Awoke his balmy rest! He dreamt such dreams
As float round childhood's couch, of angel faces
Peering through clouds ;-of sunny rivulets,
Where the fresh stream flows rippling on, to waft
A tiny sail ;-and of his rabbits white,
With eyes of ruby, and his tender fawn's
Long delicate limbs, light tread, and graceful neck.
He slept unconscious.-Who shall wake that sleep?
All shrink, for now th' artillery louder roars ;-
The frighten'd slaves crouch at their master's side,
And he, infirm and feeble, scarce sustains

His sinking weight.

There was a pause, a hush So deep, that one could hear the forest leaves Flutter and drop between the war-gun's peal. Then forward stood that girl, young Mary Anna, The tear dried up upon her cheek, the sob Crush'd down, and in that high and lofty tone Which sometimes breathes of woman in the child, She said "He shall not die"-and turn'd alone.

Alone? O gentle girlhood, not alone
Art thou if One watching above will guard
Thee on thy way.

Clouds shrouded up the stars ;-
On-on she sped, the gun's broad glare her beacon!
The wolf growl sounded near,-on-onward still;
The forest trees like warning spirits moan'd,-
She press'd her hands against her throbbing heart,
But falter'd not. The whizzing shot went by,
Scarce heeded went.-Pass'd is a weary mile
With the light step a master spirit gives
On duty's road, and she has reach'd her home.
Her home-is this her home at whose fair gate
Stern foes in silence stand to bar her way?
That gate, which from her infant childhood leap'd
On its wide hinges glad at her return?
Before the sentinels she trembling stood,

And with a voice, whose low and tender tones
Rose like the ring-dove's in midsummer storms,
She said,

"Please let me pass, and seek a child,

Who, in my father's mansion has been left
Sleeping, unconscious of the danger near."
While thus she spake a smile incredulous
Stole o'er the face of one, the other cursed

And barr'd her from the way.

66

"O, sirs," she cried,

While from her upraised eyes the tears stream'd down,
And her small hands were clasp'd in agony,
"Drive me not hence, I pray. Until to-night
I dared not stray beyond my nurse's side
In the dim twilight; yet I now have come
Alone, unguarded, this far dreary mile,
By darkness unappall'd;—a simple worm
Would often fright my heart, and bid it flutter,
But now I've heard the wild wolf's hungry howl
With soul undaunted-till to-night, I've shrunk
From men ;-and soldiers! scarcely dared I look
Upon their glittering arms;—but here I come
And sue to you, men, warriors;-drive me not
Away. He whom I seek is yet a child,
A prattling boy, and must he, must he die?
O, if you love your children, let me pass.-

You will not? Then my strength and hope are gone,
And I shall perish, e'er I reach my friends."

And then she press'd her brow, as if those hands
So soft and small, could still its throbbing pulse.
The sentinels look'd calmly on, like men

Whose blades had toy'd with sorrow and made sport
Of wo.
One step the maiden backward took,
Lingering in thought, then hope like a soft flush
Of struggling twilight kindled in her eyes.
She knelt before them and reurged her plea.

66 Perchance you have a sister, sir, or you,
A poor young thing like me; if she were here
Kneeling like me before my countrymen,
They would not spurn her thus !"?

"Go,

girl-pass

The soften'd voice of one replied, nor was
She check'd, nor waited she to hear repulse,
But darted through the avenue, attain'd

The hall, and springing up the well known stairs

on"'

With such a flight as the young eagle takes
To gain its nest, she reach'd the quiet couch,
Where in bright dreams th' unconscious sleeper lay.
Slight covering o'er the rescued boy she threw,
And caught him in her arms. He knew that cheek,
Kiss'd it half-waking, then around her neck
His hands entwined, and dropp'd to sleep again.

