His hoofs were shod with swiftness; where he ran "Mount, vassal, mount! Why pales thy cheek with fear? Like that strong bird-his fellow, king of air! Quick take him hence; cried Philip, he is wild!” His light cloak from his shoulders, and drew nigh. With that same hand he smoothed the flowing mane, Soothingly speaking in low voice the while. Lightly he vaulted to his first great strife. How like a Centaur looked the youth and steed! Firmly the hero sat; his glowing cheek Flushed with the rare excitement; his high brow The multitude stood hushed in breathless awe, Lo! a speck,- THE THREE HORSEMEN.-[Trans. from the German.] Three horsemen halted the inn before, "Good woman," they cried, as the hostess came, "Good woman, how's your wine and beer? To the darkened room where the maiden slept. "I loved thee ere the death-chill lay On thee, sweet child," and one turned away; "I would have loved thee," the second said, "Hadst thou learned to love me, and lived to wed." "I loved thee always, I love thee now," THE DIAMOND WEDDING. Come sit close by my side, my darling, Let me clasp your tremulous fingers Though they say we are very old. 'Tis seventy-five years to-night, wife, That night I placed on your finger And to-night I see it shining On the withered hand I hold. There was Benny, our darling Benny, Felt a mother's loving kiss. 'Twas hard-as we watched him fading Like a floweret day by day- To feel that He who had lent him My heart it grew very bitter As I bowed beneath the stroke; And yours, though you said so little, I knew was almost broke. We made him a grave 'neath the daisies (There are five now, instead of one), And we've learned, when our Father chastens, To say, "Thy will be done." Then came Lillie and Allie-twin cherubs, To comfort our hearts for a moment: Then Katie, our gentle Katie! We thought her very fair, With her blue eyes soft and tender, Like a queen she looked at her bridal We had two, our pride and stay- Far away, on the plains of Shiloh, Your hair, once gold, to silver But I know it has caught its whiteness 'Tis dark; the lamps should be lighted; I know them, every one. On that Christmas eve they found them, But they never knew their children MARK TWAIN'S WATCH.-S. L. CLEMENS. My beautiful new watch had run eighteen months without losing or gaining, and without breaking any part of its machinery, or stopping. I had come to believe it infallible in its judgments about the time of day, and to consider its constitution and its anatomy imperishable. But at last, one night, I let it run down. I grieved about it as if it were a recognized messenger and forerunner of calamity. But byand-by I cheered up, set the watch by guess, and commanded my bodings and superstitions to depart. Next day I stepped into the chief jeweler's to set it by the exact time, and the head of the establishment took it out of my hand and proceeded to set it for me. Then he said, "She is four minutes slow-regulator wants pushing up." I tried to stop him-tried to make him understand that the watch kept perfect time. But no; all this human cabbage could see was that the watch was four minutes slow, and the regulator must be pushed up a little; and so, while I danced around him in anguish, and implored him to let the watch alone, he calmly and cruelly did the shameful deed. My watch began to gain. It gained faster and faster day by day. Within the week it sickened to a raging fever, and its pulse went up to a hundred and fifty in the shade. At the end of two months it had left all the timepieces of the town far in the rear, and was a fraction over thirteen days ahead of the almanac. It was away into November enjoying the snow, while the October leaves were still turning. It hurried up house rent, bills payable, and such things, in such a ruinous way that I could not abide it. I took it to the watchmaker to be regulated. He asked me if I had ever had it repaired. I said no, it had never needed any repairing. He looked a look of vicious happiness and eagerly pried the watch open, and then put a small dice box into his eye and peered into its machinery. He said it wanted cleaning and oiling, besides regulating-come in a week. After being cleaned, and oiled, and regulated, my watch slowed down to that degree that it ticked like a tolling bell. I began to be left by trains, I failed all appointments, I got to missing my |