Arrived at last on shallow ground, he saw With a white hand, and vanished as before. With jutting myrtles mixed, and verdure dank, With darkness; yet he guessed who stood behind; And entering with a turn, the breathless boy A breathless welcome finds, and words that die for joy. LEIGH HUNT. IS MY LOVER ON THE SEA? Is my lover on the sea? Sailing east, or sailing west? Mighty Ocean, gentle be, Rock him into rest! Let no angry wind arise, Nor a wave with whitened crest; All be gentle as his eyes, When he is caressed! BARRY CORNWALL. THE PLEASURE-BOAT. COME, hoist the sail, the fast let go! The ripples lightly tap the boat. Loose! Give her to the wind! She shoots ahead: - they're all afloat: The strand is far behind. No danger reach so fair a crew; Fair ladies, fairer than the spray O, might I like those breezes be, Where ye are floating now. The boat goes tilting on the waves; The waves go tilting by; There dips the duck: - her back she laves; O'erhead the sea-gulls fly. Now, like the gulls that dart for prey, The little vessel stoops; Now rising, shoots along her way, Like them, in easy swoops. The sun-light falling on her sheet, Sparkling in scorn of summer's heat, The winds are fresh; she's driving fast The crinkling sail, and crinkling mast, Go with her side by side. Why dies the breeze away so soon? For, see, the winged fisher's plume Below, a cheek of lovely bloom. Whose eyes look up at thee? She smiles; thou need'st must smile on her; A rich, white cloud that doth not stir. And pictured beach of yellow sand, From that far isle the thresher's flail The parting sun sends out a glow A breeze!-Up helm!-Away! Careening to the wind, they reach, Goddess of Beauty, must I now R. H. DANA. MERRILY BOUNDS THE BARK. MERRILY, merrily bounds the bark, She bounds before the gale; The mountain breeze from Ben-na-darch With fluttering sound, like laughter hoarse, The waves, divided by her force, Merrily, merrily bounds the bark, |