THE BIRTH OF JESUS

Now is the time completed,
Now comes the appointed morn,
Now death shall be defeated
Our promised Prince is born.

Yet note of preparation,
Or sound of joy is none ;.
But over all the nation,
A sleep profound has gone.

The shades of midnight closing,
No cheering ray afford;
All nature is reposing,
Unmindful of the Lord.

Is this the welcome given
To God's eternal Son ?
And to the Prince of Heaven,
Is this the homage done?

Earth and her nations slumber,
Nor raise one greeting voice ;,

While angels without number,
In loftiest strains rejoice.

Throughout the Jewish region,
No herald's trump is there ;
While heaven sends forth a legion,
His coming to declare.

And bark the voice proclaiming,
(There's joy in every word),
This mighty Prince is naming,
Our Saviour-Christ-the Lord.

Wake, highly favoured nation,
And hail with joy thy king;
Yea, let the whole creation
A song of triumph sing.

Let

every rock and mountain Repeat the angel's song! Let

every sea and fountain, The glorious notes prolong.

• All praise to God in heaven,
All praise on earth below;
For peace to man is given,
And grace doth overflow.'

J. B. THE ORPHAN BOY.

Alas! I am an orphan boy,

With nought on earth to cheer my heart : No father's love, no mother's joy,

Nor kin, nor kind, to take my part.
My lodging is the cold-cold ground;

I eat the bread of charity;
And, when the kiss of love goes round,

There is no kiss, alas ! for me.

Yet once I had a father dear,

A mother, too, I wont to prize, With ready hand to wipe the tear

If chanced a childish tear to rise :But cause of tears was rarely found;

For all my heart was youthful glee; And, when the kids of love went round,

How sweet a kiss there was for me!"

But, ah ! there came a war, they say—

What is a war I cannot tell ;
But drums and fifes did sweetly play,

And loudly rung our village bell..

In troth, it was a pretty sound,

I thought! nor could I thence foresee That, when the kiss of love went round,

There soon should be no kiss for me.

A scarlet coat my father took,

And sword, as bright as bright could be ! And feathers that so gaily look,

All in a shining cap had he.
Then how my little heart did bound;

Alas! I thought it fine to see ;
Nor dreamt that, when the kiss went round,

There soon should be no kiss for me.

My mother sighed, my mother wept,

My father talked of wealth and fame;
But still she wept, and sighed, and wept,

Till I, to see her, did the same.
But soon the horsemen throng around,

My father mounts with shout and glee : Then gave a kiss to all around;

And, ah! how sweet a kiss to me!

But when I found he rode so far,

And came not home as heretofore, I said it was a naughty war,

And loved the fife and drum no more.

My mother oft in tears was drowned

Nor merry tale, nor sóng had she ; And, when the hour of night came round,

Sad was the kiss she gave to me.

At length the bell again did ring;

There was a victory they said : 'Twas what my father said he'd bring;

But, ah! it brought my father dead. My mother shrieked; her heart was woe;

She clasped me to her trembling knee. Oh, God! that you may never know

How wild a kiss she gave to me.

But once again—but once again

These lips a mother's kisses felt; That once again that once again

The tale a heart of stone would melt; 'Twas when upon her death-bed laid,

(Oh, God l oh, God I that sight to see !) My child !—my child l’ she feebly said, And gave a parting kiss to me.

So, now,

I am an orphan boy, With nought below my heart to cheer : No mother's love, no father's joy,

Nor kin, nor kind, to wipe the tear.