lea, And the swallow 'ill come back again with summer o'er the wave,

But I shall lie alone, mother, within the mouldering grave.

VI.

Upon the chancel-casement, and upon that grave of mine,

In the early early morning the summer sun 'ill shine,

Before the red cock crows from the farm upon the

hill,

When you are warm-asleep, mother, and all the world is still.

VII.

When the flowers come again, mother, beneath the waning light

You'll never see me more in the long gray fields at

night;

When from the dry dark wold the summer airs blow cool

On the oat-grass and the sword-grass, and the bulrush in the pool.

VIII.

You'll bury me, my mother, just beneath the haw thorn shade,

And you'll come sometimes and see me where I am lowly laid.

I shall not forget you, mother, I shall hear you when

you pass,

With your feet above my head in the long and pleasant grass.

IX.

have been wild and wayward, but you'll forgive

me now;

You'll kiss me, my own mother, and forgive me ere

I go:

Nay, nay, you must not weep, nor let your grief be

wild,

You should not fret for me, mother, you have another child.

X.

If I can I'll come again, mother, from out my restingplace;

Though you'll not see me, mother, I shall look upon your face;

Though I cannot speak a word, I shall harker. what

you say,

And be often, often with you when you think I'm far away.

XI.

Good-night, good-night, when I have said good-nigh forevermore,

And you see me carried out from the threshold of the door;

Don't let Effie come to see me till my grave be growing green:

She'll be a better child to you than ever I have

been.

XII.

She'll find my garden-tools upon the granary floor Let her take 'em: they are hers: I shall never garden more:

But tell her, when I'm gone, to train the rose-bush that I set

About the parlor-window and the box of migno

nette.

XIII.

Good-night, sweet mother: call me before the day is born.

All night I lie awake, but I fall asleep at morn; But I would see the sun rise upon the glad Newyear,

So, if you're waking, call me, call me early, mother dear.

CONCLUSION.

I.

I THOUGHT to pass away before, and yet alive I

am;

And in the fields all round I hear the bleating of

the lamb.

How sadly, I remember, rose the morning of the year!

To die before the snowdrop came, and now the violet's here.

II.

O sweet is the new violet, that comes beneath the

skies,

And sweeter is the young lamb's voice to me that cannot rise,

And sweet is all the land about, and all the flowers that blow,

And sweeter far is death than life to me that long

to go.

III.

It seemed so hard at first, mother, to leave the blessed sun,

And now it seems as hard to stay; and yet, His will be done!

But still I think it can't be long before I find release;

And that good man, the clergyman, has told me words of peace

IV.

O blessings on his kindly voice and on his silver hair!

And blessings on his whole life long, until he meet me there!

O blessings on his kindly heart and on his silver

head!

A thousand times I blest him, as he knelt beside my bed.

V.

He taught me all the mercy, for he showed me all the sin.

Now, though my lamp was lighted late, there's One will let me in:

Nor would I now be well, mother, again, if that could be,

For

my desire is but to pass to Him that died for

me.

VI.

I did not hear the dog howl, mother, or the death

watch beat,

There came a sweeter token when the night and morning meet:

But sit beside my bed, mother, and put your hand in mine,

And Effie on the other side, and I will tell the sign.

VII.

All in the wild March-morning I heard the angels

call;

It was when the moon was setting, and the dark was over all;

The trees began to whisper, and the wind began to roll,

And in the wild March-morning I heard them call my soul.

VIII.

For lying broad awake I thought of you and Effie

dear;

I saw you sitting in the house, and I no longer here;

With all my strength I prayed for both, and so I felt resigned,

And up the valley came a swell of music on the wind.

IX.

I thought that it was fancy, and I listened in my bed,

And then did something speak to me-I know not what was said;

For great delight and shuddering took hold of all my mind,

And up the valley came again the music on the wind.

X.

But you were sleeping; and I said, “It's not for them; it's mine."

And if it comes three times, I thought, I take it for

a sign.