gh's whispering,
And trickling of a silver spring.

Then, crashing forth with smoke and din,
Once more the rattling sounds begin,
Our iron lips roll forth, "We win!"

And dull and wavering in the gale
That rushed in gusts across the vale
Came back the faint reply, "_We fail_!"

And then a word, both stern and sad,
From throat of huge Columbiad,--
"Blind fools and traitors! ye are mad!"

Again the Rebel answer came,
Muffled and slow, as if in shame,--
"_All, all is lost_!" in smoke and flame.

Now bold and strong and stern as Fate
The Union guns sound forth, "We wait!"
Faint comes the distant cry, "_Too late_!"

"Return! return!" our cannon said;
And, as the smoke rolled overhead,
"_We dare not_!" was the answer dread.

Then came a sound, both loud and clear,
A godlike word of hope and cheer,--
"Forgiveness!" echoed far and near;

As when beside some death-bed still
We watch, and wait God's solemn will,
A blue-bird warbles his soft trill.

I clenched my teeth at that blest word,
And, angry, muttered, "Not so, Lord!
The only answer is the sword!"

I thought of Shiloh's tainted air,
Of Richmond's prisons, foul and bare,
And murdered heroes, young and fair,--

Of block and lash and overseer,
And dark, mild faces pale with fear,
Of baying hell-hounds panting near.

But then the gentle story told
My childhood, in the days of old,
Rang out its lessons manifold.

O prodigal, and lost! arise
And read the welcome blest that lies
In a kind Father's patient eyes!

Thy elder brother grudges not
The lost and found should share his lot,
And wrong in concord be forgot.

Thus mused I, as the hours went by,
Till the relieving guard drew nigh,
And then was challenge and reply.

And as I hastened back to line,
It seemed an omen half divine
That "Concord" was the countersign.

* * * * *

OUR PROGRESSIVE INDEPENDENCE.

It is among the possibilities of the future, that, in due course of
time, the United States of America shall become to England what England
has become to Saxony. We cannot be sure, it is true, that the
mother-country will live, a prosperous and independent kingdom, to see
the full maturity of her gigantic offspring. We have no right to assume
it as a matter of course, that the Western Autocracy will fill up,
unbroken, the outline traced for it by Nature and h