Where do they dwell? ‘Neath grassy mounts, by daisies, Lilies, and yellow-cups of fairest gold; Near grey-grown walls, where in wild, tortuous mazes, Old clustering ivy wreathes in many a fold: Where in red summer noons Fresh leaves are rustling, Where ’neath large autumn moons Young birds are nestling— Do they dwell there? Where do they dwell? In sullen waters, lying On beds of purple sea-flowers newly sprung; Where the mad whirlpool’s wild and ceaseless sighing, Frets sloping banks, by dark green reeds o’erhung: Where, by the torrent’s swell, Crystal stones glitter, While sounds the heavy bell Over the river— Do they dwell there? No: for in these they slumber to decay, And their remembrance with their life departs; They have a home,—nor dark, nor far away— Their proper home.—within our faithful hearts; There happy spirits wed, Loving for ever; There dwell with us, the dead, Parting—ah, never— There do they dwell! FATE DAYS. It is a difficult puzzle to reconcile the existence of certain superstitions that continue to have wide influence with the enlightenment of the nineteenth century. When we have read glowing paragraphs about the wonderful progress accomplished by the present generation; when we have regarded the giant machinery in operation for the culture of the people—moved, in great part, by the collective power of individual charity; when we have examined the stupendous results of human genius and ingenuity which are now laid bare to the lowliest in the realm; we turn back, it must be confessed, with a mournful despondency, to mark the debasing influence of the old superstitions which have survived to the present time. The superstitions of the ancients formed part of their religion. They consulted oracles as now men pray. The stars were the arbiters of their fortunes. Natural phenomena, as lightning and hurricanes, were, to them, awful expressions of the anger of their particular deities. They had their _dies atri_ and their _dies albi_; the former were marked down in their calendars with a black character, to denote ill-luck, and the latter were painted in white characters to signify bright and propitious days. They followed the finger-posts of their teachers. Faith gave dignity to the tenets of the star-gazer and fire-worshipper.