Alive to the bliss of a silent lone hour,
Ere he warbled love's thrilling lay.

"O lily beloved! will you still swectly bloom
For me in this lonely dale?"
Her eloquent, only reply was perfume,
Which gladden'd the moonlight vale.

"O lily, loved lily! your fragrance shall blend
With my plaintively melting lays;

To the glory of God let them mingled ascend,
Who will smile on our lowly praise."

The lily's leaves lovingly yielded their scent
To the melody swelling higher;

And gladly a gale his loud minstrelsy lent,
Like the sound of a heavenly lyre.

In the valley a rivulet flowing along,
Told the gale that was sailing by,

She would willingly join the mellifluous song,
Their Maker to glorify.

So the warbler, the lily, the musical blast,
And the streamlet all join'd as one soul:
To the Lord shall all living give glory at last,
Hallelujah from pole unto pole.

La Haule, Jersey, 1840.

THE SHEPHERD'S DOG.

A SHEPHERD who inhabited one of those valleys or glens which intersect the Grampian mountains,

in one of his excursions, to look after his flock, happened to carry along with him one of his children, an infant of three years old: this is not an unusual practice among the Highlanders, who accustom their children from their earliest infancy to endure the rigours of the climate. After traversing his pastures for some time, attended by his dog, the shepherd found himself under the necessity of ascending a summit at some distance, to have a more extensive view of his range. As the ascent was too fatiguing for the child, he left him on a small plain at the bottom, with strict injunctions not to stir from it till his return. Scarcely, however, had he gained the summit, when the horizon was darkened by one of those impenetrable mists, which frequently descend so rapidly amidst these mountains, as in the space of a few minutes almost to turn day into night. The anxious father instantly hastened back to find his child; but, owing to the unusual darkness, and his own trepidation, he unfortunately missed his path in the descent. After a fruitless search of many hours, he discovered that he had reached the bottom of the valley, and was near his own cottage. To renew the search that night was equally fruitless and dangerous: he was therefore compelled to go home, although he had lost both his child and his dog, who had attended him faithfully for many years. Next morning, by break of day, the shepherd, accompanied by a band of his neighbours, set out in search of his child; but after a day spent in fruitless fatigue, he was at last compelled, by the approach of night, to

descend from the mountain. On returning to his cottage, he found that the dog which he had lost the day before had been home, and on receiving a piece of cake, had instantly gone off again. For several successive days the shepherd renewed the search for his child, and still on returning home disappointed in the evening, he found that the dog had been home, and on receiving his usual allowance of cake, had instantly disappeared. Struck with this singular circumstance, he remained at home one day, and when the dog as usual departed with his piece of cake, he resolved to follow him, and find out the cause of this strange procedure. The dog led the way to a cataract, at some distance from the spot where the shepherd had left his child: the banks of the cataract almost joined at the top, yet separated by an abyss of immense depth, presented that appearance which so often astonishes and appals the travellers that frequent the Grampian mountains. Down one of those rugged and almost perpendicular descents, the dog began, without hesitation, to make his way, and at last disappeared by entering into a cave, the mouth of which was almost level with the torrent. The shepherd with difficulty followed; but on entering into the cave, what were his emotions when he beheld his infant eating with much satisfaction the cake which the dog had just brought him, while the dog stood by, eyeing his young charge with the utmost complaisance! From the situation in which the child was found, it appeared that he had wandered to the brink of the precipice, and then

either fallen or scrambled down till he reached the cave. The dog, by means of his scent, had traced him to the spot, and afterwards prevented him from starving, by giving up to him his own daily allowance. He appears never to have quitted the child by night or day, except when it was necessary to go for food, and then he was always seen running at full speed to and from the cottage. W. N.

POETRY.

THE PET LAMB.

I PASS'D an humble cottage-door,
Where honeysuckles grew,
And gentle breezes softly bore
The breath of roses too.

A laughing girl, with floating hair,
Wild in its native pride,

And lovely eyes of blue, was there,
A lambkin at her side.

She hung around the little pet
With all her heart's embrace;

And call'd it her own favourite,
And fondly stroked its face.
The little creature fondled too;
They gaily skipp'd along,
As happy hearts are wont to do,
To whom life's joys belong.
In all the gambols of the green,
When village children play,

More blithe companions ne'er were seen
Than on that summer day.

Upon another day I pass'd,

But search'd in vain to see

Those happy playmates, as when last
I watch'd them in their glee.

The little girl was there, and told
The sorrow of her mind:

Her own dear favourite had been sold,
And none was left behind.

I never shall forget her tears,
Nor the impression made,-
Where'er idolatry appears,
The fondest hopes will fade.

W. J. B.

THE GRAPES OF ESHCOL.

THERE were fine vineyards and excellent grapes in the promised land. The bunch of grapes which was cut in the valley of Eshcol, and brought upon a staff between two men to the camp of Israel at Kadesh-barnea, (Num. xiii. 23,) may give us some idea of the largeness of the fruit in that country. We are assured by some writers that clusters of grapes weighing ten or twelve pounds might be met with in this valley, and frequently so extraordinary is their size, that one bunch of them is a sufficient burden for one man. It is not at all surprising, therefore, that when the spies sent by Moses to reconnoitre the promised land, returned