"This is known unto my father;—
Leonard is well known to thee,
Thou hast praised him, praised him often—
Oh, how dear such praise to me!

"But my father, stern and stedfast,
Will not list to Leonard's prayer;—
And 'tis only thou canst move him,—
Only thou so much canst dare.

"Tell my father firmly, freely,
That we only love each other—
'Tis the truth, thou know'st it, Richard,
As a sister and a brother!

"Tell my father, if we wedded,
Thou and I, it would be guilt!—
Thus it is that thou canst aid us,—
And thou wilt—I know thou wilt!

"Yes, 'tis thus that thou must aid us,
And thou wilt!—I say no more!—
We've been friends, but this will make us
Better friends than heretofore!"

Yet some moments he was silent;
His good heart was well nigh broke;
She was blinded to his anguish;—
And " I will! " at length he spoke.

———

They were wedded. 'Twas a wedding
That had far and nigh renown,
And from morning until even
Rang the bells of London town.

Time went on: the good, old merchant
Wore a cloud upon his brow:
"Wherefore this?" his friends addresed him,
"No man should be blithe as thou!"

"In my old age I am lonely,"
Said the merchant; " she is gone;—
And young Burnell, he I nurtured,
He who was to me a son;

"He has left me!—I 'm deserted—
E'en an old man feels such woe!
'Twas but natural she should marry,
But he should not have served me so?

"'Twas not that which I expected!—
He was very dear to me,—
And I thought no London merchant
Would have stood as high as he!

"He grew very strange and moody,
What the cause I cannot say;—
And he left me when my daughter,
My poor Alice went away!

"This I felt a sore unkindness;—
Youth thinks little, feels still less!—
Burnell should have stayed beside me,
Stayed to cheer my loneliness!

"I had been a father to him,
He to me was like a son;
Young folks should have more reflection,—
'Twas what I could not have done!

"True, he writes me duteous letters;
Calls me father, tells me all
That in foreign parts are doing:—
But young people write so small,

"That I 'm often forced to leave them,
Pleasant letters though they be,
Until Alice comes from Richmond,
Then she reads them out to me.

"Alice fain would have me with her;
Leonard well deserves my praise—
But he's not my Richard Burnell,
Knows not my old wants and ways!

"No, my friends, I'll not deny it,
It has cut me to the heart,
That the son of my adoption
Thus has played a cruel part!"

So the merchant mourned and murmured;
And all foreign charms unheeding,
Dwelt the lonely Richard Burnell,
With his bruiséd heart still bleeding.

———

Time went on, and in the spring-tide,
When the birds begun to build,
And the heart of all creation
With a vast delight was filled.

Came a letter unto Alice—
Then a babe lay on her breast—
'Twas the first which Richard Burnell
Unto Alice had addressed.

Few the words which it contained,
But each word was like a sigh;
"I am sick and very lonely;—
Let me see thee ere I die!

"In this time of tribulation
Thou wilt be a friend to me:
Therefore in the Temple Gardens
Let me once more speak with thee."

Once more in the Temple Gardens
Sat they 'neath the bright blue sky,
With the leafage thick around them,
And the river rolling by.

Pale and weak was Richard Burnell,
Gone all merely outward grace,
Yet the stamp of meek endurance
Gave sad beauty to his face.

Silent by his side sat Alice,
Now no word her tongue could speak,
All her soul was steeped in pity,
And large tears were on her cheek.

Burnell spake; " Within these Gardens
Thy commands on me were laid,
And although my heart was breaking
Yet were those commands obeyed.

"What I suffered no one knoweth,
Nor shall know, I proudly said,
And, when grew the grief too mighty,
Then—there was no help—I fled.

"Yes, I loved thee, long had loved thee,
And alone the God above,
He, who at that time sustained me,
Knows the measure of my love!

"Do not let these words displease thee;
Life's sore battle will soon cease;
I have fallen amid the conflict,
But within my soul is peace.

"It has been a fiery trial,
But the fiercest pang is past;
Once more I am come amongst you—
Oh, stand by me at the last!

"Leonard will at times come to me.
And thy father, I will try
To be cheerful in his presence,
As I was in days gone by.