dmit of controversy, we shall
say no more on the subject, but shall proceed to the more agreeable duty
of quoting the greater portion of Miss Barrett's poem, which may be
regarded as a commentary on the prayer--"The Lord be merciful to us
sinners."

THE CRY OF THE HUMAN.

"'There is no God,' the foolish saith,--
But none, 'There is no sorrow;'
And nature oft, the cry of faith,
In bitter need will borrow:
Eyes, which the preacher could not school,
By wayside graves are raised;
And lips say, 'God be pitiful,'
Which ne'er said, 'God be praised.'
Be pitiful, O God!

"The curse of gold upon the land,
The lack of bread enforces--
The rail-cars snort from strand to strand,
Like more of Death's White horses!
The rich preach 'rights' and future days,
And hear no angel scoffing:
The poor die mute--with starving gaze
On corn-ships in the offing.
Be pitiful, O God!

"We meet together at the feast--
To private mirth betake us--
We stare down in the winecup, lest
Some vacant chair should shake us!
We name delight and pledge it round--
'It shall be ours to-morrow!'
God's seraphs! do your voices sound
As sad in naming sorrow?
Be pitiful, O God!

"We sit together with the skies,
The steadfast skies above us:
We look into each other's eyes,--
'And how long will you love us?'--
The eyes grow dim with prophecy,
The voices, low and breathless--
'Till death us part!'--O words, to be
Our _best_ for love the deathless!
Be pitiful, dear God!

"We tremble by the harmless bed
Of one loved and departed--
Our tears drop on the lips that said
Last night, 'Be stronger-hearted!'
O God--to clasp those fingers close,
And yet to feel so lonely!--
To see a light on dearest brows,
Which is the daylight only!
Be pitiful, O God!

"The happy children come to us,
And look up in our faces:
They ask us--Was it thus, and thus,
When we were in their places?--
We cannot speak:--we see anew
The hills we used to live in;
And feel our mother's smile press through
The kisses she is giving.
Be pitiful, O God!

"We pray together at the kirk,
For mercy, mercy, solely--
Hands weary with the evil work,
We lift them to the Ho