The fish was fleet, but the bar was high, And the low tide roil’d and dim; And he groped, as he slowly pass’d the fry, And to and fro would swim. “Ho, ho!” cried they, as they shook their scales, “The muddled one misses his way!” And they fann’d their fins, and slash’d their tails— “Aha, he here will stay!” The fish paused not till the way grew clear; Then launch’d out under the spray; And shower’d his fins in a white-cap near That rivall’d the rays of the day. “Ho, ho, showing off to the sharks!” cried the fry; “And look—a gull on the shoal. Yon surface-shiner would better be shy; The bird will swallow him whole.” The fish pass’d on, till the sea grew deep, Then, plunging down through the blue, A flash came back from a parting leap, As at last he sank from view. “Ho, ho,” cried the fry, “we can all do that, If we only go out with the tide.” But the tide had gone, so, left on the flat, They fried in the sun, and died. UNVEILING THE MONUMENT. I. The monument stands, no longer the care Of mallet and chisel and plummet and square. With a flourish of trumpets and rolling of drums The glad hour comes When the statue above it will loom unveil’d. Lo, now the crowds that are under it sway; The bugles are sounding; and look!—away The veil is dropt!—and afar is hail’d, With wild huzzas and hands that fly, The form of the man that stands on high. II. How the crowd are cheering! but, ah, their cheer Recalls a day When few were here; And the most of them daintily shrank away, Afraid a foot or a frill to smear In the mire of this place, while deep in the clay The soil was dug for the monument here. III. And was there not, when his course began, While clearing the ground for the life he had plann’d, A time this crowd would have shrunk from the man Whose image is now enthroned by the land? Alas, how oft in youth’s chill morn Their tears alone are the dews that adorn The natures that wake To the light of a day beginning to break!