"Sisters and brothers, little maid, "How many may you be?” "How many ? seven in all," she said, And wondering looked at me. "And where are they, I pray you tell?” She answered, “Seven are we, "And two of us at Conway dwell, "And two are gone to sea. "Two of us in the church-yard lie, "And in the church-yard cottage, I "Dwell near them with my mother." "You say that two at Conway dwell, "And two are gone to sea, "Yet you are seven ; I "Sweet Maid, how this pray you tell may be?" Then did the little Maid reply, "Beneath the church-yard tree." "You run about, my little maid, "Your limbs they are alive; "If two are in the church-yard laid, "Then ye are only five.” "Their graves are green, they may be seen,” The little Maid replied, "Twelve steps or more from my mother's door, "And they are side by side. "My stockings there I often knit, " My 'kerchief there I hem; " And there upon the "I sit and sing to them. ground I sit "And often after sunset, Sir, "When it is light and fair, "I take my little porringer, "And eat my supper there. "The first that died was little Jane ; "In bed she moaning lay, "Till God released her of her pain, "And then she went away. "So in the church-yard she was laid, "And all the summer dry, "Together round her grave we played, "And when the ground was white with snow, "And I could run and slide, "How many are you then," said I, "If they two are in Heaven ?" The little Maiden did reply, "O Master! we are seven." "But they are dead; those two are dead! "Their spirits are in heaven!" Twas throwing words away; for still And said, "Nay, we are seven!" LINES WRITTEN IN EARLY SPRING, I heard a thousand blended notes, In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts To her fair works did nature link The human soul that through ine ran ; |