The applauding shouts of rapturous friends he hears!
The big drops from his manly forehead roll,
And deep emotions thrill his generous soul.
But struggling nature now reluctant yields;
Down drops the arm the infant's face that shields,
To bear the precious burthen all too weak;
When, hark!--the mother's agonising shriek!
Once more he's roused,--his eye no longer swims,
And tenfold strength reanimates his limbs;
He nerves his faltering frame for one last bound,--
"Your child!" he cries, and sinks upon the ground!

And his reward you ask;--reward he spurns;
For him the father's generous bosom burns,--
For him on high the widow's prayer shall go,--
For him the orphan's pearly tear-drop flow.
His boon,--the richest e'er to mortals given,--
Approving conscience, and the smile of Heaven!




CHAPTER IX.

PAUSES.


"A pause is often more eloquent than words." The common pauses necessary to
be made, according to the rules of punctuation, are too well known to
require any particular notice here, they serve principally for grammatical