POEMS OLD AND NEW
Tender Lizzie could not bear
To watch her sister's cankerous care
Yet not to share.
She night and morning
Caught the goblins' cry :
" Come buy our orchard fruits,
Come buy, come buy " :—
Beside the brook, along the glen,
She heard the tramp of goblin men,
The voice and stir 10
Poor Laura could not hear ;
Longed to buy fruit to comfort her,
But feared to pay too dear.
She thought of Jeanie in her grave,
Who should have been a bride ;
But who for joys brides hope to have
Fell sick and died
In her gay prime,
In earliest Winter time,
With the first glazing rime, 20
With the first snow-fall of crisp Winter time.
Till Laura dwindling
Seemed knocking at Death's door :
Then Lizzie weighed no more
Better and worse ;
But put a silver penny in her purse,
Kissed Laura, crossed the heath with clumps
of furze
At twilight, halted by the brook :
And for the first time in her life
Began to listen and look. 30
Laughed every goblin
When they spied her peeping :
Came towards her hobbling.
Flying, running, leaping,