what, oh! _what's_ his name?

L'INCONNUE.

Dark Passion-flower, with keen mimosa-leaves,
Into my life your fate her shuttle weaves.
How long those wistful eyes have haunted mine--
Brown eyes of earth--they have no light divine.
Brown eyes! ye fill my soul with burning love--
No Pantheon soul--lighted from above!
O sister mine! you'll come to me at last--
_That_ shall atone for all our weary past.
So pure thou art, with soul so joyous, _free_.
The world could not forgive--and hated thee!
To be 'unlike the world,' is thy dark sin.
You or 'the world'? the 'you' my heart shall win.
Within that shrine, so delicately fair,
Burns a bright spirit which 'a world' can dare;
She mocks 'the world,' but she would _die_ for _me_.
Her heart is fathomed by eternity;
And yet she's always 'in the fashion' dressed,
And 'wants a cashmere,' (she to me confessed.)
Oh! you can see her, almost any day,
Hat of pale violet, dress of silver-gray.
She goes to parties and the 'Music-Hall;'
She eats her dinner, and she gives a ball.
You nod and smile: '_We know her now--we see_!'
Perhaps! Alas! she's _quite_ _un_known to me!

MARIE.

How can I tell you if her face be fair,
While the gay sunshine of her smile is there?
How can I tell you of a brilliant mind,
When every word she speaks is angel-kind?
Need I describe her voice, so melting sweet?
Or the small mouth, which is its passage meet!
I only know, while for her voice I wait,
I see fair pearls behind that rosy gate.
But when she speaks, her diamond-wit's so bright,
All other beauties vanish from our sight.
No need for _her_ to fear 'the world's rebuff!
Too much of Marie's always just enough I
She is 'bad company,' yet e'en 'the good'
Can find no flaw in her fair maidenhood.
The saints don't doubt that she is in _their_ fold--
It makes me laugh to think how they are 'sold.'
_Nice_, _naughty_ folks are _sure_, she's of _their_ creed,
Yet she's no hypocrite, in word or deed.
What _is_ she, then--this gem without a flaw?
She is--she is--a maid-en made of 'straw'!

* * * * *

Reader, have you in your house a _vivarium_ or _aquarium_, or any other
variety of animal curiosity-shop, under care of the younger members? If
so, the subjoined sketch may awaken in your mind more than one vivid
souvenir, We know, at all events, that some of its 'features' were
founded o