If, blindly groping, he shall oft mistake,
And follow twinkling motes

Thinking them stars, and the one voice forsake

Of Wisdom for the notes

Which mocking Beauty utters here and there,

Thou surely wilt forgive him, and forbear!

Oh love us, for we love thee, Maker - God!
And would creep near thy hand,
And call thee "Father, Father," from the
sod

Where by our graves we stand,

And pray to touch, fearless of scorn or blame,

Thy garment's hem, which Truth and Good

we name.

"The boldest and bravest here, Who knew nor guilt nor guile, Who knew not shadow of fear

Till he followed that beckoning smile.

"Now would you find your Fair,
Now would you find your Dear?
Go, turn and follow her where
And whither she went from here,

"Along by the winding path That leads by the old sea-wall: The wind blows wild with wrath, And one could easily fall

"From over the rampart there,
If one should lean too near,
To look for the sunlight hair
That smites like a golden spear!"

THE LOVE-KNOT

TYING her bonnet under her chin,
She tied her raven ringlets in;
But not alone in the silken snare
Did she catch her lovely floating hair,
For, tying her bonnet under her chin,
She tied a young man's heart within.

They were strolling together up the hill, Where the wind comes blowing merry and chill;

And it blew the curls, a frolicsome race,
All over the happy peach-colored face,
Till, scolding and laughing, she tied them
in,

Under her beautiful dimpled chin.

And it blew a color, bright as the bloom Of the pinkest fuchsia's tossing plume, All over the cheeks of the prettiest girl That ever imprisoned a romping curl, Or, tying her bonnet under her chin, Tied a young man's heart within.

Steeper and steeper grew the hill;
Madder, merrier, chillier still

The western wind blew down, and played
The wildest tricks with the little maid,
As, tying her bonnet under her chin,
She tied a young man's heart within.

O western wind, do you think it was fair To play such tricks with her floating hair? To gladly, gleefully do your best

To blow her against the young man's breast, Where he as gladly folded her in,

And kissed her mouth and her dimpled chin?

Ah! Ellery Vane, you little thought,
An hour ago, when you besought
This country lass to walk with you,
After the sun had dried the dew,
What perilous danger you'd be in,
As she tied her bonnet under her chin!

RIDING DOWN

Oн, did you see him riding down,
And riding down, while all the town
Came out to see, came out to see,
And all the bells rang mad with glee?

Oh, did you hear those bells ring out,
The bells ring out, the people shout,
And did you hear that cheer on cheer
That over all the bells rang clear?

And did you see the waving flags,
The fluttering flags, the tattered flags,
Red, white, and blue, shot through and
through,

Baptized with battle's deadly dew?

And did you hear the drums'
gay beat,
The drums' gay beat, the bugles sweet,
The cymbals' clash, the cannons' crash,
That rent the sky with sound and flash ?

And did you see me waiting there,
Just waiting there and watching there,
One little lass, amid the mass
That pressed to see the hero pass?

And did you see him smiling down,
And smiling down, as riding down
With slowest pace, with stately grace,
He caught the vision of a face, —

My face uplifted red and white,
Turned red and white with sheer delight,
To meet the eyes, the smiling eyes,
Outflashing in their swift surprise ?