Those the red lips whose sweetness clung to mine?

Is it a dream? Still I wake, ere while Wake to their living glance, and touch, and smile.

They were my babes once; they used to lie

With soft lips murmuring at my lovewarm breast,

Cooing sweet answers to the lullaby
I sang to put them to their cradle rest.
Listen! upon the night-winds, clear and
low,

Come fragments of that song of long ago.

'Twas thus I sung-a foolish little strain

Yet babes and mothers love such music well,

E'en now its cadence soothes my restless brain;

I think I hear the angels sing it—who can tell?

My children loved it so in twilight gray. 'Tis twilight now. Alas! and where are they?

Listen-'Sleep, Sleep-the south wind blows,

Rocking the bee in the thornless rose,
The baby birds have gone to bed,
The drowsy blue-bell hangs its head;
Blue-bell and baby, bee and rose,
Sleep! the south-wind softly blows,
The tide ebbs, the tide flows,
Night comes, but night goes,
Sleep! Sleep!'"

Thus night and day her wild, sad watch

And pitying Heaven made man more pitiful.

King David's heart grew tender at the sight,

And, filled with wonder at her mighty love,

He took her precious dead with reverent hands,

Enfolded them with costly cerements, Wet with the baptism of her grateful tears,

More fragrant than all balms and spices fine,

And gave them sepulchre with kindred dust.

Then Rizpah's work was finished. She arose,

Folded her sack-cloth tent and went her way,

Down through the valley to her childless home,

Poor, waiting Rizpah. After many days Death came to her. (How slowly does he come

When hearts are breaking- and are waiting to break

As if he grudged the comfort of a grave).

'Twas twilight in the harvest-time again, She seemed to slumber. When she

"And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"-II. Sam. xxiii :15.

FAINT on Rephaim's sultry side

Sat Israel's warrior-king; "Oh for one draught," the hero cried, "From Bethlehem's cooling spring! From Bethlehem's spring, upon whose brink

My youthful knee bent down to drink!

But now his fierce Philistian foe
Encamped before it he does know.
Yet ne'er the less with heat opprest,
Those three bold captains he addrest,
And wished that one to him would
bring

Some water from his native spring.
His valiant captains instantly

To execute his will did fly,

Those three brave men the ranks broke through

Of armed foes, and water drew
For David, their belovèd king,

At his own sweet native spring.

Back through their enemies they haste,
With the hard-earned treasure graced.
What with such danger they had sought,
With joy unto their king they brought.
But when the good king David found
What they had done, he on the ground
The water poured, "Because," said he,
"That it was at the jeopardy

Of your three lives this thing ye did,
That I should drink it God forbid."
CHARLES AND MARY LAMB.
(1775-1834) (1765-1847).

THE WELL OF BETHLEHEM.

THERE is sound of war in Judah, and over Ephrath's plain,

Though the fields are ripe for harvest, no Hebrew reaps the grain; For the armies of the heathen have come with flame and sword

To waste the pleasant dwellings of the people of the Lord.

In the valley of the giants Philistine tents are spread,

And their warriors are marshalled within the house of bread.

No chief goes forth against them, and no champion comes to save; For Israel's hope, an exile, is pent within a cave.

Around him still are gathered a chosen faithful few,

Tried in full many a battle, and to his banner true.

Upon the cliffs of limestone rock the autumn sunbeams beat,

And glare upon the hunted band with all their parching heat,

Till David, faint and thirsty, in his longing speaks to them,

Would that I had but water from the

well of Bethlehem!

Then up arose three chieftains from the places where they sate,

To bring their master water from the fount beside the gate.

They reck not of the thousand swords which fain would bar their way, But calm in strength and valor straight address them to the fray. Three men against an army vast, they have no thought of flight,

For each against a host of men hath stood alone in fight.

Too well Philistine widows have learnt those three names in woe,Shammah, and Eleazar, and the peerless Adino.

Those mighty men have broken through all that opposing ring,

And have borne the cooling water in triumph to their king.

But David hath the chalice out before Jehovah poured,

Saying, "This is blood, not water; I may not drink it, Lord!"

The tainted drops were poured, and fevered lips

Half-loathing drank them up. And David's soul

Was weary; the hot simoon scorched his veins;

The strong sun smote on him, and, faint and sick,

He sat beneath the shadow of the rock. And then before his eyes a vision came, Cool evening, meadows green, and pleasant sounds

Of murmuring fountains. Oft in days of youth,

When leading home his flocks as sunset fell,

That fount had quenched his thirst, and dark-eyed girls,

The pride and joy of Bethlehem, meeting there,

Greeted the shepherd boy, their chieftain's son

(As, bright and fair with waving locks of gold

Exulting in the flush of youth's full glow,

He mingled with their throng), and gazing, rapt

With wonder at his beauty, gave him drink.

And now the word came feebly from

By brave deeds, gentle words, and stainless life,

And now they came to give him proof of love,

And pouring out the water bade him drink.

But lo! he would not taste. He heard their tale

(In few words told, as brave men tell their deeds),