The Youths Coronal | Page 7

of mail that it
need not fear
The glittering point of many a spear
That he hung on
its margin, far and near,
Where a rock was rearing its head.
He went to the windows of those who slept,
And over each pane, like
a fairy crept;
Wherever he breathed--wherever he stepped--
Most
beautiful things were seen
By morning's first light!--there flowers and
trees,
With bevies of birds, and swarms of bright bees;--
There were
cities--temples, and towers; and these,
All pictured in silvery sheen!
But one thing he did that was hardly fair--
He peeped in the cupboard,
and, finding there
That none had remembered for him to prepare,

"Now, just to set them a-thinking,
I'll bite their rich basket of fruit,"
said he,
"This burly old pitcher--I'll burst it in three!
And the glass
with the water they've left for me
Shall 'tchick!' to tell them I'm

drinking!"
=Vivy Vain=
Miss Vain was all given to dress--
Too fond of gay clothing; and so,

She'd gad about town
Just to show a new gown,
As a train-band
their color to show.
Her head being empty and light,
Whene'er she obtained a new hat,

With pride in her air,
She'd go round, here and there,
For all whom
she knew to see that.
Her folly was chiefly in this:
More highly she valued fine looks,

Than virtue or truth,
Or devoting her youth
To usefulness,
friendship, or books.
Her passion for show was unchecked;
And therefore, it happened one
day,
Arrayed in bright hues,
And with new hat and shoes,
Miss
Vain walked abroad for display.
She took the most populous streets.
To cause but aversion in those,

Who saw how she prinked,
And the bystanders winked.
While the
boys cried, "Halloo! there she goes!"
It chanced, that, in passing on way,
She came near a pool, and a green

With fence close and high;
And, as Vivy drew nigh,
A donkey
stood near it unseen.
He put his mouth over its top,
The moment she came by his place;

And gave a loud bray
In her ear, when, away
She sprang, shrieked,
and fell on her face.
She thought she was swallowed alive,
Awhile upon earth lying flat;

And the terrible sound
Seemed to furrow the ground
She embraced
in her fine gown and hat.

She gathered herself up, and ran,
Yet heeded not whither or whence,

To flee from the roar,
That continued to pour
Behind her, from
over the fence.
In passing a slope near the pool,
She slipped and rolled down to its
brim;
The geese gave a shout,
And at length hissed her out
Of the
bounds, where they'd gathered to swim.
In turning a corner, she met
Abruptly, the horns of a cow
That
mooed, while the cur,
At her heels, turned from her,
And aimed at
Miss Vain his "bow-wow."
Then Vivy's bright ribbons and skirt,
As she flew, flirted high on the
wind;
The children at play,
Paused to see one so gay,
And all in a
flutter behind.
A group of glad schoolboys came by:
Said they, "So it seems, that
to-day,
Miss Vain carries marks
At which the dog barks,
And that
make sober Long-Ears to bray."
And when, all bedraggled and pale,
Poor Vivy approached her own
door,
She went, swift and straight
As a dart, through the gate,

Abhorring the gay gear she wore.
She sat down, and thought of the scene
With humiliation and tears:

The words, and the noise
Of the brutes and the boys
Were echoing
still in her ears.
She reasoned, and came at the cause,
Resolving that cause to remove;

And thence, her desire
Was for modest attire,
And her heart and
her mind to improve.
And soon, all who knew her before
Remarked on the change and the
gain
In mind, and in mien,
And in dress, that were seen
In the
once flashy Miss Vivy Vain.

=The Lost Kite=
"My kite! my kite! I've lost my kite!
Oh! when I saw the steady flight,

With which she gained her lofty height,
How could I know, that
letting go
That naughty string, would bring so low
My pretty,
buoyant, darling kite,
To pass for ever out of sight?
"A purple cloud was sailing by,
With silver fringes, o'er the sky;

And then I thought, it seemed so nigh,
I'd make my kite go up and
light
Upon its edge, so soft and bright;
To see how noble, high and
proud
She'd look, while riding on a cloud!
"As near her shining mark she drew
I clapped my hands; the line
slipped through
My silly fingers; and she flew,
Away! away! in airy
play,
Right over where the water lay!
She veered and fluttered,
swung and gave
A plunge, then vanished with the wave!
"I never more shall want to look
On that false cloud, or babbling
brook;
Nor e'er to feel the breeze that took
My dearest joy, to thus
destroy
The pastime of your happy boy.
My kite! my kite! how sad
to think
She flew so high, so soon to sink!"
"Be this," the mother said, and smiled,
"A lesson to thee, simple child!

And when by fancies vain and wild,
As that which cost the kite
that's lost,
The busy brain again is crossed,
Of shining vapor then
beware,
Nor trust thy joys to fickle air.
"I have a darling treasure, too,
That sometimes would, by slipping
through
My guardian hands, the way pursue,
From which, more
tight than