I know not. Yet you might have seen
How much I liked and prized you :
Sometimes I thought you faint of heart,
And then I half despised you;
Then blamed myself and bowed my heart,
And-all but idolized you.

And this is all the reason why,

I sometimes vexed and teased you, Now slighted, tantalized, perplexed, Now hovered round and pleased you; Now touched your pride, and now your heart, First roused and then appeased you.

The reason why I carried on

At times some mad flirtation,
Was just to draw from helpless love,
To force from desperation,

To win, surprise, extract, or squeeze
The longed-for declaration.

And now the ladies' turn has come,
And, if you will, I'll take you;
I'll quit my airs and frippery,
And do my best to make you

A little, earnest, homely wife,

And love, and ne'er forsake you;

I'll gladly yield the reins to you,

And cease to plague and try you ; I'll share your lot, be it weal or woe, And stand unchanging by you:

Ay, give ye all I am and have,

If that will satisfy you!

FAREWELL TO THE SUNDAY SCHOOL:

ON GOING OUT INTO THE WORLD.

APPY meeting, Sister Schoolmate,

Let us pause a moment here,

In this Temple, memory-hallowed,

And 'mongst scenes so strangely dear.

For the time has come for parting,

Time to leave the dear old place,
Each to choose a separate calling,
Each to run a separate race.

We are loosing from our moorings
On the calm and golden shore,

We are drifting toward mid-ocean

Where the winds and breakers roar.

Where are treacherous shoals and quicksands,
Beetling cliffs and sunken rocks;
Where are shadows, glooms, and tempests,
Lightning gleams, and thunder-shocks.

All the past in hues of brightness

Lies behind us evermore ; Like a desert rough and stormy All the future lies before!

From our lives is slowly melting
Girlhood's happy Spring away,

And we stand amid the dawning

Of a new and dubious day :

Each to fill a post of action
On a stage of passion wide,
Each to mingle mid the wrestlers
In a life we have not tried!

All the innocent affections,

And the dreams of youth must fade, And our hearts gain new impressions, And our lives a deeper shade.

We must form new ties of friendship, Live mid other hopes and dreams, Twine our loves round other objects, Draw our lives from other streams.

And the world is not all sunny,
All its anchorings not secure,
Fair appearance not all truthful,
Human nature not all pure ;

Therefore, let us pause a moment
In this dear old hallowed pile,
Let us brace our souls for action
Ere we enter on the toil;

Fondly gather up the fragments
Of the sadly vanished joys,
Safely store them in our memories

Mid the treasures which we prize.

Yes, my schoolmate, let us store them
As we would the summer flowers,
Whose shrunk, withered leaves will yield us
Perfume sweet in winter's hours.

So that when deceit would lure us,
Sin o'ercome or passion rule,
Like a monitor before us

May arise the Sabbath School.

Let us, hand in hand, a moment
Dream that we are girls again,
In our stiff white frocks and tippets
Tripping gaily up the lane;

With the glorious landscape round us,
Mossy hills and woody dells,
Smiling back the cloudless sunshine,
Vocal with the chant of bells.

And above us the great Spirit
Breathing airs of summer balm,
And the village 'neath us basking
In the Sabbath's holy calm!

Let us enter through the portal,
Sit among the children there,
Hear the Teacher's words of counsel,
Read the Bible, kneel in prayer.

Hear the preacher's exhortations
To the eager, listening throng,

And a note of hearty voices
Wafting up the thrill of song.

Ah! the many scenes and lessons, With the teacher's prayers and tears, Will come back like revelations

To our hearts in after years.

Yes, and well we shall remember,
Wheresoe'er our feet may stray,

All the glory and the triumph
Of our annual festal day :

When we stood in snowy garments
On our mimic stage and sang,
While the glad assemblage listened,
And the mellow music rang.

When our heads were hung with ringlets,
And our polished faces shone.
Ah! those days were days of gladness,
Sunny landmarks every one!

And we oft shall see, when dreaming,
Faces that we loved of yore,
Darling forms, whose light has faded
From our school for evermore :

Some who went in life's gay morning,
Others in its glowing prime,

And the aged, whose feet grown weary,
Stumbled on the path of Time.