Part 40 (1/2)

THE GLADNESS OF NATURE

Is this a tihs around; When even the deep blue heavens look glad, And gladness breathes froround?

There are notes of joy froh all the sky; The ground-squirrel gaily chirps by his den, And the wilding bee hums merrily by

The clouds are at play in the azure space, And their shadows at play on the bright green vale, And here they stretch to the frolic chase, And there they roll on the easy gale

There's a dance of leaves on that aspen bower, There's a titter of winds in that beechen tree, There's a sh from the brook that runs to the sea

And look at the broad-faced sun, how he s waters and gay young isles; Ay, look, and he'll sloom away

BRYANT

OLD ENGLISH LIFE

When the sun rose on England of olden tiht stirred every sleeper froe Springing fro off the coarse coverlets, usually of sheepskin, the subject of King Alfred donned the day's dress Gentlemen wore linen or woollen tunics, which reached to the knee; and, over these, long fur-lined cloaks, fastened with a brooch of ivory or gold Strips of cloth or leather, bandaged crosswise fros; and black, pointed shoes, slit along the instep als, coentle a veil of linen or silk upon their delicate curls, laced a loose-flowing gown over a tight-sleeved bodice, and pinned the graceful folds of their olden butterflies and other tasteful trinkets

Breakfast consisted probably of bread, hter repast than that taken when the hurry of the day lay behind Often it was eaten in the bower or private apartreat event of the day--was _Noon-reat hall A little before three, the chief and all his household, with any stray guests who ht have dropped in,bowers--the principal apart up from a fire which blazed in the middle of the floor, blackened the carved rafters of the arched roof before they found their way out of the hole above which did duty as a chiated pictures of saints and heroes, hung, and if the day was stormy, flapped upon the chinky walls In palaces and in earls' ht into a mosaic, for of the tis and summer noons The only articles of furniture always in the hall ooden benches; soh settle_ or seat of the chieftain, boasted cushi+ons, or at least a rug

While the hungry crowd, fresh fro up their weapons on the pegs and hooks that jutted fro, flat, heavy board, placed it on s, and spread on its upper half a handsoed with other utensils for thebread, a scanty sprinkling of steel knives shaped like our modern razors, platters of wood, and bowls for the universal broth

The cerelish phrased it, being coan Great round cakes of bread--huge junks of boiled bacon--vast rolls of broiled eel--cups of es of cheese--lues and beans, reasy fingers and grinding jaws Kneeling slaves offered to the lord and his honoured guests long skewers or spits, on which steaks of beef or venison s blade

Poultry, too, and game of every variety, filled the spaces of the upper board; but the crowd of _loaf-eaters_, as old English doestively called, saw little of these daintier kinds of food, except the naked bones Nor did they much care, if, to their innu to appease their hunger

Hounds, sitting eager-eyed by theirto them, or retired into private life below the board with some sweet bone that fortune sent them

The solid part of the banquet ended with the washi+ng of hands, perforh settle by officious slaves The board was then dragged out of the hall; the loaf-eaters slunk away to have a nap in the byre, or sat drowsily in corners of the hall; and the drinking began During the progress of the meal, Welsh ale had flowed freely in horns or vessels of twisted glass Mead and, in very grand houses, wine now began to circle in goblets of gold and silver, or of wood inlaid with those preciousto the uest in turn, for-bout

Meanti brains; the revelry grew louder; riddles, which had flown thick around the board at first, gave place to banter, taunts, and fierce boasts of prowess; angry eyes glea, the household slaves had not to wash blood-stains froht, when the drunken brawlers lay stupid on the floor, to drag a dead man from the red plash in which he lay

From the reek and riot of the hall the ladies of the household soon withdrew to the bohere they reigned supreme There, in the earlier part of the day, they had arrayed the tweezers and crisping-irons on their yellow hair, and often heightening the blush that Nature gave thee

There, too, they used to scold their female slaves, and beat the and entleness of their wo upon those pieces of delicate elish work,” soentlemen dropped in, perhaps harp in hand, to chat and play for their aames of hazard and skill, which seem to have resembled modern dice and chess When in later days supper came into fashi+on, the round table of the boas usually spread for _Evening-food_, as this s of straw, froht their human burden, worn out with the labours and the revels of the day

W F COLLIER (Adapted)

PUCK'S SONG

See you the dih the wheat?