And now as the night was senescent, And some roosters were hinting of morn,―― Foolish roosters then hinting of morn!―― As the night grew more old and unpleasant, We saw in the distance a horn, Out of which a miraculous crescent To the sides of the road was outborne; ’Twas Sal’s father’s horn lanthorn there present, The crescent distinct from the horn. And I said――He is better than Dian; But I wish that his light had more size,―― And the light wasn’t much for its size; He has guess’d――that’s a thing to rely on―― Has father, the way our walk lies, And he has come out like Orion, The fellow up there in the skies,―― Yes, Sally! those stars in the skies―― Come out like another Orion To help me take care of my prize, To take her safe home bye-and-bye on The pathway that fatherward lies. But Sarah, uplifting her finger, Said――Surely that light I mistrust,―― That lanthorn I strangely mistrust; O hasten! O let us not linger! O fly! let us fly! for we must. In terror she spoke, letting sink her Voice,――O, he’ll make such a dust! In anguish she sobbed, letting sink her Sweet voice, as if fearing a bust,―― O but father’ll kick up such a dust! I replied――This is nothing but dreaming; We need but keep out of the light,―― But he kept dodging us with the light; And Sarah would soon have been screaming―― She shook like a leaf with affright, Like a leaf, or a bird in a fright; So I lifted her out of the gleaming, Through a gap in the hedge, out of sight: And her father went on, never dreaming He left us behind in the night. Then to pacify Sarah I kiss’d her, And soon took her out of the gloom,―― It was getting quite cold in the gloom, And she cried; but I said――Dear! desist, or I never shall get you safe home. Then we ran, and in good time got home. Father said――How on earth have I miss’d her? She said――I was never from home. No, Pa! I was never from home. I have been all the night in my room. Now my head is as grey as an ember; And my heart is all crisped and sere,―― Like a crisp leaf that’s wither’d and sere; And yet I am fain to remember Above all the nights in the year―― Ah, Sally! if you were but here―― That night of all nights in the year―― Ah, Sally! if you were but here―― That cold dreamy night of November, That night of all nights in the year, That long ago night of November,―― The night we were out in, my dear! ――――:o:―――― TO ANY. Thank heaven! the crisis Of hunger is past; And you can’t guess how nice is This little breakfast, Now the thing call’d good living Is come to at last. I eat what I love And recover my strength; And my jaws only move As I lie at full length. I might sit――but I feel I am better at length.