FEBRUARY 12, 18 —.

Wind in the South; a fresh, sweet, winter day;

‘ Twould have been sad to see it go away,

If‘ twere not that the sunset's signal-lights

Glimmered awhile across the Jersey heights,

Then, lightly dancing o'er the river, came

And set some New York windows all aflame.

( From a clear sunset I can always borrow

God's sweet half promise of a fair to-morrow. )

But, while I gazed upon that splendid sight,

My mind would take a heavy, care-winged flight

Up to a small back garret, far away,

Where I had stood at two o'clock to-day.

Want — want — want — want! it hung‘ round everywhere;

It threw its odors on the sickly air!

The room was somewhat smaller, to begin,

Than I would put a span of horses in;

The floor was rough and damp as floor could be;

No picture on the walls but Poverty;

The bed was ragged, scanty, hard, and drear;

A rough-made, empty crib was standing near;

The “window”‘ d never felt the sun's warm stare,

Or breathed a breath of good old-fashioned air;

A little, worn-out doll some child had had,

Looking, like its surroundings, rough and sad,

And dressed in rags and pinched and famine-faced,

But bearing still some marks of girlish taste;

A gaunt, gray kitten, showing every sign

That it was on the last life of its nine,

Though trying hard to feel quite sleek and fat,

And not a very care-worn, desolate cat;

A man, so grieved my heart can see him now,

With frightful sorrow printed on his brow;

A rough, wood coffin stood there near the bed,

Looking uneasy even for the dead;

A little, pallid face I saw therein —

A niceish-looking child she must have been,

As sweet as ever need to feed a glance,

If she had only had one-half a chance.

But still, she woke a thought I could not smother —

“That child was murdered in some way or other. "

And my opinion did n't seem much amiss

When the man spoke up, something like to this:

All this, above the shoulder, I could see,

Of an old preacher who had come with me —

A man who,‘ mongst those garrets, earns, they say,

A house and lot in heaven every day.