Violets—And Ashes.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1866, 21 June 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

Violets— And Ashes.

— Academy.

Windless is the air, And heavy with the rain To the very dust Our abject selves we thrust, But alas ! in vain, For our hearts are chiU With the ceaseless sense of ill, Eemorse doth mock oar will, And hollow is our prayer. Vain for bursting tears Is our longing ; vain With our life our strife is, For the future rife is With our blis3 or bane ; Patient, let us wait Our abiding fate, Or early come or late — The penitential yeai'a. Ashes we may heap On our heads, and wear For our inward aohe Sackcloth to awake Grief in our despair ; Of all things else bereft, This only is there left, Beyond Time's cunning theft — Our last, our longed sleep. Gathered when the rain-furled, Drenched, cold and wan — Breezes sunny soft Through the apple croft These violets shall fan ; They shall through the rain Live — and not in vain — They shall peep again Blue-eyed on the world. They nor fail : nor faint AU their little life ; Through the bitter days Theirs is perfect praise. With contentment rife ; Hopeful, they endure, Sure of death, and sure Of resurrection pure From all insect taint. And howe'er we glose ; Our old sins shall riseFlowers with heavy head, Scarlet, and still fed With sweet sophistries, Some erect and pied, Others passion-eyed With the flaunting pride That suffers no repose. Let the snow descend ; Let a winding sheet, Soft from foot to head Hide that gaudy bed With, a covering meet ; Ah, pitiful pure snow, Blot out the hated show, And quench its fiery glow, Our one. our only Friend I

Da 0. J. Wills, in his book on Persia, states that he has seen a scorpion commit suioide when placed within a circle of live coals, co that escape was impossible. The creature ran. around the ring three times, and then stung himself to !The same writer, who lived in Persia many years as a medical officer of^the European, telegraph department^ declares thathe never^ kneiyihe. poison or the scorpion k to" , prove t f»t«l to^a human being^except in the^oasepf a very, young v mf|nt. $".-"' - 4 - }, -/b^T "" jS U-»\-