SHE SEIZED MY BRIDLE SUDDENLY."

3. She seized my bridle suddenly,
The horse stood still with fear-

Her hand was strong and bird-like long—
Her eye was piercing clear.

66

Oh, shame!" she said, "oh, cruel shame!
To ride so fierce and wild!

The clatter of your horses' hoofs

Will wake my little child.

4. "Oh, hush! oh, hush! I pray you, hush!

No word be said-and softly tread

The child will waken soon.

I die of noises all day long,

From morn till even-blush;

Not for my sake, but hers, I pray-
Hush! if you're Christians, hush!"

5. Much wonder'd we to hear her words,
But Hugh, our guide, look'd on:
"Poor soul!" he said, "we'll do our best
To earn her benison.

"Twill cost no trouble to be kind:
Good Chrystie, let us through,
We will not wake your sleeping child,
But pray for her and you."

6. She slowly let the bridle fall—
"Ride on your way," she said—
"But oh, be silent! noise like yours
Disturbs both quick and dead."
And then she slid among the rocks ;-
We saw not where she went,

But turn'd to Hugh our anxious eyes,
Inquiring what she meant.

7. "Poor thing!" he said, while forth we rode As if we trod on snow,

"Her brain is turn'd by sore mischance That happen'd long ago.

Her age was scarcely twenty then
But what it may be now

Is somewhat difficult to fix,

Between fourscore and three.

Grammar. (1) Analyse the first four lines of verse 7. (2) Point out all the prepositions in first three verses.

LESSON XLII.

THE BRIDGE OF GLEN ARAY.

PART II.

witch, a woman, usually old and ugly,
who was formerly supposed to have
supernatural power, received from
the Evil One.

perchance, probably; perhaps.
foam, froth which rises on the surface
of running water.
impending, threatening.

eddies, the whirling of the stream,
producing circular waves.
boulders, rocks; huge stones.
nerves (v.), strengthens.
to cope with, to struggle.
argue, reason; discuss.
sympathy, pity.
to chide, to scold.

1. "Though now she's ugly as a witch,
She was a beauty then,

And with her gentleness and grace
She won the hearts of men.

And Donald Bain won hers, and sought
The hand she freely gave ;-
They married; but before a year
She wept upon his grave.

2. "A little babe was left behind,-
A fairy thing, 'tis said,

With soft blue eyes and golden hair,
And cheeks of cherry red.

It

grew

in beauty every day,

The maid was two years old,
The darling of her mother's life,
A pleasure to behold.

3. "One day she wandered to the stream—
It was the time of floods-
Perchance she chased the butterfly,
Or pluck'd the yellow buds.
She lost her footing on the brink ;-
The mother heard the cry,

And sprang to save, but all too late!
The flood ran roaring by.

4." She saw the little face and hands,
Then leap'd into the foam,

To snatch it from impending death,
And bear her darling home.
In vain! in vain! oh, all in vain!
The neighbours gather'd round,
They saved the mother from the deep—
The little child was drown'd.

5. "And since that day-past fifty yearsShe's linger'd by the stream,

And thinks the babe has gone to sleep,
And dreams a happy dream.

She fancies it will soon awake,

With blue eyes twinkling, mild—
Unchanged by half-a-century,

And still a little child.

6. " Beside the waters where it sank
She sits the livelong day,
Her eyes upon the eddies fix'd,
That round the boulders play;
And spreads to dry upon the rocks
The clothes which it shall wear,
The little frock, the tiny shoes,
And ribbons for its hair.

7. "She loves deep silence ;-bless'd with that, She feeds on empty hope,

And daily nerves a broken heart

With misery to cope.

The pitying friends who bring her food
All speak in whispers low,

And never argue with the thought
That cheers her in her woe.

8. "For she is harmless as a babe,

Though mad, as you may see ;-God save our senses, one and all!""Amen! amen!" said we.