Like pillars of fire starkly stood. Was filled with the spicing of pine and bay The smoke of the burning woods ascended. Arched its spine in a feline fashion; And Nature shook in a speechless passion; And, swallowed up in the earthquake's spleen, The wonderful Spring of San Joaquin Vanished, and nevermore was seen! Two days passed: the Mission folk But that, no doubt, was from earthquake fright. Three days there was sore distress, : Headache, nausea, giddiness. Four days faintings, tenderness Of the mouth and fauces; and in less Bret Harte. Santa Cruz, the Island, Cal. SAUNTE TO A SEA-BIRD. AUNTERING hither on listless wings, Little thou heedest the surf that sings, Little thou hast, old friend, that's new; I on the shore, and thou on the sea. All of thy wanderings, far and near, Bring thee at last to shore and me; All of my journeyings end them here, This our tether must be our cheer, I on the shore, and thou on the sea. Lazily rocking on ocean's breast, Something in common, old friend, have we; Thou on the shingle seek'st thy nest, I to the waters look for rest, I on the shore, and thou on the sea. Bret Harte. Shiloh (Pittsburg Landing), Tenn. THE OLD SERGEANT.. "COME take the cup; a little nearer, Doctor,- thank you,— let me Draw your chair up, little sup! - draw it closer, - just another May be you may think I'm better; but I'm pretty well 66 used up, Doctor, you've done all you could do, but I'm just a going up! Feel my pulse, sir, if you want to, but it ain't much "Never say that," said the surgeon, as he smothered down a sigh; "It will never do, old comrade, for a soldier to say die!" "What you say will make no difference, Doctor, when you come to die. "Doctor, what has been the matter?" very faint, they say; "You were You must try to get to sleep now." Doctor, have I been away? "Not that anybody knows of!" "Doctor, Doctor, please to stay! There is something I must tell you, and you won't have long to stay! "I have got my marching orders, and I'm ready now to go; Doctor, did you say I fainted? - but it could n't ha' been so, For as sure as I'm a Sergeant, and was wounded at Shiloh, I've this very night been back there, on the old field of Shiloh ! "This is all that I remember: The last time the Lighter came, And the lights had all been lowered, and the noises much the same, He had not been gone five minutes before something called my name : 'Orderly Sergeant Robert Burton!'-just that way it called my name. And I wondered who could call me so distinctly and so slow, Knew it could n't be the Lighter, he could not have spoken so, And I tried to answer, 'Here, sir!' but I could n't make it go; For I could n't move a muscle, and I could n't make it go! Then I thought: It's all a nightmare, all a humbug and a bore; Just another foolish grape-vine,1 and it won't come any more; 1 Canard. But it came, sir, notwithstanding, just the same way as before: 'Orderly Sergeant — Robert Burton!'. than before. even plainer That is all that I remember, till a sudden burst of light, And I stood beside the river, where we stood that Sunday night, Waiting to be ferried over to the dark bluffs opposite, When the river was perdition and all hell was opposite ! "And the same old palpitation came again in all its power, And I heard a bugle sounding, as from some celestial tower; And the same mysterious voice said: 'It is the eleventh hour! 66 66 Orderly Sergeant-Robert Burton-it is the eleventh hour!' دو 'Doctor Austin! what day is this? "It is Wednesday night, you know." 'Yes, — to-morrow will be New Year's, and a right good time below! What time is it, Doctor Austin? Nearly twelve." "Then don't you go! Can it be that all this happened all this hour ago! not an |