She bore him onward, dreading now for him
The shot that whizz'd along, and tore the earth
In fragments by her side. She reach'd the guards,
Who silent oped the gate,-then hurried on,
But as she pass'd them, from her heart burst forth-
"God bless you, gentlemen!" then urged her way;
Those arms, whose heaviest load and task had been
To poise her doll, and wield her childhood's toys,
Bearing the boy along the dangerous road.
Voices at length she hears-her friends are near,
They meet, and yielding up her precious charge,
She sinks upon her father's breast, in doubt
"Twixt smiles and tears.

GILMAN

123. THE FIRST CRUSADERS BEFORE JERUSALEM.

"JERUSALEM !-Jerusalem ?"

The blessed goal was won,

On Siloe's brook and Sion's mount as stream'd the setting

sun,

Uplighted in his mellow'd glow, far o'er Judea's plain, Slow winding toward the holy walls, appear'd a banner'd

train.

Forgot were want, disease and death, by that impassion'd

throng,

The weary leapt, the sad rejoiced, the wounded knight grew

strong;

One glance at holy Calvary outguerdon'd every pang,
And loud from thrice ten thousand tongues the glad hosan-

nas rang.

But yet-and at that galling thought each brow was bent in

gloom

The cursed badge of Mahomet sway'd o'er the Saviour's

tomb:

Then from unnumber'd sheaths at once, the beaming blades upstream'd,

Vowed scabbardless till waved the cross above that tomb redeem'd.

But suddenly a holy awe the vengeful clamour still'd, As sinks the storm before his breath, whose word its rising will'd;

For conscience whisper'd, the same soil where they so proudly stood,

The Son of Man had trod abased, and wash'd with tears and blood.

Then dropp'd the squire his master's shield, the serf dash'd down his bow,

And, side by side with priest and peer, bent reverently and low,

While sunk at once each pennon'd spear, plumed helm and flashing glaive,

Like some wide waste of reeds bow'd down by Nilus' swollen wave.

From eyes that never wept till then, the warm tears fell like

rain,

Proud Tancred's eagle glance was dimm'd, loud sobb'd the good Lorraine ;

And 'twas a blessed sight to see each warrior fierce and

wild

Become before his God that hour e'en as a little child.

With chasten'd souls and holier thoughts, the legions slowly

rose

Wrongs were forgot, and feuds were heal'd between the deadliest foes;

Priests doff'd their sandals, harness'd knights their mailclad feet unshod,

And like unshriven penitents that hallow'd soil they trod. But where were all that peerless host, the flower of every

land,

That late before Byzantium their giant conquests plann'd? The swarms of high soul'd chivalry that throng'd the Nis

sian plain,

The leagues of spears that quiver'd there, like fields of golden grain?

Of that vast bounding human flood, this host was but a

wave:

Where were the burnish'd myriads gone? Go, ask the

desert grave

e!

The Arab's creese, the Persian's lance, the Tartar's bow and sword

Their edge and point perchance may tell where sleep that boasting horde !

Around the towers of Antioch, beneath Edessa's wall, The moving sands, for miles around, form'd one wide heaving pall:

The spotted pestilence with war, awhile the feast had shared, And famine clung the drooping wreck that swift destruction spared.

Yet were those visitations just: licentiousness and shame Had quench'd with steaming infamy the pure chivalric

flame,

And sin, and all to which it leads, had check'd their proud

career,

Far more than shaft of Tartar bow, or charge of Syrian spear.

But death hath struck to purify: the stern, unwavering few Whose virtue pleasure could not tempt, nor avarice subdue. Escaped the Moslem cimeter, the toils of Grecian fraud, Spread on Judean winds at last the banner'd cross abroad What though the haughty Saracen now held each wall an

tower:

Soon to the symbol of their faith, the crescent flag would lower,

Soon would the blades of Christendom within the barriers glance,

And soon the blood of Moslem dogs course down the Latin

lance.

And so it was: the walls were won- -then murder bared his arm;

From Omar's mosque to Herod's gate, red streams flow'd thick and warm ;

And o'er a city drench'd in gore, ere massacre could cease, The holy standard they upraised of HIM the Prince of Peace.

KNICKERBOCKER.