I thought of her I loved so well, those early Some are in the church-yard laid, some sleep broken ties; I visited the old church-yard, and took some flowers to strow Upon the graves of those we loved, some twenty years ago. beneath the sea; But few are left of our old class, excepting you and me; And when our time shall come, Tom, and we are called to go, I hope they'll lay us where we played, just twenty years ago, HIGHLAND MARY. ROBERT BURNS. E banks and braes and streams around Your waters never drumlie! For there I took the last fareweel How sweetly bloomed the gay green birk, How rich the hawthorn's blossom, As underneath their fragrant shade I clasped her to my bosom! The golden hours on angel wings Flew o'er me and my dearie; For dear to me as light and life Was my sweet Highland Mary. There is a rapture on the lonely What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all shore, There is society where none intrudes By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but nature more, From these our, interviews, in which I steal conceal. Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean,—roll! Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain ; Man marks the earth with ruin,-his control OGICIANS may reason about abstractions. But the great mass of men must have images. The strong tendency of the multitude in all ages and nations to idolatry can be explained on no other principle. The first inhabitants of Greece, there is reason to believe, worshipped one invisible Deity. But the necessity of having something more definite to adore produced, in a few centuries, the innumerable crowd of gods and goddesses. In like manner, the ancient Persians thought it impious to exhibit the Creator under a human form. Yet even these transferred to the sun the worship which, in speculation, they considered due only to the Supreme Mind. The history of the Jews is the record of a continued struggle between pure Theism, supported by the most terrible sanctions, and the strangely fascinating desire of having some visible and tangible object of adoration. Perhaps none of the secondary causes which Gibbon has assigned for the rapidity with which Christianity spread over the world, while Judaism scarcely ever acquired a proselyte, operated more powerfully than this feeling. God, the uncreated, the incomprehensible, the invisible, attracted few worshippers. A philosopher might admire so noble a conception; but the crowd turned away in disgust from words which presented no image to their minds. It was before Deity, embodied in a human form, walking among men, partaking of their infirmities, leaning on their bosoms, weeping over their graves, slumbering in the manger, bleeding on the cross, that the prejudices of the Synagogue, and the doubts of the Academy, and the pride of the Portico, and the fasces of the Lictor, and the swords of thirty legions, were humbled in the dust. Soon after Christianity had achieved its triumph, the principle which had assisted it began to corrupt it. It became a new Paganism. Patron saints assumed the offices of household gods. St. George took the place of Mars. St. Elmo consoled the mariner for the loss of Castor and Pollux. The The fasci Virgin Mother and Cecilia succeeded to Venus and the muses. nation of sex and loveliness was again joined to that of celestial dignity; and the homage of chivalry was blended with that of religion. Reformers have often made a stand against these feelings; but never with more than apparent and partial success. The men who demolished the images in cathedrals have not always been able to demolish those which were enshrined in their minds. It would not be difficult to show that in politics the same rule holds good. Doctrines, we are afraid, must generally be embodied before they can exercise a strong public feeling. The multitude is more easily interested for the most unmeaning badge, or the most insignificant name than for the most important principle. But now the court's adjourned for good, and And I will put things into shape, when I get I have got my pay; I'm loose at last, and thank the Lord, I'm goin' home to-day. home to-day. The mornin' that I come away, we had a little bout; I've somehow felt uneasy, like, since first day I coolly took my hat and left, before the show I come down; was out. It is an awkward game to play the gentle- For what I said was naught whereat she man in town; ought to take offense; And this 'ere Sunday suit of mine, on Sunday And she was always quick at words, and rightly sets, But when I wear the stuff a week, it somehow galls and frets. ready to commence. But then, she's first one to give up when she has had her say; I'd rather wear my homespun rig of pepper- And she will meet me with a kiss, when I go And then they laugh because I think the child resembles me. The little rogue! he goes for me like robbers for their prey; He'll turn my pockets inside out, when I get home to-day. My little girl-I can't contrive how it should happen thus That God could pick that sweet bouquet, and fling it down to us! My wife, she says that han'some face will some day make a stir; She'll meet me half way down the hill, and kiss me, anyway; And light my heart up with her smiles, when go home to-day! I If there's a heaven upon the earth, a fellow knows it when He's been away from home a week, and then gets back again. If there's a heaven above the earth, there often, I'll be bound, Some homesick fellow meets his folks, and hugs 'em all around. But let my creed be right or wrong, or be it as it may, And then I laugh, because she thinks the My heaven is just ahead of me-I'm goin' child resembles her. home to-day. |