Poor purblind man! then set thee still; Too near, lest, like a silly fly, While she the wanton with the flame doth play. DEVOTIONAL MELODY. How pleasant is the opening year ! The songster carols from the spray; Of winter, slept both bud and bloom; O man! a star hath shone to save- The midnight darkness of the grave! Yet ponder well, how there shall break That makes or weal or woe thine own; Up and to work! Eternity Must reap the harvest Time has sown. A Blackwood. Ꭰ THE VALENTINE WREATH. Rosy-red the hills appear White through mist the meadows shine; For thy locks of raven-hue, Flowers with hoar-frost pearly, O'er the margin of the flood, With the little celandine, Crown, my love, my Valentine! Pansies, on their lowly stems, Scattered o'er the fallows; Few and simple flow'rets these ; Since this wreath victorious MONTGOMERY. THE VILLAGE-BOY. FREE from the cottage corner, see how wild As though he'd get them all,-now, tired of these, For some new flower his happy rapture sees,— Now, leering 'mid the bushes on his knees On woodland banks, for blue-bell flowers he creeps,And now, while looking up among the trees, And He spies a nest, and down he throws his flowers, up CLARE. THE GLOW-WORM. GEM of the lone and silent vale, I come thy fairy rays to hail, I come a votive strain to pour. Nor chilly damps, nor paths untrod, Shall from thy shrine my footsteps fright; Thy lamp shall guide me o'er the sod, And cheer the gathering mists of night. Again the yellow fire impart ; Lo! planets shed a mimic day; Lo! vivid meteors round me dart; On western clouds red lightnings play! But I disdain these garish fires, Thine is an unobtrusive blaze, Content in lowly shades to shine; For, long by youth's wild wishes cast And find a monitor in thee. MRS. OPIE. The Glow-worm, Lampyris Noctiluca, cannot be viewed but with delight and admiration. Upon examination it will be found to resemble a caterpillar, though somewhat depressed; however, it is not the larva of an insect, but the perfect female of a beetle: it is destitute of wings and elytra, appendages with which the male fly is furnished. Its light, which is of a beautiful sulphur colour, (though our poets have described it as emerald, topaz, blue, &c.) proceeds from the last three segments of the body. It is phosphorescent, and so strong that it may be seen through several folds of paper, in which it may be wrapped. So brilliant indeed is this little diamond of the night, that by its light the smallest print may be read without much difficulty, and the time also seen by a watch. In the neighbourhood where these curious insects abound, they are collected by children, And put in flowers that nature weaves Serving for lamp and lantern well. The Glow-worm also has the wonderful property of absorbing its light, and giving it out at pleasure;—an admirable provision to guard it from nocturnal birds and insects; or Perhaps indulgent Nature meant By such a lamp bestow'd, Be careful where he trod. Gilbert White observed that this little creature puts out its lamp between eleven and twelve o'clock, and shines no more for the rest of the night. No wonder then that this insect, which chiefly exhibits itself on occasions so interesting, and whose economy is so wonderful, should have afforded exquisite images and illustrations to so many of our poets. THE MENAI BRIDGE. FAIREST of rocky England's channel gates! Thus wreathed in folds of summer billow, who F. W. FABER, M. A. THE REDBREAST. SWEET Social bird with breast of red, Thy cheerful song in Winter's cold, Thy friendly heart, thy nature mild, |