LEGENDARY. AMONG GREEN PLEASANT MEADOWS. AMONG green, pleasant meadows, All in a grove so wild, Was set a marble image Of the Virgin and the Child. Here oft, on summer evenings, Oft sat his mother by him, And told how the Lord Jesus "And now from highest heaven And sees whate'er thou doest, And hears what thou dost say!" Thus spoke his tender mother; Again the boy was playing ; Come down and play with me! "I will find thee flowers the fairest, "O holy, holy mother! Put him down from off thy knee; For in these silent meadows There are none to play with me." Thus spoke the boy so lovely, That self-same night she dreamèd "And for the fruits and flowers Which thou hast brought to me, Rich blessing shall be given A thousand-fold to thee. "For in the fields of heaven Thou shalt roam with me at will; And of bright fruit celestial Thou shalt have, dear child, thy fill !" Thus tenderly and kindly The anxious mother woke And thus it was accomplished: And thus he spoke, in dying : "And in his hand he beareth He died -but that fond mother THE FAIRIES OF THE CALDON-LOW. "AND where have you been, my Mary, And what did you see, my Mary, "I saw the blithe sunshine come down, And I saw the merry winds blow." And what did you hear, my Mary, "I heard the drops of water made, "Then take me on your knee, mother, "And merry was the glee of the harp-strings, And their dancing feet so small; But oh the sound of their talking "And what were the words, my Mary, But let me have my way. "And some they played with the water And rolled it down the hill ; And this,' they said, 'shall speedily turn "For there has been no water Ever since the first of May; By the dawning of the day! "Oh the miller, how he will laugh, When he sees the mill-dam rise! The jolly old miller, how he will laugh, "And some they seized the little winds, That sounded over the hill, And each put a horn into his mouth, 66 6 And blew so sharp and shrill! And there,' said they, 'the merry winds And those shall clear the mildew dank 666 Oh, the poor blind widow Though she has been blind so long, go She'll be merry enough when the mildew's gone, And the corn stands stiff and strong!' "And some they brought the brown linseed, Oh, the poor lame weaver! And then upspoke a brownie, With a long beard on his chin ; 'I have spun up all the tow', said he, 'And I want some more to spin. |