I thought him all fair; yet I'll answer for this, Now Dobbin, the pony, belonged to us all, Together we rambled, together we grew. Many plagues had the household, but we were the two Who were branded the deepest; all doings reviled Were sure to be wrought by "that dog and that child." Unkenneled and chainless, yet truly he served; If my own kin or kind had demolished my ball, The transgression were marked with a scuffle and squall; But with perfect consent he might mouth it about, When halfpence were doled for the holiday treat, I fondled, I fed him, I coaxed or I cuffed, I drove or I led him, I soothed or I huffed: He had beatings in anger, and huggings in love, But which were most cruel, 'twere a puzzle to prove. 25* If he dared to rebel, I might battle and wage Did a mother appear the loud quarrel to learn, If the geese on the common gave signal of fear, Had the pantry been rifled of remnant of beef, Shrewd suspicions were formed of receiver and thief, For I paused not at crime, and I blushed not at fibs That assisted to nurture his well-covered ribs. The warren was sacred, yet he and I dared To career through its heath till the rabbits were scared; The gamekeeper threatened me Pinch should be shot; But the threat was by both of us always forgot. The linen, half bleached, must be rinsed o'er again; way. When brought to the bar for the evil we'd done, Though Pinch was Tiberius, those who might try But we weathered all gales, and the years sped away, Till his "bonnie black" hide was fast turning to gray When accents were heard most alarmingly sad, Proclaiming that Pincher, my Pincher, was mad. It was true: his fixed doom was no longer a joke; broke. I saw the sure fowling-piece moved from its rest, A shot, a faint howl, — and old Pincher was dead. How I wept while the gardener prepared his last bed! Something fell on his spade too, wet, sparkling, and clear; Though he said 'twas a dew-drop, I know 'twas a tear. Our winter-night circle was now incomplete; We missed the fond brute that had snoozed at our feet: All his virtues were praised, all his mischief forgot, Poodle, spaniel, and grayhound, were brought for my care, Of beauty and breed reckoned preciously rare; He was never supplanted; nay, mention him now, And a something of shadow will steal from my brow, "Poor fellow!" will burst in such tone of regret, That whispers my heart is his lurking-place yet. No wonder; for memory brings back with him The smile of a parent, the dearest, the best, When old Pincher, a mother, and childhood were mine, SONG OF THE BLIND ONE. THEY talk of rainbows in the sky, and blossoms on the earth, They sing the beauty of the stars in songs of love and mirth; They say the mountain sod is fair drops bright, they tell of dew They praise the sun that warms the day, and moon that cheers the night. I do not sigh to watch the sky, I do not care to see The lustre drop on green-hill top, or fruit upon the tree: I've prayed to have my lids unsealed, but 'twas not to behold The pearly dawn of misty morn, or evening cloud of gold. No, no, my Mary, I would turn from flower, star, and sun, For well I know thou'rt fairer still, my own, my gentle one. I hear the music others deem most eloquent and sweet, The merry lark above my head the cricket at my feet; The laughing tones of childhood's glee that gladden while they ring, The robin in the winter-time - the cuckoo in the spring; But never do I think those tones so beautiful as thine, When kind words from a kinder heart confirm that heart is mine. There is no melody of sound that bids my soul rejoice, As when I hear my simple name breathed by thy happy voice; And, Mary, I will ne'er believe that flower, star, or sun Can ever be so bright as thou mv true, my gentle one. THE OLD WATER-MILL. AND is this the old mill-stream that ten years ago |