I’ve seen this dell in July’s shine, As lovely as an angel’s dream; Above—Heaven’s depth of blue divine, Around—the evening’s golden beam. I’ve seen the purple heather-bell Look out by many a storm-worn stone; And, oh! I’ve known such music swell,— Such wild notes wake these passes lone— So soft, yet so intensely felt; So low, yet so distinctly heard; My breath would pause, my eyes would melt, And tears would dew the green heath-sward. I’d linger here a summer day, Nor care how fast the hours flew by; Nor mark the sun’s departing ray Smile sadly from the dark’ning sky. Then, then, I might have laid me down, And dreamed my sleep would gentle be; I might have left thee, darling one, And thought thy God was guarding thee! But now there is no wand’ring glow, No gleam to say that God is nigh; And coldly spreads the couch of snow, And harshly sounds thy lullaby. Forests of heather, dark and long, Wave their brown branching arms above; And they must soothe thee with their song, And they must shield my child of love. Alas! the flakes are heavily falling, They cover fast each guardian crest; And chilly white their shroud is palling Thy frozen limbs and freezing breast. Wakes up the storm more madly wild, The mountain drifts are tossed on high; Farewell, unbless’d, unfriended child, I cannot bear to watch thee die! E. J. BRONTË. HAWORTH, _July 12th, 1839_. The Portent. I.—ITS LEGEND. [As the sole return which I have it in my power to make for a friendship and a skill which have greatly alleviated my sufferings, I accede to the request of Dr. —— to commit to writing one or two passages in a history which has had more than the ordinary share of the marvellous in its composition. I write them with reluctance, yet with the feeling that I owe him the narration. It will serve, it may be, if not to explain, yet to account for some of the anomalies which he confesses have perplexed him in the treatment of my case. I leave it entirely to him to direct, by will or otherwise, what is to be the fate of these papers, after his and my decease.]