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384 FRANCES S. OSGOOD.
Ah me! a quick and eager ear
  Caught up the little meaning sound!
Another voice has breathed it clear,
  And so it wanders round,
From ear to lip—from lip to ear,
Until it reach'd a gentle heart,
  And that—it broke.

It was the only heart it found,
The only heart 't was meant to find,
  When first its accents woke;—
It reach'd that tender heart at last, 
  And that—it broke.

Low as it seem'd to other ears, 
It came a thunder crash to hers, 
  That fragile girl so fair and gay,—
  That guileless girl so pure and true
'T is said a lovely humming-bird
  That in a fragrang lily lay,
  And dream'd the summer morn away,
  Was kill'd but by the gun's report, 
  Some idle boy had fired in sport!
  The very sound—a death-blow came!

And thus her happy heart, that beat
With love and hope, so fast and sweet,
  (Shrined in its lily too—
  For who the maid that knew
But own'd the delicate flower-like grace
Of her young form and face?)
  When first that word
  Her light heart heard, 
It flutter'd like the frighten'd bird,
  Then shut its wings and sigh'd
  And, with a silent shudder—died!

FRANCES S. OSGOOD.  385

THE LIFE-VOYAGE.

(A BALLAD.)

ONCE in the olden time there swelt
  Beside the sounding sea,
A little maid—her garb was coarse, 
  Her spirit pure and free.

Her parents were an humble twain,
  And poor as poor  could be;
Yet gayly sang the guileless child, 
  Beside the sounding sea.

The hut was bare, and scant the fare,
  And hard her little bed;
But she was rich! A single gem
  Its beauty round her shed.

She walk'd in light!—'t was all her wealth—
  That pearl, whose lustrous glow
Made her white forehead dazzling fair, 
  And pure as sunlight snow.

Her parents died! With tears she cried,
  "God will my father be!"
Then launch'd alone her shallop light,
  And bravely put to sea.

The sail she set was virgin-white,
  As inmost lily leaf,
And angels whisper'd her from Heaven,
  To loose it or to reef

And ever on the dancing prow
  On glorious brilliant burn'd,
By whose clear ray she read her way,
  And every danger learn'd:
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