d drives.

His passion gone, his fears increase,
And loud to George he cries;
He looks--he listens--calls again,
But still no George replies.

In terror now and wild affright,
All prudence he forgets,
And springing quick from side to side,
The boat he oversets.

His father saw the dreadful plunge,
His father heard his shriek;
For George, when Edmund would not stay,
Some aid had flown to seek.

With desperate haste he forward springs,
And throwing off his coat,
Plunges amid the foaming waves,
To gain the struggling boat.

He reach'd its side, and diving down,
Seiz'd on poor Edmund's hand,
And senseless through the beating surge,
He bore him back to land.

'Twas long ere signs of life return'd,
Or he unclos'd his eyes,
And longer far it was, ere he
From his sick bed could rise.

What anguish and remorse he felt,
What tears of sorrow shed:
How good, how mild he vow'd to be,
When he should leave his bed.

And let us hope his vow he'll keep,
Become a steady boy,
No more his friends or parents grieve,
But prove their pride and joy.

[Illustration: _to face pa. 36_

_George and Edmund_]

[Illustration: _to face pa. 37_

_Fanny_]

FANNY.

"O look!" the little Fanny cried,
As wandering by her mother's side,
They pass'd a cottage neat tho' poor,
With woodbines clustering round the door,
"Oh look, mamma, what lovely flowers!
I here could stand and gaze for hours.
That beauteous rose, those lilies fair,
And that gay bed of tulips there!
Oh! how I wish they all were mine,
They'd make my empty garden shine."
"Your empty garden, Fanny! pray
Have all your flowers been stol'n away?
Or do you for your neighbour's sigh,
Because your own you leave to die?
The little girl whose flowers these are,
Watches and prunes them all with care;
She rises early, labours hard,
And does not toil nor care regard,
But thinks her trouble well repaid,
If she her parents thus can aid.
These flowers to market off she takes,
And many pence by them she makes;
You surely, therefore, would not strive
Of this advantage to deprive
The grateful child, who takes such pains,
To help her parents' scanty gains.
But come, my love, we must not stay,
That s