67 THE VICTORY OF PERRY.-ALICE Cary. Lift up the years! lift up the years Oh, not with tears-no, not with tears, But with flags out-thrown, and bugles blown, Beat up, beat up! till memory glows And sets our hearts aflame! Ah! they did well in the fight who fell, Their fame, that larger, grander grows For the Erie-waves chant over their graves, O beautiful cities of the Lake, As ye sit by your peaceful shore, Make glad and sing till the echoes ring, For our brave young Commodore! He knew your stormy oaks to take And their ribs into ships contrive, We see our squadron lie in the Bay And hear the cry from the mast-head high, Through half a century to-day We hear the signal of fight "Get under way! Get under way! Our hearts leap up-our pulses thrill, As the boatswains' pipes of joy So loudly play o'er the dash o' the spray, "All hands up anchor ahou!" * Perry, it will be remembered, cut down the trees, bunit and launched the ships of his fleet, all within three months. Now all is still, aye, deathly still; The enemy's guns are in view! And hark to the cry, the great glad cry,— An hour, an awful hour drags by- Caledonia, Laurence, and Scorpion, all Bear down and stand fast, till the flood The Queent and her allies their broadsides let fall- The bullets they hiss and the Englishmen shout- But with flag yet a-swing like a great bloody wing With a wave of his hand he has wheeled her about-- Head foremost he goes in the midst of his foes And lo, the enemy, after the fray, On the deck that his dead have lined, With his sword-hilt before to our Commodore, And well the nation does well to-day, Setting her bugles to blow, And her drums to beat for the glorious fleet That humbled her haughty foe. The famous fighting flag was inscribed with the immortal words of the dying Lawrence, in large white letters on a blue ground, legible throughout the squadron. QUEEN CHARLOTTE of the British line. Ah, well to come with her autumn flowers, A tribute for the brave Who died to make our Erie Lake Echo through every wave "We've met the enemy and they're ours!” MY GARDEN PLOT. The Master came to his garden "I come for your fairest flowers," And I turned to my little plot I knew there was no fair flower With trembling footsteps I wandered I searched with most eager eyes, but Weary, and troubled, and heart-sick, Over a poor withered rosebud, To and fro, through the garden paths, Joyfully bearing bright treasures Cheerily echoed the voices, Happy and gay; Bright were the beautiful faces, And all but myself were laden All but my empty hands carried Roses, and lilies, and violets, Fragrant and sweet To lay them with joy at The Master's feet. And I-I had nothing to bring; yet Not a single flower had I My love to show. Though to make my garden bloom Every plant that my hands had touched Still nearer the Master came, up Oh! would he turn sadly away Should I see on his lovely face Even hear the reproachful words, "Come unto me," he said. "My child Then laid my poor wilted flower And lo, at his touch it brightened, And lay on his heart the loveliest SPOOPENDYKE'S BURGLARS. "Say, my dear," ejaculated Mr. Spoopendyke, sitting bolt upright in bed with a sudden jerk; "say, my dear, wake up! I hear burglars in the house." "Who? what burglar?" demanded Mrs. Spoopendyke, as she popped up beside her husband. "Who's in the house?" “Hush! Quiet, will ye? I don't know which burglar, but I hear some one moving around." "Oh, my! What shall we do?" inquired Mrs. Spoopendyke. Let's cover up our heads." "Why don't you get up and light the gas?" propounded Mr. Spoopendyke in a hoarse whisper. "S'pose you can see who it is in the dark? Strike a light, can't ye? If you had your way we'd both be murdered in bed. Going to light up before we're killed?" “I'm afraid,” whispered Mrs. Spoopendyke, sticking one foot out of bed and hauling it in as if she had caught a fish with it. and have our throats "How'm I going to "Going to sit there like a shot-tower cut?" interrogated Mr. Spoopendyke. find a burglar without a light. Find a match and light that gas now, quick!" Mrs. Spoopendyke crawled out of bed and hunted around for a skirt. "What's the matter with you? Can't you find a match? Why don't you move?" hissed Mr. Spoopendyke. "I am, as fast as I can," replied his wife, her teeth chatter. ing. "I'm looking for a pin." "Oh! you're moving like a railroad, ain't ye? I never saw anything fly like you do. All you want is to be done up in TTTTT |