ROSE OF THE DESERT.

ROSE of the Desert! thou, whose blushing ray,
Lonely and lovely, fleets unseen away;
No hand to cull thee, none to woo thy sigh,-
In vestal silence left to live and die,-
Rose of the Desert! thus should woman be,
Shining uncourted, lone and safe, like thee.

Rose of the Garden, how unlike thy doom!
Destin'd for others, not thyself, to bloom
Cull'd ere thy beauty lives through half its day;
A moment cherish'd, and then cast away;
Rose of the Garden! such is woman's lot,-
Worshipp'd, while blooming--when she fades, forgot.

LONG YEARS HAVE PASS'D.

LONG years have pass'd, old friend, since we
First met in life's young day;

And friends long lov'd by thee and me,
Since then have dropp'd away;-
But enough remain to cheer us on,
And sweeten, when thus we're met,
The glass we fill to the many gone,
And the few who're left us yet.

Our locks, old friend, now thinly grow,

And some hang white and chill;

While some, like flowers 'mid Autumn's snow,

Retain youth's colour still.

And so, in our hearts, though one by one

Youth's sunny hopes have set,

Thank heav'n, not all their light is gone,-
We've some to cheer us yet.

Then here's to thee, old friend, and long
May thou and I thus meet,

To brighten still with wine and song
This short life, ere it fleet.

And still as death comes stealing on,

Let's never, old friend, forget,

Ev'n while we sigh o'er blessings gone
How many are left us yet.

COME, PLAY ME THAT SIMPLE AIR AGAIN.

A BALLAD.

COME, play me that simple air again,

I us'd so to love, in life's young day,
And bring, if thou canst, the dreams that then
Were waken'd by that sweet lay.

The tender gloom its strain

Shed o'er the heart and brow,
Grief's shadow, without its pain—
Say where, where is it now?

But play me the well-known air once more,
For thoughts of youth still haunt its strain,
Like dreams of some far, fairy shore
We never shall see again.

Sweet air, how every note brings back

Some sunny hope, some day-dream bright

That, shining o'er life's early track,

Fill'd ev'n its tears with light.
The new-found life that came
With love's first echo'd vow ;-
The fear, the bliss, the shame-
Ah-where, where are they now?
But, still the same lov'd notes prolong,
For sweet 'twere thus, to that old lay,
In dreams of youth and love and song,
To breathe life's hour away.

THE SUMMER WEBS.

THE summer webs that float and shine, The summer dews that fall,

Though light they be, this heart of mine Is lighter still than all.

It tells me every cloud is past

Which lately seem'd to lour;

That Hope hath wed young Joy at last, And now's their nuptial hour!

With light thus round, within, above,
With nought to wake one sigh,
Except the wish, that all we love
Were at this moment nigh,-
It seems as if life's brilliant sun
Had stopp'd in full career,

To make this hour its brightest one,
And rest in radiance here.

THE EAST INDIAN.

COME, May, with all thy flowers,
Thy sweetly-scented thorn,
Thy cooling ev'ning showers,

Thy fragrant breath at morn.
When May-flies haunt the willow,

When May-buds tempt the bee,

Then o'er the shining billow
My love will come to me.

From Eastern Isles she's winging
Through wat'ry wilds her way,
And on her cheek is bringing
The bright sun's orient ray:

Oh, come and court her hither,
Ye breezes mild and warm-
One winter's gale would wither
So soft, so pure a form.

The fields where she was straying
Are blest with endless light,
With zephyrs always playing

Through gardens always bright.
Then now, sweet May be sweeter
Than e'er thou'st been before;

Let sighs from roses meet her

When she comes near our shore.

LOVE THEE, DEAREST? LOVE THEE?

LOVE thee, dearest? love thee?
Yes, by yonder star I swear,
Which through tears above thee
Shines so sadly fair;

Though often dim,

With tears, like him,

Like him my truth will shine,

And-love thee, dearest? love thee?

Yes, till death I'm thine.

Leave thee, dearest? leave thee?

No, that star is not more true;

When my vows deceive thee,

He will wander too.

A cloud of night

May veil his light,

And death shall darken mine

But-leave thee, dearest? leave thee?

No, till death I'm thine.