s ere the gloaming
Into this dell,
To stop some murdering hand fra dooming
Thy bonny sel'.

For thou wur doomed my bird, for ever,
Fra all thy feather'd mates to sever;
Were I not near thee to deliver
Wi' my awn hand;
Nor ever more thou'd skim the river,
Or fallow'd land.

Thy feather'd friends, if thou has any;
Tho' friends I fear there isn't many;
But yet the dam for her, wi' Johnny,
Will fret to-day,
And think her watter-wagtail bonny
Has flown away.

Be not afraid, for not a feather
Fra off thy wing shall touch the heather,
For I will give thee altogether
Sweet liberty!
And glad am I that I came hither,
To set thee free.

Now wing thy flight my little rover,
Thy curs'd captivity is over,
And if thou crosses t'Straits of Dover
To warmer spheres,
I hope that thou may live in clover,
For years and years.

Perhaps, like thee--for fortune's fickle--
I may, myself, be caught i' t'snickle;
And some kind hand that sees my pickle--
Through saving thee--
May snatch me too fra death's grim shackle,
And set me free.

[Picture: Decorative picture of bird]

Dame Europe's Lodging-House.

A BURLESQUE ON THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR.

Dame Europe kept a Lodging-House,
And she was fond of brass;
She took in public lodgers,
Of every rank and class.

She'd French and German, Dutch and Swiss,
And other nations too;
So poor old Mrs. Europe
Had lots of work to do.

I cannot just now name her beds,
Her number being so large;
But five she kept for deputies,
Which she had in her charge.

So in this famous Lodging-House,
John Bull he stood A1;
On him she always kept an eye,
To see things rightly done.

And Master Louis was her next,
And second, there's no doubt,
For when a little row took place,
He always backed John out.

And in her house was Alex. Russ;
Oft him they eyed with fear;
For Alex. was a lazy hound,
And kept a Russian Bear.

Her fourth was a man of grace,
Who was for heaven bent;
His name was Pious William,
He read his Testament.

Her fifth, too, was a pious Knave,
And 'tis our firm belief,
He once did rob the Hungary Lads
Of hard-earned bread and beef.

These were Dame Europe's deputies,
In whom she put her trust,
To keep her Lodging-House at peace,
In case eruption burst.

For many a time a row took place,
While sharing out the s