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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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HYMN . When in the green and glimmering lanes I linger , And gather roses , kissing their red lips ; Or when , deep-dyed by Autumn ' s ruddy finger , I feast on bunches ripe of coral hips , I praise thee , God . When I am smothered under children ' s faces , Dazzled by floating hair and warm blue eyes , And catching glimpses , ' mid their wild embraces , Of delicate white limbs that scorn disguise , I praise thee , God . When I am bedded deep in flowering grasses , Watching the sailing clouds and wandering air , Or borrowing wings from every bird that passes , Or facing the bold sun , with stare for stare , I praise thee , God . When by the marbled lake I lie and listen To one sweet voice that sings to me alone , Veiled by green leaves whose silver faces glisten In breezy light down the blue summer blown , I praise thee , God . When her white ivory fingers twine and quiver , Twinkling thro' mine , and when her golden hair Flows down her neck , like sunlight down a river , And half she is , and half she is not there , I praise thee , God . When I can look from my proud height above her , In her quaint faery face , or o ' er her bend , And know I am her friend but not her lover , — That she is not my lover but my friend , — I praise thee , God . When Margaret pale , and rare and gorgeous Helen , Or sweet Ottilia , love , weep , smile , and feast , For the still world of lovely forms I dwell in , And for thy Poet , for our King and priest , I praise thee , God . When I have heard the imprisoned echoes breaking From rolling clouds , like shouts of gods in fight , Or armies calling armies , when awaking , They rise all breathless from too large delight , I praise thee , God . When I have seen the scarlet lightnings falling From cloudy battlements , like throneless kings ; Have seen great angels that , to angels calling , Open and shut their gold and silver wings , I praise thee , God . When I have passed a nobler life in sorrow ; Have seen rude masses grow to fulgent spheres ; Seen how To-day is father of To-morrow , And how the Ages justify the Years , I praise thee , God . M .
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THE CAT'S PILGRIMAGE . Part III . It was a great day in the Fox ' s cave . The eldest cub had the night before brought home his first goose , and they were just sitting down to it as the Cat came by . " Ah , my young lady ! what , you in the woods ? Bad feeding at home , eh ? Come out to hunt for yourself ?" The goose smelt excellent ; the Cat couldn ' t help a wistful look . She was only come , she said , to pay her respect to her wild friends .
" Just in time , " said the Fox . " Sit down and take a bit of dinner ; I see you want it . Make room , you cubs , place a seat for the lady . " " Why , thank you , " said the Cat , " yes ; I acknowledge it is not unwelcome . Pray , don ' t disturb yourselves , young Foxes . I am hungry . I met a Rabbit on my way here . I was going to eat him , but he talked so prettily I let him go . " The cubs looked up from their plates , and burst out laughing . " For shame , young rascals , " said their father . " Where are your manners ? Mind your dinner , and don't be rude . "
" Fox , " she said , when it was over , and the cubs were gone to play , " you are very clever . The other creatures are all stupid . " The Fox bowed . " Your family were always clever , " she continued . " I have heard about them in the books they use in our schoolroom . It is many years since your ancestor stole the crow ' s dinner . " " Don ' t say stole , Cat , it is not pretty . Obtained by superior ability . " "I beg your pardon , " said the Cat . "It is all living with those men . That is not the point . Well , but I want to know whether you are any wiser or any better than Foxes were then . " " Really , " said the Fox , " I am what Nature made me . I don't know . I am proud of my ancestors , and do my best to keep up the credit of the family . "
