To-morrow 'ill be of all the year the maddest, merriest day; For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. NEW YEAR'S EVE. If you're waking call me early,-call me early, mother dear; Then you may lay me low i' the mould and think no more of me. To-night I saw the sun set: he set and left behind The good old year, the dear old time, and all my peace of mind; And the new year's coming up, mother, but I shall never see The blossom on the blackthorn, the leaf upon the tree. Last May we made a crown of flowers; we had a merry day; Beneath the hawthorn on the green they made me Queen of May: And we danced about the May-pole and in the hazel copse, Till Charles's wain came out about the tall white chimney tops. There's not a flower on all the hills:-the frost is on the pane; I only wish to live till the snowdrops come again : I wish the snow would melt and the sun come out on high :- The building rook 'll caw from the windy tall elm tree, You'll never see me more in the long gray fields at night; You'll bury me, my mother, just beneath the hawthorn shade, I shall not forget you, mother, I shall hear you when you pass, If I can,—I'll come again, mother, from out my resting-place; you Good night!-good night!—when I have said "good night" for evermore, And you see me carried out from the threshold of the door, Don't let Effie come to see me till my grave be growing green, She'll be a better child to you than ever I have been. floor; She'll find my garden tools upon the granary Good night, sweet mother :-call me before the day is born, CONCLUSION. I thought to pass away before, and yet alive I am : It seem'd so hard at first, mother, to leave the blessed sun, O blessings on his kindly heart, and on his silver head! Nor would I now be well,-mother, -again, if that could be, I did not hear the dog howl,-mother, or the death-watch beat, There came a sweeter token when the night and morning meet; But sit beside my bed, mother, and put your hand in mine, All in the wild March morning I heard the angels call;- I thought that it was fancy, and I listen'd in my bed, For great delight and shuddering took hold of all my mind,--And the valley came again the music on the wind. up But you were sleeping: and I said, "It's not for them; it's mine! And if it comes three times, I thought, I take it for a sign." So now I think my time is near. I trust it is. I know O look! the sun begins to rise, the heavens are in a glow; Wild flowers in the valley for other hands than mine. O sweet and strange it seems to me, that ere this day is done, The voice, that now is speaking, may be beyond the sun:For ever and for ever with those just souls and true And what is life, that we should moan?-why make we such ado? For ever and for ever, all in a blessed home And there to wait a little while till you and Effie come- ELIZA'S ESCAPE. THE frosty ground creaked beneath her feet, and she trembled at the sound; every quaking leaf and fluttering shadow sent the blood backward to her heart, and quickened her footsteps. She wondered within herself at the strength that seemed to be come upon her; for she felt the weight of her boy as if it had been a feather, and every flutter of fear seemed to increase the supernatural power that bore her on, while from her pale lips burst forth, in frequent ejaculations, the prayer to a Friend above, "Lord, help; Lord, save me." If it were your Harry, mother, or your Willie, that were going to be torn from you by a brutal trader to-morrow morning-if you had seen the man, and heard that the papers were signed and delivered, and you had only from twelve o'clock till morning to make good your escape-how fast could you walk? How many miles could you make in those few brief hours, with your darling at your bosom-the little sleepy head on your shoulder-the small soft arms trustingly holding on to your neck? For the child slept. At first the novelty and alarm kept him waking; but his mother so hurriedly repressed every breath or sound, and so assured him that if he were only still she would certainly save him, that he clung quietly round her neck, only asking, as he found himself sinking to sleep"Mother, I don't need to keep awake, do I?" "No, my darling; sleep, if you want to." But, mother, if I do get asleep, you won't let him get me?" "No! so may Heaven help me!" said his mother, with a paler cheek, and a brighter light in her large dark eyes. "You're sure, an't you, mother?" “Yes, sure!” said the mother, in a voice that startled herself; for it seemed to her to come from a spirit within that was no part of her; and the boy dropped his little weary head on her shoulder, and was soon asleep. How the touch of the child's warm arms, and his gentle breathing, seemed to add fire and spirit to her movements! It seemed to her as if strength poured into her in electric streams, from every gentle touch and movement of the sleeping, confiding child. Sublime is the dominion of the mind over the body, that for a time can make flesh and nerve impregnable, and string the sinews like steel, so that the weak become so mighty. An hour before sunset, she entered a village by the Ohio river, which lay, like Jordan, between her and the Canaan of liberty on the other side. It was now early spring, and the river was swollen and turbulent; great cakes of floating ice were swinging heavily to and fro in the turbid waters. Owing to the peculiar form of the shore on the Kentucky side, the land bending far out into the water, the ice had been lodged and detained in great quantities, and the narrow channel which swept round the bend was full of it, piled one cake over another, thus forming a temporary barrier to the descending masses, which lodged and formed a great undulating raft, filling up the whole river, and extending almost to the Kentucky shore. Eliza stood for a moment contemplating this unfavourable aspect of things, which she saw at once must prevent the usual ferry boat from running, and then turned into a small public-house on the bank to make a few inquiries. "Take him into this room," said the hostess, opening into a small bed-room where stood a comfortable bed. Eliza laid the weary boy upon it, and held his hands in hers till he was fast asleep. For her there was no rest. As a fire in her bones, the thoughts of the pursuer urged her on; and she gazed with longing eyes on the sullen, surging waters, that lay between her and liberty. In consequence of all the various delays, it was about threequarters of an hour after Eliza had laid her child to sleep in the village tavern that the pursuing party came riding into the same place. Eliza was standing by the window, looking out in another direction, when Sam's quick eye canght a glimpse of her. Haley and Andy were two yards behind. At this crisis Sam contrived to have his hat blown off, and uttered a loud and characteristic ejaculation, which startled her at |