stepping in,
Do all the praise and honor win.

THE BROWNIES AT THE GYMNASIUM.

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THE Brownies once, while roaming 'round,
By chance approached a college ground;
And, as they skirmished every side,
A large gymnasium they espied.
Their eyes grew bright as they surveyed
The means for exercise displayed.
The club, the weight, the hanging ring,
The horizontal bar, and swing,

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The boxing-gloves that please the heart
Of him who loves the manly art,
All brought expressions of delight,
As one by one they came in sight.
The time was short, and words were few
That named the work for each to do.
Their mystic art, as may be found
On pages now in volumes bound,
Was quite enough to bear them in
Through walls of wood and roofs of tin.
No hasp can hold, no bolt can stand
Before the Brownie's tiny hand;
The sash will rise, the panel yield,
And leave him master of the field.--
When safe they stood within the hall,
A pleasant time was promised all.

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Said one: "The clubs let me obtain
That Indians use upon the plain,
And here I'll stand to test my power,
And swing them 'round my head an hour;
Though not the largest in the band,
I claim to own no infant hand;
And muscle in this arm you'll meet
That well might grace a trained athlete.

[Illustration]

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Two goats once blocked a mountain pass
Contending o'er a tuft of grass.
Important messages of state
Forbade me there to stand and wait;
Without a pause, the pair I neared
And seized the larger by the beard;
I dragged him from his panting foe
And hurled him to the plain below."

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"For clubs," a second answered there,
"Or heavy weights I little care;
Let those by generous nature planned
At heavy lifting try their hand;
But give me bar or give me ring,
Where I can turn, contort, and swing,
And I'll outdo, with movements fine,
The monkey on his tropic vine."

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Thus skill and s