HIAWATHA'S HUNTING.

VIII.

But he heeded not, nor heard them,

For his thoughts were with the red deer;
On their tracks his eyes were fastened,
Leading downward to the river,

To the ford across the river,

And as one in slumber walked he.

IX.

Hidden in the alder-bushes,
There he waited till the deer came,
Till he saw two antlers lifted,

Saw two eyes look from the thicket,
Saw two nostrils point to windward,
And the deer came down the pathway,
Flecked with leafy light and shadow.
And his heart within him fluttered,
Trembled like the leaves above him,
Like the birch-leaf palpitated,
As the deer came down the pathway.

X.

Then, upon one knee uprising,
Hiawatha aimed an arrow;

Scarce a twig moved with his motion,
Scarce a leaf was stirred or rustled,

But the wary roebuck darted,
Stamped with all his hoofs together,
Listened with one foot uplifted,
Leaped as if to meet the arrow;
Ah! the singing, fatal arrow,

Like a wasp it buzzed, and stung him.

XI.

Dead he lay there in the forest,

By the ford across the river;
Beat his timid heart no longer;

But the heart of Hiawatha
Throbbed and shouted and exulted,
As he bore the red deer homeward.

Longfellow.

57

MR. LAWRENCE NEWT, Merchant. GABRIEL BENNETT, in Want of a Place. Mr. Newt's Counting-Room.

G

SCENE.

ABRIEL (enters). May I see Mr. Newt, sir?

Mr. Newt. That is my name. Please be short. It's packet day.

G. Please, sir, I want a place.

Mr. N. What kind of a place?
G. In a store, sir.

Mr. N. I've no place for you.

G. Have n't you? Excuse me.

Mr. N. Wait. Sit down while I finish these letters; then we 'll talk about it.

G. (aside). O, how nice it would be to have something to do to earn my own living — in such a place as this! How glad they would be at home!

Now,

Mr. N. (to clerk). Thomas, please have these letters copied. Brisk is the word this morning, you know. young man, tell me what you want.

G. My father's been unfortunate, sir, and I want to do something for myself. He advised me to come to you, sir. Mr. N. Why to me?

G. He said you might give me good advice if you could n't give me a place.

Mr. N. Been unfortunate, has he?

G. Yes, sir.

Mr. N. Lost his health?

G. No, sir.

Mr. N. Broken a leg?

G. No, sir.

Mr. N. Daughter married a drunkard?

G. No, sir.

Mr. N. Lost his friends? or his reputation?

G. He has lost his money, sir.

Mr. N. O, ho! his money! That's what you call unfortunate.

IN WANT OF A PLACE.

G. Is n't that enough so?

Mr. N. Think a moment;

59

money, has your father anything else he could so well spare? Has he any super

fluous boy or girl?

G. I think not!

Mr. N. A useless arm?

G. O no!

Mr. N. Or his eyesight, or his honor, could he do without these? Come, what is there he could better lose than money?

G. I suppose worse things could happen to us than poverty.

Mr. N. Is it possible! Why, then, when people speak of a man being unfortunate, do they always mean that he has lost property?-as if property were the only really good thing in the world! What's your name?

Mr. N. You look like a good, strong boy, Gabriel. Have you ever been in a store?

G. No; I only left school last week. I left becauseMr. N. Because your father was unfortunate. I understand. Well, the loss of money is a misfortune, since it involves the loss of other things. So, you did n't wish to leave school, eh?

G. O, sir! if I only could have kept on! But of course I could n't. I must earn my own living now.

Mr. N. Ay, ay, and I 've no doubt that will prove your best education. It will give you experience, knowledge of the world, character. Manhood is better than Greek. Self-reliance is worth more to a man than Latin.

G. I'd rather have them and Greek and Latin too.

Mr. N. But what if you cannot ?

G. (laughing). Then I'll take what I can get.

Mr. N. That's the way to talk! When the man sent for cake," John," says he, "if you can't get cake, get smelts." He was a wise man.

G. But what if I can't even get smelts?

Mr. N. Ha, ha! Well! we 'll see about that. Thomas Tray, this is our youngest clerk, Gabriel Bennett. Gabriel,

this is our head clerk, Mr. Tray. I hope you will get along well together. Gabriel, mind Thomas! Thomas, be good to Gabriel!

G. O, sir! what will my father say?

Mr. N. Not that he is unfortunate, I hope, as long as he has such a son as you! Introduce him to the other clerks, Thomas, and give him a stool. (Gabriel and clerk go out.) I'd rather do a good turn

Am not I a fortunate man? for a lad like that than make a thousand dollars.

G. W. Curtis, - Adapted.

THE MILKMAID.

XI. - THE MILKMAID.

A

I.

MILKMAID, who poised a full pail on her head,
Thus mused on her prospects in life, it is said:
"Let's see
I should think that this milk would procure
One hundred good eggs, or fourscore to be sure.

stop a bit

II.

Well, then
- it must not be forgotten,
Some of these may be broken, and some may be rotten;
But if twenty for accidents should be detached,
It will leave me just sixty sound eggs to be hatched.

"Well — sixty sound eggs

Of these some may die

Seventeen! - not so many

III.

no, sound chickens I mean;
we'll suppose seventeen;
say ten at the most,

Which will leave fifty chickens to boil or to roast.

IV.

"But, then, there's their barley how much will they need? Why, they take but one grain at a time when they feed;

So that's a mere trifle ; now, then, let us see,

At a fair market price, how much money there 'll be.

"Six shillings a pair — five

V.

four three-and-six ;

To prevent all mistakes, that low price I will fix ;
Now, what will that make ? — fifty chickens I said
Fifty times three-and-sixpence I'll ask Brother Ned.

VI.

"O, but stop!-three-and-sixpence a pair I must sell 'em ; Well, a pair is a couple — now, then, let us tell 'em ;

A couple in fifty will go (my poor brain!)

Why, just a score times, and five pair will remain.

61