" Well , but Fox , I mean do you improve ? do I ? do any of you ? The men are always talking about doing their duty , and that they say is the way to improve , and to be happy . And as I was not happy , I thoug ht that had , perhaps , something to do with it , so I came out to talk to the creatures . They also had the old chant—duty , duty , duty ; but none of them could tell me what mine was , or whether I had any . " The Fox smiled . " Another leaf out of your schoolroom , " said he . " Can't they tell you there ?" " Indeed , " she said , " they are very stupid . They say a great deal about themselves , but they only speak disrespectfully of us . If such creatures as they can do their duty , and improve , and be happy , why can ' t we ?" " They say they do , do they ? " said the Fox . " What do they say of me ?" The Cat hesitated . " Don ' t be afraid of hurting my feelings , Cat . Out with it . " " They do all justice to your abilities , Fox , " said she ; " but your morality they say , is not high . They say you are a rogue . " " Morality ! " said the Fox . " Very moral and good they are . And you really believe all that ? What do they mean by calling me a rogue ?" " They mean you take whatever you can get without caring whether it is just or not . " " My dear Cat , it is very well for a man , if he can't bear his own face , to paint a pretty one on a panel and call it a looking-glass : but you don't mean that it takes you in . " " Teach me , " said the Cat . " I fear I am weak . " " Who get justice from the men unless they can force it ? Ask the sheep that are cut into mutton . Ask the horses that draw their ploughs . I don't mean it is wrong of the men to do as they do ; but they needn ' t lie about it . " " You surprise me , " said the Cat . "My good Cat , there is but one law in the world . The weakest goes to the , wall . The men are sharper witted than the creatures , and so they get them and use them . They may call it just if they like ; but when a tiger eats a man I guess he has just as much justice on his side as the man when he eats a sheep . " " And that is the whole of it , " said the Cat . " Well , it is very sad . What do you do with yourself ?" "My duty , to be sure , " said the Fox ; " use my wits and enjoy myself . My dear friend , you and I are on the lucky side . We eat and are not eaten . " " Except by the hounds now and then , " said the Cat . " Yes ; by brutes that forget their nature , and sell their freedom to the men , " said the Fox bitterly . " In the meantime my wits have kept my skin whole hitherto , and I bless Nature for making me a Fox and not a goose . " " And are you happy , Fox ?" " Happy ! yes , of course . So would you be if you would do like me , and use your wits . My good Cat , I should be as miserable as you if I found my geese every day a ] t the cave ' s mouth . I have to hunt for them , lie for them , sneak for them , fight for them ; cheat those old fat farmers , and bring out what there is inside me , and then I am happy , of course I am . And then , Cat , think of my feelings as' a father last night , when my dear boy came home with the very young gosling which was marked for the Michaelmas dinner 1 Old Reineke himself wasn ' t more than a match for that young fox at his years . You know our epic ?" " A little of it , Fox . They don't read it in our schoolroom . They say it is not moral , again ; but I have heard pieces of it . I hope it is not all quite true . " . " Pack of stuff ! it is the only true book that ever was written . If it is not , it ought to be . Why , that book is the law of the world—la carriere aux talents—and writing it was the honestest thing ever done by a man . That fellow knew a thing or two , and wasn ' t ashamed of himself when he did know ? they are all like him , too , if they would only say so . There never was one of them yet who wasn't more ashamed of being called ugly than of being called a rogue , and of being called stupid than of being called naughty . " " It has a roughish end , this life of yours , if you keep clear of the hounds , Fox , " said the Cat . " What , a rope in the yard . Well , it must end some day : and when the farmer catches me I shall be getting old , and my brains will be taking leave of me ; so the sooner I go the better , that I may disgrace myself the less . Better be jolly while it lasts than sit mewing out your life and grumbling at it as a bore . " " Well , " said the Cat , " I am very much obliged to you . I suppose I mayeven get home again . I shall not find a wiser friend than you , and perhaps I shall not find another good-natured enough to give me so good a dinner . But it is very sad . " " Think of what I have said , " answered the Fox . " I'll call at your house some night j you will take me a walk round the yard , and then I'll show you . " " Not quite , " thought the Cat , as she trotted offj " one good turn deserves another , that is true j and you have given me a dinner . But they have given me many at home , and I mean to take a few more of them ; so I think you musn't go round our yard . "
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J uly 13 , 1850 . ] «*« *?«*?* ' ^ 381
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 13, 1850, page 381, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1846/page/21/
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