LITTLE Ellie sits alone

'Mid the beeches of the meadow,
By a stream-side on the grass;
And the trees are showering down
Doubles of their leaves in shadow
On her shining hair and face.

She has thrown her bonnet by;
And her feet she has been dipping
In the shallow water's flow-
Now she holds them nakedly
In her hands, all sleek and dripping,
While she rocketh to and fro.

Little Ellie sits alone,

And the smile she softly useth

Fills the silence like a speech:

While she thinks what shall be done,

And the sweetest pleasure chooseth

For her future, within reach.

Little Ellie in her smile

Chooseth "I will have a lover,

Riding on a steed of steeds!

He shall love me without guile; And to him I will discover

That swan's nest among the reeds.

"And the steed it shall be red-roan, And the lover shall be noble,

With an eye that takes the breath,
And the lute he plays upon
Shall strike ladies into trouble,

As his sword strikes men to death.

66 And the steed it shall be shod

All in silver, housed in azure,

And the mane shall swim the wind;
And the hoofs along the sod

Shall flash onward and keep measure,
Till the shepherds look behind.

"He will kiss me on the mouth

Then, and lead me as a lover,

Through the crowds that praise his deeds; And, when soul-tied by one troth,

Unto him I will discover

That swan's nest among the reeds."

Little Ellie, with her smile

Not yet ended, rose up gayly,

Tied the bonnet, donn'd the shoe, And went homeward round a mile, Just to see, as she did daily,

What more eggs were with the two.

Pushing through the elm-tree copse, Winding by the stream, light-hearted, Where the osier pathway leads

Past the boughs she stoops and stops; Lo! the wild swan had deserted,

And a rat had gnaw'd the reeds.

Ellie went home sad and slow.

If she found the lover ever,

With his red-roan steed of steeds,
Sooth I know not! but I know

She could never show him

never

That swan's nest among the reeds.

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

GOD rest ye, merry gentlemen!
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
Was born on Christmas Day.

The dawn rose red o'er Bethlehem,
The stars shone though the gray,
When Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
Was born on Christmas Day.

God rest ye, little children;
Let nothing you affright,
For Jesus Christ, your Saviour,
Was born this happy night.

Along the hills of Galilee,

The white flocks sleeping lay, When Christ, the child of Nazareth,

Was born on Christmas Day.

DINAH MARIA MULOCK CRAIK.

CEREMONIES FOR CHRISTMAS

COME, bring with a noise,
My merry, merry boys,
The Christmas log to the firing,

While my good dame she

Bids ye all be free,

And drink to your heart's desiring.

With the last year's brand,

Light the new block, and
For good success in his spending,
On your psalteries play

That sweet luck may
Come while the log is a-tending.

Drink now the strong beer,

Cut the white loaf here.
The while the meat is a-shredding;
For the rare mince-pie,

And the plums stand by,

To fill the paste that's a-kneading.

ROBERT HERRICK.