As knights of old put on their mail,- An iron suit, Iron jacket and iron boot, Iron breeches, and on the head No hat, but an iron pot instead, (I believe they called the thing a helm,) The dragons and pagans that plagued the realm,So this modern knight, Prepared for flight, Put on his wings and strapped them tight,- "Hush!" Reuben said, "He's up in the shed! He's opened the winder, I see his head! He stretches it out, An' pokes it about, Lookin' to see 'f the coast is clear, An' nobody near; Guess he don'o' who 's hid in here! He's riggin' a spring-board over the sill! Steppin' careful, he travels the length Of his spring-board, and teeters to try its strength. Now he stretches his wings like a monstrous bat; an' that, Peeks over his shoulder, this way To the ground with a thump! Flutt'rin' an' flound'rin', all 'n a lump !" As a demon is hurled by an angel's spear In the midst of the barn-yard, he came down, Away with a bellow fled the calf, And what was that? Did the gosling laugh? "T is a merry roar From the old barn-door, And he hears the voice of Jotham crying, "Say, D'rius! how do you like flyin'?” Slowly, ruefully, where he lay, Darius just turned and looked that way, As he stanched his sorrowful nose with his cuff "Wal, I like flyin' well enough," He said; "but the' ain't sich a awful sight O' fun in 't when ye come to light." MORAL. I just have room for the moral here: Or if you insist, as you have the right, On spreading your wings for a loftier flight, J T. Trowbridge No Sect in Heaven. Talking of sects till late one eve, Of the various doctrines the saints believe, And a "Churchman" down to the river came But the aged father did not mind, And his long gown floated out behind, "I'm bound for Heaven, and when I'm there Then he fixed his eyes on the shining track, I saw him again on the other side, or not. When down to the river a Quaker strayed, "My coat and hat must be all gray, Then he buttoned his coat straight up to his chin, And staidly, solemnly, waded in, And his broad-brimmed hat he pulled down tight Over his forehead, so cold and white. But a strong wind carried away his hat; As he entered Heaven, his suit of gray Next came Dr. Watts with a bundle of Psalms, And hymns as many, a very wise thing, That the people in Heaven, "all round," might sing. But I thought that he heaved an anxious sigh, As he saw that the river ran broad and high, And looked rather surprised as, one by one The Psalms and Hymns in the wave went down. And after him with his MSS., Came Wesley, the pattern of godliness; But he cried, "Dear me, what shall I do? The water has soaked them through and through." And there on the river, far and wide, Away they went down the swollen tide, And the saint astonished passed through alone, Then gravely walking, two saints by name, "Sprinkled or plunged, may I ask you, friend, "And I really think it will hardly do, Then straightway plunging with all his might, And, now, when the river is rolling on, Of women there seemed an innumerable throng, And concerning the road, they could never agree, And a sound of murmuring long and loud Or, "I'm in the old way, and you're in the new, But the brethren only seemed to speak, |