THE SOLITARY SINGER.

Sweet singer!—sweet to hear when only one

Among the thousand voices of the spring

Thou carollest—how sweeter far, alone

And all unrivalled, art thou wont to fling

The spell of music o’er the list’ning air

From yon drear spray by winter’s blight left bare.

Say what the burden of that patient strain

Which answer seeketh none, but ever forth

Is poured, and by itself its own refrain,

Still echo’d, findeth—save that from the North

Responsive plainings through the leafless tree

Mingle, methinks, with thine in sympathy.

It cannot but be sad—a low-tuned sigh

For lost delights thy callow youth once knew,

When all the grove was blossom, all the sky

A smile above thee, and the glad hours flew

Unmarred from when thy notes brought in the day,

Till evening’s hush was mellowed by thy lay.

It cannot all be sad—some sweet alloy

Of Hope would seem to tremble through thy song,

And serve, when all thy mates are mute, to buoy

Thy heart, though clouds across thy heaven throng,

Though strewn all blossom, and the rude winds’ brawl

Sound the sad dirge of twilight’s sombre fall.

Whate’er it be, clear-throated, soft, and low,

It woos the stern hour with a lulling tone,

According well with streams that whispering flow

Ice-muffled, with the sound of sere leaves blown

In rustling eddies ’neath their parent shade,

Where Autumn’s glory by the wind is laid.

The Conductor of Chambers’s Journal begs to direct the attention of Contributors to the following notice:

1st. All communications should be addressed to the ‘Editor, 339 High Street, Edinburgh.’

2d. For its return in case of ineligibility, postage-stamps should accompany every manuscript.

3d. Manuscripts should bear the author’s full Christian name, Surname, and Address, legibly written; and should be written on white (not blue) paper, and on one side of the leaf only.

4th. Offerings of Verse should invariably be accompanied by a stamped and directed envelope.

If the above rules are complied with, the Editor will do his best to insure the safe return of ineligible papers.

Printed and Published by W. & R. Chambers, 47 Paternoster Row, London, and 339 High Street, Edinburgh.

[Transcriber’s Note—the following changes have been made to this text.

Page 294: generelly to generally—“generally abortive”.]