for her sake, being what you are,
Could you be bribed and bought.

Others may spurn the pledge of land to land,
May with the brute sword stain a gallant past;
But by the seal to which _you_ set your hand,
Thank God, you still stand fast!

Forth, then, to front that peril of the deep
With smiling lips and in your eyes the light,
Stedfast and confident, of those who keep
Their storied scutcheon bright.

And we, whose burden is to watch and wait--
High-hearted ever, strong in faith and prayer,
We ask what offering we may consecrate,
What humble service share?

To steel our souls against the lust of ease;
To find our welfare in the general good;
To hold together, merging all degrees
In one wide brotherhood;--

To teach that he who saves himself is lost;
To bear in silence though our hearts may bleed;
To spend ourselves, and never count the cost,
For others' greater need;--

To go our quiet ways, subdued and sane;
To hush all vulgar clamour of the street;
With level calm to face alike the strain
Of triumph or defeat;--

This be our part, for so we serve you best,
So best confirm their prowess and their pride,
Your warrior sons, to whom in this high test
Our fortunes we confide.

O. S.

* * * * *

A DETERMINED ISLAND.

Anything more peaceful than the outward aspect of the Isle of Wight, as
I have seen it from Totland Bay during the past week, it would be
impossible to conceive. For the most part the sun has been shining from
a blue sky on a blue and brilliant sea; men, women and children have
been swimming and splashing joyfully in a most mixed manner, and the
whole landscape has had its usual holiday air. These, however, are
deceptive appearances. We have felt and are feeling the imminence of
war, and, though our judgments are firm and patriotic and prepared for
sacrifice, our minds are clouded with a heavy anxiety. Our newspapers
arrive at about 11 o'clock, and at that hour there is a concentrated
rush to the book-shop. There we make our way through stacked volumes of
cheap reprints to the counter where two ladies are struggling womanfully
against the serried phalanx of purchasers. These two dive head-first from
time to time into a great pile of the morning's news and emerge
triumphantly with _The Times_ for Prospect House o