"Laid I on Him no condition,
Fixed not ways and means; so I
Wonder not my Olive thriveth,

Whilst thy Olive-tree did die."

S. BARING GOULD.

Alice. Here's another way of looking at the two

sides.

BLACK AND WHITE.

A gloomy world," says Neighbour Black,
"Where clouds of dreary dun,

In masses rolled, the sky enfold,

And blot the noonday sun."

Aye, so it is," says Neighbour White;

"But haply you and I

Might shed a ray to cheer the way-
Come, Neighbour, let us try."

"A vale of tears," says Neighbour Black,
"A vale of weary breath,

Of soul-wrung sighs and hopeless eyes,
From birth to early death."

"Aye, so it is," says Neighbour White;
"But haply you and I

Just there and here might dry a tear-
Come, Neighbour, let us try."

"A wilderness," says Neighbour Black,

"A desert waste and wide,

Where rank weeds choke, and ravens croak,

And noisome reptiles hide."

"Aye, so it is," says Neighbour White; "But haply you and I

Might clear the ground our homes around

Come, Neighbour, let us try."

Aunt C. I think I heard Edmund crying out for something spirited, and I hope I shall satisfy him with the ballad I have here.

KING ROBERT'S BOWL.

There's blude upon the banks of Urr,
Its bonny banks sae green,

An' mony a knight lies bleeding there,
O' mettle true, I ween.

An' twa, the fiercest o' them a',
Twa noble knights an' gude,
Fight han' to han' wi' visors doun,
And swords fu' red wi' blude.

The swords they clash'd, and the fire it flash'd,
An' the blude ran out between,

An' out has come Mark Sprott's gudewife
To see what this may mean.

She's grasped the hair o' the English knight,
And twisted her fingers roun',

An' wi' ae lock o' that yellow hair
She's pu'd him to the groun'.

"Lie doun, lie doun, thou fause Southron, Where better men hae lain,

And yield thee prisoner to this knight,

Or lie among the slain."

The English to the Scottish knight
Has owned him vanquished man,
And they hae washed their bluidy han's
In the stream that by them wan.

An' side by side they've sat them doun
In the house o' gude Mark Sprott;
There wadna twa dear brithers there
Mair friendly been, I wot.

O then outspak the Scottish knight,
"Twa days nae food I've seen,
Or the bravest knight in a' England
Nae match for Bruce had been."

O then outspak the English knight,
“I did not think, I trow,

With the leader of the Scottish men
To answer blow for blow."

An' syne outspak Mark Sprott's gudewife,
Wi' muckle scorn spak she,

"Leader o' the Scottish men!

King is his degree.

An' while this roof is owre your head

Ye, sir, shall hail him king,

Or in your comely English face

This scalding brose I'll fling."

Then smiling spake the gude De Bruce,
""Twere pity great, I ween,

To spoil a comely face wi' brose
Wad feed a hungry king.

"Then of thy stores draw forth, gude dame,
For this gude knight an' me,

For baith o' this thy tempting fare

Wad fain partakers be."

Then answer made Mark Sprott's gudewife,

"Brave king, that mayna be;

Shame fa' my hand 'gin it would feed

Our mortal enemie.

"Were I a man, hemp to his han's, Thrieve Castle for his hame, Cauld bread and water for his food,

Should serve this knight o' fame."

"Fair fa' thy true Scots heart, gude dame,

Fair fa' thy loyaltie,