But Darius said, "No!

Shouldn't wonder 'f you might see me, though,

'Long 'bout noon, ef I git red

O' this jumpin', thumpin' pain'n my head."
For all the while to himself he said:-

"I tell ye what!

I'll fly a few times around the lot,

To see how't seems, then soon's I've got
The hang o' the thing, ez likely's not,
I'll astonish the nation,

An' all creation,

By flyin' over the celebration!

Over their heads I'll sail like an eagle;

I'll balance myself on my wings like a sea-gull;

I'll dance on the chimbleys; I'll stand on the steeple; I'll flop up to winders an scare the people!

I'll light on the liberty-pole, an' crow;

An' I'll say to the gawpin' fools below, 'What world's this 'ere

That I've come near?'

Fur I'll make 'em b'lieve I'm a chap f'm the moon; An' I'll try a race 'ith their ol' bulloon!"

He crept from his bed;

And, seeing the others were gone, he said, "I'm gittin' over the cold'n my head." And away he sped,

To open the wonderful box in the shed.

His brothers had walked but a little way,
When Jotham to Nathan chanced to say,
"What is the feller up to, hey?"

"Don'o'-the's suthin' ur other to pay,
Ur he wouldn't 'a' stayed to hum to-day."
Says Burke, "His toothache's all 'n his eye!
He never'd miss a Fo'th-o'-July

Ef he hedn't got some machine to try.'

Then Sol, the little one spoke: "By darn!
Le's hurry back an' hide'n the barn,

An' pay him fur tellin' us that yarn!"

"Agreed!" Through the orchard they creep back,

Along by the fences, behind the stack,

And one by one, through a hole in the wall,
In under the dusty barn they crawl,
Dressed in their Sunday garments all;

And a very astonishing sight was that,
When each in his cobwebbed coat and hat
Came up through the floor like an ancient rat.
And there they hid;

And Reubin slid

The fastenings back, and the door undid.

"Keep dark!" said he,

"While I squint an' see what the' is to see."

As knights of old put on their mail

From head to foot an iron suit,

Iron jacket and iron boot,

Iron breeches, and on the head
No hat, but an iron pot instead,
And under the chin the bail,

(I believe they called the thing a helm,)
Then sallied forth to overwhelm

The dragons and pagans that plagued the realmSo this modern knight

Prepared for flight,

Put on his wings and strapped them tight;
Jointed and jaunty, strong and light—
Buckled them fast to shoulder and hip;
Ten feet they measured from tip to tip!
And a helm had he, but that he wore,
Not on his head, like those of yore,
But more like the helm of a ship.

"Hush!" Reuben said,

"He's up in the shed!

He's opened the winder-I see his head!
He stretches it out, an' pokes it about,
Lookin' to see 'f the coast is clear,

An' nobody near;—

Guess he don'o' who's hid in here!
He's riggin' a spring-board over the sill!
Stop laffin', Solomon! Burke, keep still!
He's a climbin' out now-Of all the things!
What's he got on? I van, it's wings!

An' that 'tother thing? I vum, it's a tail!

An' there he sets like a hawk on a rail!

Steppin' careful, he travels the length

Of his spring-board, and teeters to try its strength. Now he stretches his wings, like a monstrous bat;

Peeks over his shoulder; this way an' that,

Fur to see 'f the' 's any one passin' by;
But the' 's on'y a ca'f an' a goslin' nigh.
They turn up at him a wonderin' eye,
To see The dragon! he's goin' to fly!
Away he goes! Jimminy! what a jump!
Flop-flop-an' plump

To the ground with a thump!
Flutt'rin' an' flound'rin, all'n a lump!"

As a demon is hurled by an angel's spear,
Heels over head, to his proper sphere-
Heels over head, and head over heels,
Dizzily down the abyss he wheels-
So fell Darius. Upon his crown,

In the midst of the barnyard he came down,
In a wonderful whirl of tangled strings,
Broken braces and broken springs,

Broken tail and broken wings,

Shooting-stars, and various things;

Barn-yard litter of straw and chaff,

And much that wasn't so sweet by half.

Away with a bellow fled the calf,

And what was that? Did the gosling laugh?

'Tis a merry roar from the old barn-door, And he hears the voice of Jotham crying, "Say, D'rius! how do you like flyin'?" Slowly, ruefully, where he lay,

Darius just turned and looked that way,

As he staunched his sorrowful nose with his cuff, "Wal, I like flyin' well enough,"

He said; "but the' ain't sich a thunderin' sight
O' fun in 't when ye come to light."

I just have room for the moral here:
And this is the moral-Stick to your sphere.
Or if you insist, as you have a right,
On spreading your wings for a loftier flight,
The moral is-Take care how you light.

OPPORTUNITY

JOHN JAMES INGALLS

MASTER of human destinies am I!

Fame, love, and fortune on my footsteps wait.
Cities and fields I walk; I penetrate

Deserts and seas remote, and passing by
Hovel and mart and palace, soon or late
I knock unbidden once at every gate!
If sleeping, wake; if feasting, rise before
I turn away. It is the hour of fate