THE COUNTRY DANCE.-JOE JOT, JR. "Take your places." Goodness gracious, "Forward four and back again." "Lemonade all." Bless me, Hiram, "Right and left all round." Not that way, "Forward two and back again." Keep your coats on, boys, I pray. "Gentlemen balance to the right." There, you all are jumping wrong! "Half lemonade." Üriah Williams, Don't you think you're going it strong? "Hands all round." Now mind your eye there, Jake, you have never danced before. "Ladies change." Oh, Polly Simmons, There you go upon the floor! "Forward four and back again,”— 66 Gentlemen balance to the left." "Lemonade all." It's getting hot here. THE PRIDE OF BATTERY B.-F. H. GASSAWAY. South Mountain towered upon our right, far off the river lay, At last the gunners' pipes did fill, the sergeant's yarns began. In grave salute. "And who are you?" at length the ser geant said. "And where's your home?" he growled again. She lisped out, "Who is me? Why, don't you know? I'm little Jane, the Pride of Battery B. My home? Why, that was burned away, and pa and ma are dead; And so I ride the guns all day along with Sergeant Ned. And I've a drum that's not a toy, a cap with feathers, too; And I march beside the drummer boy on Sundays at review. But now our 'bacca's all give out, the men can't have their smoke, And so they're cross-why, even Ned won't play with me and joke. And the big colonel said to-day-I hate to hear him swearHe'd give a leg for a good pipe like the Yank had over there. And so I thought when beat the drum, and the big guns were still, I'd creep beneath the tent and come out here across the hill And beg, good Mister Yankee men, you'd give me some 'Lone Jack.' Please do: when we get some again, I'll surely bring it back. We brimmed her tiny apron o'er; you should have heard her laugh As each man from his scanty store shook out a generous half. To kiss the little mouth stooped down a score of grimy men, Until the sergeant's husky voice said, ""Tention squad! and then We gave her escort, till good-night the pretty waif we bid, And watched her toddle out of sight-or else 'twas tears that hid Her tiny form-nor turned about a man, nor spoke a word, Till after awhile a far, hoarse shout upon the wind we heard! We sent it back, then cast sad eyes upon the scene around, A baby's hand had touched the ties that brothers once had bound. That's all-save when the dawn awoke again the work of hell, And through the sullen clouds of smoke the screaming missiles fell, Our general often rubbed his glass, and marveled much to see Not a single shell that whole day fell in the camp of Battery B. I'M WITH YOU ONCE AGAIN.-GEO. P. MORRIS. I'm with you once again, my friends, No other clime has skies so blue, Or streams so broad and clear, Since last, with spirits wild and free, I've wandered many miles at sea, I've seen fair regions of the earth Which taught me how to prize the worth In other countries when I heard How fondly each familiar word Awoke an answering tone! But when our woodland songs were sung Upon a foreign mart The vows that faltered on the tongue With rapture thrilled my heart! My native land! I turn to you, With blessing and with prayer, Long may our flag in triumph wave, And friends a welcome-foes a grave, THE TRUE TEMPLE. Not where high towers rear Their lofty heads above some costly fane, Not where the lapsing hours The cankering footprints of the spoiler, time, Not where the chiseled stone, And shadowy niche, and shaft and architrave, Not 'neath the vaulted dome, O'er cushioned seats, or curtained desks o'erhung With rare work of the loom; Not where the sunlight falls From the stained oriel with a chastened shade, O'er sculptured tombs where mighty ones are laid, Till the last trumpet calls; Not where rich music floats Through the hushed air until the soul is stirred As 'twere a chord from that bright land as heard When angels swell the notes. Perchance 'tis well to raise These palace temples, thus rich wrought, to Him Who 'midst His thousand thousand cherubims Can stoop to list our praise. Yet when our spirits bow And sue for mercy at His sacred shrine, O no!—God may be there His smile may on such costly altars rest; Aye, wheresoe'er on earth Or on the shore or on the far blue sea Our sins may be forgiven, As, weak and few, our prayers go up to God; A KER CHEW DUET. They had been keeping company a year. He told her Friday afternoon that he would be up early Sunday evening, as he had something of great importance to tell her, and a present to give her. With a woman's keen intuition she knew what that something of importance would be, and she looked forward to the hour with sweet expectations. He was there on time, but hardly in the condition he desired. A heavy cold had tackled him the night before, and his eyes were red and inflamed, and his nose was nearly twice its usual size, and shone with a lustre that would have appeared to much better advantage on a doorplate. Singularly enough, the young lady was similarly conditioned. She ushered him into the parlor, and without any preliminary ceremony they were seated on the same sofa together. He took out his handkerchief and finding a dry section, wiped his nose. This reminded her of a duty she owed herself, and she attended to it at once. He held one of her hands in his, and his handkerchief in the other. Then he spoke: 'Susad, I cub to dide to dalk to you of subthig dearer-ah ah-ooh (a prompt application of the handkerchief cut off the sneeze in its bud) dearer to be thad libe-ah ah-thad id-oo ooh-ker chew, ker chew, ker chew." A moment's pause. "I've god ad awful code," he explains, with due solemnity. "Sobe I," she replies. A moment is devoted to the silent use of the handkerchiefs, and then he continues: "Darlig, you bust have seed all the tibe how mudge-oohoon-ker-(the handkerchief again saves him) how mudge I have thought ob you. Every hour ob the day or dide-ahah-ooh-ooh, ker chew, ker chew." She wiped her eyes-and then her nose, and made an honest endeavor to look languishingly, but owing to the watery condition of the former, and the fiery glow of the latter, she appeared to an unhappy advantage. But he did not notice it. Susad," he began again, grasping her hand with fervor, and clutching his handkerchief with equal earnestness, “what |