Hark to the rustle and the sweep, Like sound of mighty wings unfurled, And bearing down the sapphire steep Heaven's hosts to help the imperilled world! Light in the North! Each bristling lance Of steely sheen a promise bears; And all the midnight where they glance A rosy flush of morning wears! Yon symbol of your Southern sky Shall surely mean but grief and loss; Then tremble, as ye raise on high, In sacrilege, the Southern Cross! O brothers! we entreat in pain, Take ye the unblessed emblem down! Or purge your standard of its stain, And join it with the Northern Crown! * * * * * CONCERNING THE SORROWS OF CHILDHOOD. Once upon a time, Mr. Smith, who was seven feet in height, went out for a walk with Mr. Brown, whose stature was three feet and a half. It was in a distant age, in which people were different from what they are now, and in which events occurred such as do not usually occur in these days. Smith and Brown, having traversed various paths, and having passed several griffins, serpents, and mail-clad knights, came at length to a certain river. It was needful that they should cross it; and the idea was suggested that they should cross it by wading. They proceeded, accordingly, to wade across; and both arrived safely at the farther side. The water was exactly four feet deep,--not an inch more or less. On reaching the other bank of the river, Mr. Brown said,-- "This is awful work; it is no joke crossing a river like _that_. I was nearly drowned." "Nonsense!" replied Mr. Smith; "why make a fuss about crossing a shallow stream like this? Why, the water is only four feet deep: _that_ is nothing at all!" "Nothing to you, perhaps," was the response of Mr. Brown, "but a serious matter for me. You observe," he went on, "that water four feet deep is just six inches over my head. The river may be shallow to you, but it is deep to me." Mr. Smith, like many other individuals of great physical bulk and strength, had an intellect not much adapted for comprehending subtile and difficult thoughts. He took up the ground that things are what they are in themselves, and was incapable of grasping the idea that greatness and littleness, depth and shallowness, are relative things. An altercation ensued, which resulted in threats on the part of Smith that he would throw Brown into the river; and a coolness was occasioned between the friends which subsisted for several days.