Maud Muller, on a summer's day, raked the meadowsweet with hay. 



Beneath her torn hat glowed the wealth of simple beauty and rustic health. 



Singing, she wrought, and her merry glee the mock-bird echoed from his tree. 



But when she glanced to the lar-off town, white from its hill-slope looking down, 



The sweet song died, and a vague unrest and a nameless longing filled her breast,— 



A wish, that she hardly dare to own, for something better than she had known. 



The Judge rode slowly down the lane, smoothing his horse's chestnut mane. 



He drew his bridle in'the shade of the apple-trees to greet the maid. 



And asked a draught from the spring that flowed through the meadow across'the road. 



She stooped where the cool spring bubbled up, and filled for him her small tin cup. 



And blushed as she gave it, looking down on her feet so bare, and her tattered gown. 



'* Thanks !" said the Judge ; ''a sweeter draught from a fairer hand was never quaffed." 



He spoke of the grass and flowers and trees, of the singing birds and the humming bees ; 



Then talk, d of the haying, and wondered whether the cloud in the west would bring foul 



And Maud forgot her brier-torn gown, and hei graceful ankles bare and brown [weather. 



And listened, while a pleased surprise looked from her long-lashed hazel e^ es. 



At last, like one who for delay seeks a vain excuse, he rode away. 



Maud Muller looked and sighed: "Ah me! That I the Judge's bride might be! 



" He would dress me up in silks so fine, and praise and toast me at his wine. 



" My father should wear a broadcloth coat ; my brother should sail a painted boat. 



" I'd dress my mother so grand and gay. and the baby should have a new toy each day. 



" And I'd feed the hungry and clothe the poor, and all should bless me who left our door." 



The Judge looked back as he climbed the hill, and saw Maud Muller standing still. 



" A form more fair, a face more sweet, ne'er hath it been my lot to meet. 



" And her modest answer and graceful air show her wise and good as she is fair. 



" Would she were mine, and I to-day, like her, a harvester of hay : 



" No doubtful balance of rights and wrongs, nor weary lawyers with endless tongues, 



" But low of cattle and song of birds, and health and quiet and loving words." 



But he thought of liis sisters proud and cold, and his mother vain of her rank and gold . 



So, closing his heart the Judge rode on and Maud was left in the field alone. 



But the lawyers smiled that afternoon, when he hummed in Court an old love tune; 



And the young girl mused beside the well till the rain on the unraked clover fell. 



He wedded a wife of richest dowf-r, who lived for fashion, as he for power. 



Yet oft, in his marble hearth's bright glow, he watched a picture come and go ; 



And sweet Maud Muller's hazel eyes looked out in their innocent surprise. 



Oft, when the wine in his glass was red, he longf-d for the wayside well instead ; 



And closed his eyes on his garnished rooms to dream of meadows and clover-blooms. 



And the proud man sighed, with a secret pain, " Ah, that I was free again ! 



" Free as when I rode that day, where the barefoot maiden raked her hay." 



She wedded a man unlearned and poor, and many children played round her door. 



But care and sorrow, and childl)irth pain, left their traces on heart and brain. 



And oft, when the summer sun shone hot on the new-mown hay in the meadow lot, 



And she heard the little spring brook fall over the road side, through the wail, 



In the shade of ihe apple-tree again she saw a rider draw his rein. 



And, gazing down with timid grace, she felt his pleased eyes read her face. 



Sometimes her narrow kitchen walls stretched away into stately halls; 



The weary wheel to a spinnet turned, the tallow candle an astral burned. 



And for him who sat by the chimney lug, dozing and grumbling o'er pipe and mug, 



A manly form at her side she saw, and joy was duty and love was law. 



Then she took up her burden of life again, saying only, " It might have been." 



Alas for maiden, alas for Judge, for rich repiner and household drudge ! 



God pitv them both ! and pity us all, who vainly the dreams of youth recall. 



For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these : " It might have been." 



Ah, well ! for us all some sweet hope lies deeply buried from human eyes ; 



And, in the hereafter, angels may roll the stone from its grave away ! Whittier. 



What Higher aim can Man attain than Conquest over Human Pain ? 



The .JEOPARDY OB' LIFE IS IMMENSELY INCREASED without such a simple precaution aB 



XIN^O'S 'li^IX-XJIT SJHLX^TT*' 



How important it is to every mdividual to have at hand some simple, effective and 



palatable remedy such as ' FRUIT SALT ' to check disease at the onset. Whenever a 



change is contemplated likely to disturb the condition of health, let it be your companion, 



for, under any circumstances, its use is beneficial, and never can do harm. 



"It is not too much to say that its merits have been published, tested, and approved literally, 

 from pole to pole, and that its cosmopolitan popularity to day presents one of the most signal 

 illu-itrations of commercial enterprise to be found in our trading records" —Europeav ^lail. 



Its effect upon any Disordered, Sleepless, and Feverish condition is simply marvellous. 



CAUTION.— Examine each bottle andsee that the capsule is marked END'S 'FRUIT 

 SALT.' Without it, you have been imposed upon by a WORTHLESS IMITATION, 



Prepared only bv J. C. ENO, Ltd., at the FRUIT SALT' WORKS, 

 LONDON, S.E., by J. G. ENO'S Patent. 



