Is Life A Boon?

Is life a boon? If so? it must befal That Death, whene'er he call, Must call too soon. Though fourscore years he give, Yet one would pray to live Another moon! What kind of plaint have I, Who perish in July? I might have had to die, Perchance, in June!

Is life a thorn? Then count it not a whit! Man is well done with it; Soon as he's born He should all means essay To put the plague away: And I, war-worn, Poor captured fugitive, My life most gladly give-- I might have had to live Another morn!

A MIRAGE.

Were I thy bride, Then the whole world beside Were not too wide To hold my wealth of love-- Were I thy bride! Upon thy breast My loving head would rest, As on her nest The tender turtle dove-- Were I thy bride!

This heart of mine Would be one heart with thine, And in that shrine Our happiness would dwell-- Were I thy bride! And all day long Our lives should be a song: No grief, no wrong Should make my heart rebel-- Were I thy bride!

The silvery flute, The melancholy lute, Were night owl's hoot To my low-whispered coo-- Were I thy bride! The skylark's trill Were but discordance shrill To the soft thrill Of wooing as I'd woo-- Were I thy bride!

The rose's sigh Were as a carrion's cry To lullaby Such as I'd sing to thee, Were I thy bride! A feather's press Were leaden heaviness To my caress. But then, unhappily, I'm not thy bride!

A MERRY MADRIGAL.

Brightly dawns our wedding day; Joyous hour, we give thee greeting! Whither, whither art thou fleeting? Fickle moment, prithee stay! What though mortal joys be hollow? Pleasures come, if sorrows follow: Though the tocsin sound, ere long, Ding dong! Ding dong! Yet until the shadows fall Over one and over all, Sing a merry madrigal-- Fal la!

Let us dry the ready tear; Though the hours are surely creeping, Little need for woeful weeping, Till the sad sundown is near. All must sip the cup of sorrow-- I to-day and thou to-morrow: This the close of every song-- Ding dong! Ding dong! What, though solemn shadows fall, Sooner, later, over all? Sing a merry madrigal-- Fal la!

THE LOVE-SICK BOY.

When first my old, old love I knew, My bosom welled with joy; My riches at her feet I threw; I was a love-sick boy! No terms seemed too extravagant Upon her to employ-- I used to mope, and sigh, and pant, Just like a love-sick boy!

But joy incessant palls the sense; And love, unchanged will cloy, And she became a bore intense Unto her love-sick boy! With fitful glimmer burnt my flame, And I grew cold and coy, At last, one morning, I became Another's love-sick boy!

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HENRY ALTEMUS' PUBLICATIONS.

PHILADELPHIA. PA.

STEPHEN. A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS, by Florence Morse Kingsley, author of "Titus, a Comrade of the Cross." "Since Ben-Hur no story has so vividly portrayed the times of Christ."--The Bookseller. Cloth, 12mo., 369 pages. $1.25.

PAUL. A HERALD OF THE CROSS, by Florence Morse Kingsley, "A vivid and picturesque narrative of the life and times of the great Apostle." Cloth, ornamental, 12mo., 450 pages, $1.50.

VIC. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FOX TERRIER, by Marie More Marsh. "A fitting companion to that other wonderful book, 'Black Beauty.'" Cloth, 12mo., 50 cents.

WOMAN'S WORK IN THE HOME, by Archdeacon Farrar. Cloth, small 18mo., 50 cents.

THE APOCRYPHAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, being the gospels and epistles used by the followers of Christ in the first three centuries after his death, and rejected by the Council of Nice, A.D. 325. Cloth, 8vo., illustrated, $2.00.

THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS, as John Bunyan wrote it. A fac-simile reproduction of the first edition, published in 1678. Antique cloth, 12mo., $1.25.

THE FAIREST OF THE FAIR, by Hildegarde Hawthorne. "The grand-daughter of Nathaniel Hawthorne possesses a full share of his wonderful genius." Cloth, 16mo., $1.25.

A LOVER IN HOMESPUN, by F. Clifford Smith. Interesting tales of adventure and home life in Canada. Cloth, 12mo., 75 cents.

ANNIE BESANT: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Cloth, 12mo., 368 pages, illustrated. $2.00.

THE GRAMMAR OF PALMISTRY, by Katharine St. Hill. Cloth, 12mo., illustrated, 75 cents.

AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY MINUTES. Contains over 100 photographs of the most famous places and edifices with descriptive text. Cloth, 50 cents.

WHAT WOMEN SHOULD KNOW. A woman's book about women. By Mrs. E.B. Duffy. Cloth, 320 pages, 75 cents.

THE CARE OF CHILDREN, by Elisabeth R. Scovil. "An excellent book of the most vital interest," Cloth, 12mo., $1.00.

PREPARATION FOR MOTHERHOOD, by Elisabeth R. Scovil. Cloth, 12mo., 320 pages, $1.00.

ALTEMUS' CONVERSATION DICTIONARIES. English-German, English-French. "Combined dictionaries and phrase books." Pocket size, each $1.00.

TAINE'S ENGLISH LITERATURE, translated from the French by Henry Van Laun, illustrated with 20 fine photogravure portraits. Best English library edition, four volumes, cloth, full gilt, octavo, per set, $10.00. Half calf, per set, $12.50. Cheaper edition, with frontispiece illustrations only, cloth, paper titles, per set $7.50.

SHAKESPEARE'S COMPLETE WORKS, with a biographical sketch by Mary Cowden Clark, embellished with 64 Boydell, and numerous other illustrations, four volumes, over 2000 pages. Half Morocco, 12mo., boxed, per set, $3.00.

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