And mé scarce less anxiety
Lest áll should not well managed be."
Incómparably honest friend,
Pray ón; my lécture 's at an end;
There's not a word you 've said but 's true;
I'll kneel beside you and pray too."
FLEURUS, HAINAULT (BELGIUM), Nov. 10, 1854.
JACK and Jóck once mét each other
Ón a road that eást and west lay,
Pósting both as fást as áble,
Wéstward Jack, and Jóck due eastward:
"Whither, Jack, in súch a húrry?"
Said Jock, stópping short and greeting.
"Straight to heaven," repliéd Jack hásty,
"Túrn aboút, Jock, and come with me."
Whát! to heaven?" said Jóck astónished; "Jack, you can't to heaven get that way; Heaven lies eastward évery child knows Cóme with mé, I 'm bound straight fór it."
"Báh!" said Jáck, "you 're súrely jóking; Why, it's straight to hell you 're going.
you 're wise you'll turn with mé, Jock; Read the signpost: HEAVEN *** MÍLES EAST."
"Whát care Í, Jack, fór your signpost?
All my friends have still gone this way;
Father, móther, bóth grandfathers,
All my uncles, aúnts and coúsins."
"For your friends I cáre as little,
Jóck, as you care fór my signpost,
Bút to end our difference lét us
Leave it to the toll-bar keéper."
To the toll-bar Jack and Jóck go,
Dóff their bonnets, pút the question:
"Géntlemén," repliés the tóll - man,
"Please both of you pay the tóll first."
Paid the tóll, says thé toll-keéper
With a shrewd shrug óf his shoulders:
"Géntlemén, you 're free to take now
Either road to heaven or neither."
Só the two friends followed ón straight
Each the way he had been going,
Ánd I doubt much either 's nearer
Heaven today than when he started.
Walking from BASECLES to TOURNAY (BELGIUM), Nov. 14, 1854.
THE BEGGAR AND THE BISHOP.
"My lord bishop," said the beggar,
"Thoú and ĺ in Christ are brethren,
Lét us therefore live as brothers;
I'll begin, do thoú as Í do.
"Hére 's one hálf my crúst and bacon,
Hére 's one of my twó sixpénces;
Nów give me one half the income
Óf thy seé and présentations."
"Yés, beyond doubt wé are brethren,"
Said the bishop with a gráve smile,
"Ánd have bóth received our pórtions
Fróm the same impártial Párent.
"Tó divide again were impious
Disconténtednéss on oúr parts;
Keep thou thine as I will míne keep,
And let bóth praise the great gíver.
"Bút as I am boúnd in fairness
Tó acknowledge I've the lion's share,
Táke this cháritáble shilling
And my blessing, and no móre say.'
Walking from CANTERBURY to SITTINGBOURNE (KENT), Nov. 23, 1854.
TONGUELESS thou 'st yét a triple voice, gray lock;
For, first, thou speakest of a time when soft,
Brown, glóssy, curly hair my temples shaded;
When supple and elastic were my joints,
My strong heart full of joy and hope and courage,
My ínfant reason breathless in pursuit
Of fúgitive, light-foot, ignis-fatuus Knowledge;
A time when in my curling locks my mother
Her fingers used to wreathe and smiling say:
"Heaven bléss my boy and make him a good man."
And next thou speákest of a time, gray lock,
When prématurely with my yet brown hair
White hairs began to mingle, and my mother
With tender hand would pluck them and say síghing:
"Thése might have wéll a little longer waited,
And spáred the sorrow to a mother's eyes."
And I would smile, and press her hand and say: -
"Bé of good heart; we 've many a year before us,
Móther and són, to live, and love each other,
My vigorous mánhood sheltering and protecting
Hér in whose shélter sáfe I grew to manhood."
And last, thou speakest of a time, gray lock
A tíme, alás! no longer in perspective,
Distant and dím and dreáded, but here present
When the kind fingers, that in my brown curls
Once wreathed themselves or plucked the odd white hair,
Lie mouldering in the sepulchre, and I,
Three fourths my journey made to the same goal,
Play with my fingers in my daughter's curls
Such triple voice hast thou, truthful gray lock.
FONTAINE L'EVEQUE, HAINAULT (BELGIUM); Nov. 12, 1854.
FOR THE TOMBSTONE OF MARAT.
SLAÍN by an ángel in the guise of woman
Here lies that fiénd incarnate, Jean Marat;
The enemy of mankind, THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND.
Alás, magnanimous Corday, that the world
Must buy its riddance from the incubus
Át the too high price of thy virgin blood!
LILLE, DEP. DU NORD (FRANCE); Nov. 17, 1854.
LÉT men boast their Brútus,
Scévolá and Cócles,
Women have their greater,
Nóbler, púrer Córday.
LILLE, Dep. DU NORD (FRANCE); Nov. 17, 1854.
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