had been given to Grace some time before her
death, and which she was trying to tame for me. My mother could not bear
to see it after her death, and with some difficulty persuaded me to give
it its liberty. You will now see why I should have dedicated this sketch
to Grace, and why these lines should have brought the scene to my mind,
and caused me indeed to make this drawing of it."

"Will you read the lines for me?" asked Annie, "I had not finished them
when you took the paper from me."

To tell you a secret, reader, I do not believe she had seen any thing on
the paper except the few words in German text written at its head, "To
my darling Grace."

Mr. Arlington read in a tone of feeling and interest,--

THE BIRD'S RELEASE.

BY MRS. HEMANS.

Go forth, for she is gone!
With the golden light of her wavy hair
She is gone to the fields of the viewless air:
She hath left her dwelling lone!

Her voice hath pass'd away!
It hath passed away like a summer breeze,
When it leaves the hills for the for blue seas,
Where we may not trace its way.

Go forth, and like her be free:
With thy radiant wing, and thy glancing eye,
Thou hast all the range of the sunny sky,
And what is our grief to thee?

Is it aught even to her we mourn?
Doth she look on the tears by her kindred shed?
Doth she rest with the flowers o'er her gentle head?
Or float on the light wind borne?

We know not--but she is gone!
Her step from the dance, her voice from the song,
And the smile of her eye from the festal throng;
She hath loft her dwelling lone!

When the waves at sunset shine,
We may hear thy voice amidst thousands more,
In the scented woods of our glowing shore;
But we shall not know 'tis thine!

Even so with the loved one flown!
Her smile in the starlight may wander by,
Her breath may be near in the wind's low sigh
Around us--but all unknown.

Go forth, we have loosed thy chains!
We may deck thy cage with the richest flowers
Which the bright day rears in our eastern bowers;
But thou wilt not be lured again.

Even thus may the summer pour
All fragrant things on the land's green breast,
And the glorious earth like a bride be dress'd;
But it wins _her_ back no more!

I was doubtful whether either Mr. Arlington or Annie were aware of my
presence, and