A NOONTIDE LYRIC.

THE dinner-bell, the dinner-bell
Is ringing loud and clear;

Through hill and plain, through street and lane,
It echoes far and near;

From curtained hall, and whitewashed stall,
Wherever men can hide,

Like bursting waves from ocean caves,
They float upon the tide.

I smell the smell of roasted meat!
I hear the hissing fry!

The beggars know where they can go,
But where, O where shall I ?
At twelve o'clock men took my hand,
At two they only stare,

And eye me with a fearful look,

As if I were a bear!

The poet lays his laurels down
And hastens to his greens;
The happy tailor quits his goose,
To riot on his beans;

The weary cobbler snaps his thread,
The printer leaves his pi;

His very devil hath a home,

But what, O what have I?

Methinks I hear an angel voice,
That softly seems to say;
"Pale stranger, all may yet be well,
Then wipe thy tears away;

Erect thy head, and cock thy hat,
And follow me afar,

And thou shalt have a jolly meal
And charge it at the bar."

I hear the voice! I go! I go! Prepare your meat and wine! They little heed their future need, Who pay not when they dine.

Give me to-day the rosy bowl,

Give me one golden dream,To-morrow kick away the stool,

And dangle from the beam!

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THE BALLAD OF THE OYSTERMAN.

Ir was a tall young oysterman lived by the river-side, His shop was just upon the bank, his boat was on the

tide;

The daughter of a fisherman, that was so straight and

slim,

Lived over on the other bank, right opposite to him.

It was the pensive oysterman that saw a lovely maid, Upon a moonlight evening, a sitting in the shade; He saw her wave her handkerchief, as much as if to say, "I'm wide awake, young oysterman, and all the folks away."

Then up arose the oysterman, and to himself said he, "I guess I'll leave the skiff at home, for fear that folks

should see;

I read it in the story-book, that, for to kiss his dear,

Leander swam the Hellespont,—and I will swim this here."

And he has leaped into the waves, and crossed the shining stream,

And he has clambered up the bank, all in the moonlight

gleam;

O there were kisses sweet as dew, and words as soft as

rain,

But they have heard her father's step, and in he leaps again!

Out spoke the ancient fisherman, "O what was that, my daughter?"

""T was nothing but a pebble, sir, I threw into the

"And what is that, pray tell me, love, that paddles off so fast?"

"It's nothing but a porpoise, sir, that's been a swim

ming past."

Out spoke the ancient fisherman,

my harpoon!

"Now bring me

I'll get into my fishing-boat, and fix the fellow soon;" Down fell that pretty innocent, as falls a snow-white

lamb,

Her hair drooped round her pallid cheeks, like sea-weed

on a clam.

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THE BALLAD OF THE OYSTERMAN.

Alas for those two loving ones! she waked not from her swound,

And he was taken with the cramp, and in the waves was drowned;

But Fate has metamorphosed them, in pity of their woe, And now they keep an oyster-shop for mermaids down below.