Her forehead, like a breeze of Spring: Shed round her pillow from aloft, Of" Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and Jolin. Above and round the sacred places Thrice happy Creature! in all lands And when the keen, unruffled weather, "Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and John, Bless the bed that I lie on,". are part of a child's prayer, still in general use through the Northern counties. That thus brings man and bird together, And he belike will flinch or start, Good friends he has to take his part ;' 1834. XXXVIII. HER EYES ARE WILD. I. HER eyes are wild, her head is bare, The sun has burnt her coal-black hair; Her eyebrows have a rusty stain, And she came far from over the main. She had a baby on her arm, Or else she were alone: And underneath the hay-stack warm, And on the greenwood stone, She talked and sung the woods among, And it was in the English tongue. II. "Sweet babe! they say that I am mad; I pray thee have no fear of me; III. "A fire was once within my brain IV. "Suck, little babe, O suck again! It cools my blood; it cools my brain; Thy lips I feel them, baby! they Draw from my heart the pain away. O press me with thy little hand! It loosens something at my chest ; About that tight and deadly band I feel thy little fingers prest. The breeze I see is in the tree: It comes to cool my babe and me. V. "O love me, love me, little boy! Nor leaping torrents when they howl; The babe I carry on my arm, He saves for me my precious soul; Then happy lie; for blest am I; Without me my sweet babe would die. VI. "Then do not fear, my boy! for thee Bold as a lion will I be ; And I will always be thy guide, VII. 66 Thy father cares not for my breast, 'T is thine, sweet baby, there to rest; "T is all thine own!- and if its hue Be changed, that was so fair to view, 'Tis fair enough for thee, my dove! My beauty, little child, is flown, But thou wilt live with me in love; And what if my poor cheek be brown? "T is well for me thou canst not see How pale and wan it else would be. |