king on? 'tis clear
Some foolish fancies must have got
Possession of your head, my dear.

"What thoughts were they, Eliza, tell,
Nor seek from me the truth to smother."--
"O I remember very well,
I whisper'd something to my brother.

"I said, 'Be friends with me, dear Will;'
We quarrell'd, Sir, at the church door,--
Though he cried, 'Hush, don't speak, be still,'
Yet I repeated these words o'er

"Sev'n or eight times, I have no doubt.
But here comes William, and if he
The good things he has heard about
Forgets too, Sir, the fault's in me."

"No, Sir," said William, "though perplext
And much disturbed by my sister,
I in this matter of the text,
I thank my memory, can assist her.

"I have, and pride myself on having,
A more retentive head than she."--
Then gracefully his right hand waving,
He with no little vanity

Recited gospel, chapter, verse--
I should be loth to spoil in metre
All the good words he did rehearse,
As spoken by our Lord to Peter.

But surely never words from heaven
Of peace and love more full descended;
That we should seventy times seven
Forgive our brother that offended.

In every point of view he plac'd it,
As he the Doctor's self had been,
With emphasis and action grac'd it:
But from his self-conceit 'twas seen

Who had brought home the words, and who had
A little on the meaning thought;
Eliza now the old man knew had
Learn'd that which William never caught.

Without impeaching William's merit,
His head but served him for the letter,
Hers miss'd the words, but kept the spirit;
Her memory to her heart was debtor.

THE END OF MAY

"Our Governess is not in school,
So we may talk a bit;
Sit down upon this little stool,
Come, little Mary, sit:

"And, my dear play-mate, tell me why
In dismal black you're drest?
Why does the tear stand in your eye?
With sobs why heaves your breast?

"When we're in grief, it gives relief
Our sorrows to impart;
When you've told why, my dear, you cry,
'Twill ease your little heart."

"O, it is trouble very bad
Which causes me to weep;
All last night long we were so sad,
Not one of us could sleep.

"Beyond the seas my father went,
'Twas very long ago;
And he last week a letter sent
(I told you so, you know)

"That he was safe in Portsmouth bay,