ror 
1809. | 
MIRACLES. 
““ Miracles,” says Boulanger, ‘ were 
never believed by those who saw them, 
nor seen by those who believed them.” * 
RIVER-WEEDS, | 
A friend of mine, who occupies land 
by the river-side, collects yearly, for 
’ 2) 7?) 
Manure, the weeds which are cut be- 
fween two water-mills. The flood-vates 
of these mills keep the water in the bed _ 
of the river at avery equal height: the 
excess. passes off through a channel, 
which my friend does not empty. 
Now he assures me, that, in rainy 
seasons, he collects far more weeds than 
in dry seasons; although the space of 
river-bed, in which they grow, remains 
the same, and is in-either case watere 
to the same level. 
Tie infers, that rain-water is more fer- 
@iizing than river- water; and that its ad- 
Original Poetry. - 309 
mixture is the cause of the profuser vege 
tation in rainy seasons. 
POWER GF TREES TO CONDENSE MIST. 
In the beginning of August, after a 
sun-shiny day, the air became suddenly 
misty about six o’clock, I walked bow- 
ever bythe road-side from seven to eight, 
and observed m many places, that a 
shower of big drops of water was falling 
under the large trees, although no rain 
fell elsewhere. ‘he road and path con- 
tinued dusty, and the field-gates shewed 
no signs of being wetted by the mist. I 
have often noticed the like fact, but. 
have not met with a satisfactory explana- 
tion of this power in trees, to condense 
mnist. 
An old geographer, describing the Ca- 
nary islands, says, that in one of them, 
there are no springs; but that the people 
collect water under certain trees at the 
hill-top. 
ae 
- ORIGINAL POETRY. 
a 
EMMA’S GRAVE. 
> | ° 
x Wy BAT phantom greets these longing eyes ?. 
°Tis Emma-—Emma from me flies ! 
The dear illusion fades. 
*Tis gone; and blacker dreams prevail, 
Reason awakes—new griefs assail, 
And keener woe invades. 
My Emma sleeps in yonder grave !—_s 
“No guardian angel by to save, 
To charm his rage away 5 
The stern relentless tyrant broke 
Love’s fondest ties-~and dealt the stroke, 
Upon our nuptial day. 
And still this earthly load I bear! 
Still from these trembling orbs, the tear 
Flows in a ceaseless tide ! 
Qh! has this finely-textur’d brain 
No Lethean pow’r, no balm for pain ? 
And is a tomb denied > 
Cease, busy memory, to retrace 
Each feature, each celestial grace, 
Each fascinating air! 
Heav’n in her beauteous form had wove, 
Meekness, and innocence, and love, 
And truth divinely fair. 
| What joys that fateful morning biess’d, 
When to my ravish’d bosom press*’d, 
- Ekiss’d, and call’d ber mine— 
But ah! whet madd’ning horrors rise! 
| My Emma faints! my Emma dies! 
e-licav’n, was the mandate thine > 
* 
O Death! why spare this bleeding heart? 
Why midway stop the treach’r.us dart,.. 
Which wing’d its way to me? 
Oh! grant thy wretched suppliant aid, 
Strike! strike! this woe-devoted head, 
And set this spirit free ! 
Where yon rude fane with ivy wound, 
Marks out the halJow’d precincts round, 
Where endless quiet reigns ; 
Near, where those aged yew-t-ees wave, 
A dark, a damp, a narrow grave, gi 
The sainted maid contains !— 
How calm, how tranquil, sleeps her head 
How soft, how easy, is her bed! 
How silent her abode! © 
Oh! when shall Isach peace attain ? 
When shall I break this mortal chain ? 
And rest with her, and God ? 
There do I nightly vigils keep, 
There lie, and mourn, and walk, and weeps 
And speak the shade below ! 
Tell of our early loves and joys, 
Bind o’er again the nuptial ties, 
And give a loose to woe. 
The youths and maids, whose conscious 
minds 
Pity or fond affection binds, 
— Who sorrow’s liv’ry wear 5 a 
Pace the green mound with frequent fegt, 
Heave the deep sob, and sighing greet 
‘She gentle teaant there. 
“Evra 
