Ringing the bells till they rocked the steeple; To pay this sum to a wandering fellow With a gipsy coat of red and yellow. 66 'Beside," quoth the mayor with a knowing wink, "Our business was done at the river's brink: We saw with our eyes the vermin sink, From the duty of giving you something to drink, May find me pipe to another fashion." How," cried the mayor, "d'ye think I'll brook Being worse treated than a cook? Insulted by a lazy ribald With idle pipe and vesture piebald? You threaten us, fellow? Do your worst, Once more he stept into the street, And to his lips again Laid his long pipe of smooth straight cane; And ere he blew three notes (such sweet Soft notes as yet musician cunning There was a rustling, that seemed like a bustling All the little boys and girls, With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls, And sparkling eyes, and teeth like pearls, The wonderful music with shouting and laughter. The To the children merrily skipping by; When lo, as they reached the mountain's side, As if a cavern was suddenly hollowed; And the piper advanced and the children followed; The door in the mountain side shut fast. And could not dance the whole of the way; And in after years, if you would blame His sadness, he was used to say "It's dull in our town since my playmates left; Of all the pleasant sights they see, The sparrows were brighter than peacocks here, And honey-bees had lost their stings, And just as I became assured My lame foot would be speedily cured, The music stopped and I stood still, To go now limping as before, And never hear of that country more!" The mayor sent north, south, east, and west Wherever it was man's lot to find him, he went, If he'd only return the way So, Willy, let you and me be wipers Of scores out with all men-especially pipers; BROWNING. CLASS OR HOME WORK. Learn the spellings, and write out the first two sentences in your own words. "There was no time for thinking; action, and not consideration, was necessary. The ice was closing around us, and the squadron still several miles in advance; regain it we must. Through or over this neck the Intrepid must go. Sawing was useless-a mere waste of time; there was no alternative but to give it the 'stem.' 'Go a-head, full speed,' was the word of command; 'stem on' she goes; the concussion is terrific; the vessel trembles from head to taffrail. The stubborn element bends and cracks, but does not break. 'Stop her! Turn astern!' let us try it again. 'Go a-head with all speed you can give her!' The greater portion of the crew is upon the ice to assist in clearing away. She comes, she comes with additional force. Stand clear-the ice breakshurrah! A piece thirty feet square is adrift, other heavy masses spout from underneath the main floes, making a wonderful clearance, grapnels over the bow, hook on the pieces, take a turn on board, turn astern, stop her, unhook the grapnels: this manoeuvre was repeated over and over again with a similar success until the noble craft seemed no longer a piece of mechanism, but a thing of life: some ferocious beast bounding on, and crushing the barrier that opposed it. To the spectator the scene was novel and interesting; the men-o'-war's men hurrah'd and laughed at the sport, while hoary-headed experience'-those veterans who had grown grey in Arctic service— stood gaping with astonishment at the 'ice-destroyer smashing a floe six feet thick as if it had been a sheet of glass. She now makes a desperate and final effort; the barrier is broken, she is through, she is free, and the silent shores of Melville Bay echo the astounding cheers of a hundred seamen as she dashes with lightning speed towards her consort Assistance. For three days was the Intrepid adrift from her squadron; but during that period she performed feats unparalleled in the annals of Arctic navigation. No human perseverance, no degree of physical energy, no known mechanical power, save the 'strong arm of steam,' could have enabled us to regain our position."-From the Admiralty Records of the late Arctic Expedition. > |