There fell no sounds that were not musical-
The songs of birds, and bees, and falling waters,
The voice of Nature's God, as soft and sweet
As when it thrilled through Earth's first Paradise!
The winds were never rude- no storms came there,―
Alone the breeze from the blue Appenines,

Stole softly down among the perfumed trees,
Filling the air with incense!

It was indeed a scene of loveliness;

And over all

Hung a rich canopy of blue and gold,

The sky of Italy!

Mar. Oh! sweet, sweet scene, how like our own dear home! Cas. Within this vale

A maid of noble lineage had been reared;

She was indeed the ideal of her sex,
The bright embodiment of love itself!
Of form so lovely, so divine a face,
It seemed as if the spirit of the place
Had gendered her from out its glowing flowers,
To make the picture perfect.

Mar. How beautiful!

Cas. This maiden had a brother, a brave youth.

Her father, too, still lived, a good old man,

The sole possessor of all these fair scenes,

'Midst which they dwelt in innocence and peace,
Unclouded as their skies!

A stranger came from a far distant land,
And sought this quiet vale—he soon became
Its owner's welcome guest-comparion of
The maiden and her brother:

He was their elder, yet had never loved,
For his young day's had been all rudely spent
Within the camp, or on the batt.e-field,

But the beauty of this glowing maid,

Soon made iw image on his yielding heart;

And he did love as only they can love,

Whose youth's and manhood's flame have both been blant Into one burning passion!

He was not skilled in love's diplomacy,

And knew not even how to woo the maid,

He told the good old father of his love,

Who wooed and won her for him.

They were wed.

She then was but a child, and ill could know
The nature of her vow; but the old lord,
Fearing a malady that vexed him much,
Desired thus soon to see his daughter wedded.
Close on the bridal morn the father died
So suddenly, that there was no one near,
Save his confessor, whom he gave in charge
Confession, that the youth whom all the world
Supposed his son, and brother of the maid,
Was not his son, nor yet the maiden's brother.
Mar. How strange, my lord, how like

Cas. Nay, hear me, Marinella, to the end-
This sad confusion was made known to all,
The stranger lord, the maiden, and the youth;
But they had grown together, three such friends,
They would not part, but lived like as before,
In the sweet commune of the common hearth!
Now grows my tale more sad:

In time, the maiden found within her heart,

A feeling undefined, which never yet
Had centered there, or only as a dream:
It soon became developed - it was love!
Love not for him whom she had vowed to love,
But for the foster-brother

The youth, toc, loved the maid: Nature had placed within their hearts where it had lain

The germ

Amidst the darkness of an erring fate.

Till Nature called it forth to bud and bloom
Each sorrowed for this love; each struggled hard
To stifle it when they had striven in vain,

Lest that their friend should suffer from the thing,
Each then resolved to see the other one

No more on earth; - they met at length to part;
'T was then that first they knew each other's love
Confessed at parting-parting when confessed
And without even a kiss, they spoke the sad,
Sad word, farewell!

Meanwhile the husband from some circumstance
Had grown suspicious of his young wife's love;
He was admonished when this parting scene
Was to take place;

And leaving for a moment, honor's path, became
It broke his heart!

A witness to it all.

(Marinella faints on Casimir's breast

Cold as the marble from Carrara's mine,

Sweet-sweet- and cold! (Kissing her.) Mine is a poor

right

To thes cold kisses now.

DIALOGUE

ON THE SUBJECT OF EXHIBITION DAY.

BY P. A. FITZGERALD.

'IN WHICH THE NAMES OF TEACHER, SUPERINTENDENT, SCHOLARS, NEM BERS OF THE board of EDUCATION, AND CITIZENS OF THE DISTRICT, ARE MENTIONED.

The parties in the Dialogue should address each other by their proper names.

John. Good-evening, William. I am glad to see that you are true to your appointment; you know you promised to meet me here, to discuss the propriety of school exhibitions. William. Yes, I did; and I think I shall be able to make you acknowledge the truth and force of my arguments. John. Truth is mighty and must prevail; but I fear you will prove a sorry champion for the cause you are to defend.

Will. I don't think so. There's a man in the poor-house, who told me last week, that it was very foolish for us tc waste our time in studying how to speak in public, because, when we get to be statesmen, lawyers, or ministers, it will all come natural to us. He said no one ever caught him studying such nonsense.

he

John. Very likely; nor anything else, I presume?

Will. I don't know; he does seem a little ignorant, still may be a very sensible man.

John. I can't agree with you. I call Mr.

-, (one of

the Board,) a sensible man, and his sentiments differ somewhat

from those of your friend's in the poor-house.

Will. A little, I'll allow; still, I can't see why Mr

the teacher,) has got up this parade and show. For my part, I don't like it. Here we have to stand, and be criticised and cat-hauled by half the people in the distri. t.

John. If you had applied yourself as c.osely to your studies as some of us, you would be able to see the utility of what you are opposing, and be glad to have our friends come and see what we can do. There's Mr. (superin tendent,) who superintends all the schools-he wants to see that we have learned something, and can tell what we have learned.

Will. O, yes; you are a favorite of Mr. -'s, (superintendent,) I presume. You want to get into his good graces, so that if you should apply for the situation of a teacher, he may pass you without a strict examination.

John. I am afraid that if you were to apply, you would not be favored with an examination at all.

Will. You seem to think that all the great people are on your side.

John. I know they are; for they are the friends of education. Ask the Rev. Mr. (minister,) and see if he do n't agree with me.

Will. Is the art of public speaking a branch of education? John. I think it is. How would you get along if you were called upon to make a stump speech.

Will. Why I'd take my position, and then-then I'dI'd talk!

John. But suppose you knew nothing of oratory? you would probably come off second-best in your dispute with your opponent.

John. You would have to make it appear the best to Bome who did not think it so, and failing to win them would bo a loss.

Will. But I never expect to make a st imp speech.