And I still keep listening for the words
You never more may speak.

"'Tis but a step down yonder lane,
And the little church stands near-
The church were we were wed, Mary,
I see the spire from here;

But the grave-yard lies between, Mary,
And my step might break your rest,
For I've laid you, darling, down to sleep,
With your babe upon your breast.

"I'm very lonely, now, Mary,
For the poor make no new friends;
But O! they love the better, far,
The few our Father sends!
And you were all I had, Mary,
My blessing and my pride;
There's nothing left to care for now,
Since my poor Mary died!

"I'm bidding you a long farewell,
My Mary-kind and true!
But I'll not forget you, darling,

In the land I'm going to!

They say there's bread and work for all,

And the sun shines always there,

But I'll not forget old Ireland,

Were it fifty times as fair.

"And often in those grand old woods
I'll sit and shut my eyes,
And my heart will travel back again
To the place where Mary lies;
And I'll think I see the little stile
Where we sat side by side,
On a bright May morning long ago,
When first you were my bride !"

In this ballad only three words of Norman-French derivation occur: changed, grand and travel, but their places could not be well supplied by any Saxon synonyms. The word travel is especially appropriate, as along with its proper meaning it has associated with it also the idea of distance and something like trouble of heart. Such instances evince that the Saxon and Norman in the English are not two distinct languages in them

selves. They cannot be untwined, like the lily or white rose from the red; but like the blending of the hues of those plants, which Cowper speaks of, on the cheeks of the British Fair, their union is organic and complete. Of ballad poetry the Muse is a perfect blond, her eyes blue, her hair flaxen (though to the Scottish fancy she reveals herself with dark eyes and yellow hair) and in her guise as unassuming as was the Lady Clare that Tennyson sets forth, when she had doffed her ornaments:

"She clad herself in a russet gown,

She was no longer Lady Clare:

She went by dale, and she went by down,
With a single rose in her hair."

The incidents she meets with she depicts in touching simplicity of language without any garish decorations. A trait or two, however, of her lineage having been derived, in a slight degree, from a Southern clime, at times she manifests. Not always remains her manner outwardly composed. In proper fits her minstrelsy becomes somewhat animated and even passionate. The lilies of her cheek are not always most apparent, but across them comes occasionally also the warmer flush of the Norman or Provencial rose. Mercersburg, Pa.

W. M. N.

BIBLE CHRISTIANITY.

1. The Bible Alliance: or the Pen, the Pulpit, and the Press. By T. H. Stockton.-Nos. 1-7. Cincinnati: 1850. 2. The Unity and Faith of the Christian Church. A Discourse preached at the Dedication of the New Hall, corner of 23rd St. and 8th Avenue, New York, May 6, 1849. By Austin Craig. Stereotype edition-Tenth thousand. New York: 1850.

Both of these publications are devoted to the same object. They take the ground, that the existing sect system in the Church is antichristian; and that the only proper remedy for it, is an open abandonment of all sectarian distinctions, so far at least as they are in any way exclusive, on the part of the true followers of Christ, and a free reconstruction of the christian life on the broad and open platform of the Bible. They represent in this

way a tendency, which at this time particularly is by no means confined to themselves; a tendency that may be said rather to lie deeply imbedded in the spirit of the age, as it finds vast encouragement also in the general growing ecclesiastical misery of the age; the working of which well deserves the careful attention and study of all, who would rightly understand, or estimate to purpose, the true import of the Church Question. A circular was issued a short time since, calling a convention to meet at Canandaigua, N. Y., for the special purpose of considering the question, Whether all sectarian distinctions are not unchristian, and at the same time a vast social evil which ought to be abolished? Such public demonstrations reveal only to a small extent the difficulty that is coming to be felt on this subject, by hundreds and thousands throughout the land, who yet shrink from openly avowing what they feel, because they see no clear way of escape from their own embarrassment. We have besides various sects, the Winebrennerians, Campbellites, and others, (altogether a numerous body,) which started at least on the principle here offered to our view; however they may seem to have been drawn themselves again, in their subsequent history, as fully as others, into the same great vortex that has been denounc ed by them as so dreadful in the case of all sects besides. It is to these mainly, we presume, that Mr. Craig refers, when he tells us, "there are already in the United States and in England some hundreds of thousands who profess to be occupying the same ground" that is assumed by the worshippers at the New Hall, lately dedicated in N. York.

Most of our readers probably have some knowedge of the Rev. Thomas H. Stockton. It is generally known too, that for several years past, he has been wrestling in his own way with the problem of Christian Union, endeavoring to effect a concert of worship and action among the different sects, though still retaining his membership and ministry in the Protestant Methodist body. His zeal in this cause has been all along of the most pure and noble character, and such as to entitle him to the admiration and respect of all who love the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He is a man whom we have long regarded with sincere christian sympathy and affection, though it has never been our privilege to know him personally. We honor him for his self-sacrificing protest against the sect system, and the untiring ardor with which he has been struggling for years to assert in opposition to it the proper liberty of Christ's Church. His soul has been kindled into flame with the ideal of what he calls Bible Christianity; an interest clearly distin

guishable in his view from the creeds, and confessions, and corparate associations, of the different sects; which all sects are bound accordingly to acknowledge practically as their joint heritage, in a brotherly way and with a regard surpassing their sense of sectarian separation; and to whose service, in such view, he has felt himself bound to consecrate property, health, life, and worldly credit, with a devotion equal to that of any missionary on his chosen field. He was not content to theorize merely, but labored to bring something to pass; gave his time and talents to the work; brought to bear upon it his popularity in the pulpit, and his dexterity with the pen; established a periodical, the "Christian World" proposed a Common Christian Society, Chapel, and Press; sought the approbation of distinguished men in Church and State; and so long as it stood in words and fair speeches only, gained actually to his cause nearly all the backing in this form that he was pleased to ask. "While others were repairing to Washington, from all quarters" he tells us, "for the promotion of political purposes, (a. 1845,) I made a call upon the President and Vice President, elect, who were waiting for the day of Inauguration, and received their signatures in behalf of BIBLE CHRISTIANITY. To these were added others, from Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Post Office Department; and to these, after a while, about a hundred and forty more, from Ministers of the Gospel-Baptist, Presbyterian, Independent, Protestant Episcopal, Lutheran, and Methodist Protestant." Who could refuse, politician or ecclesiastic, to give his name at least, if nothing more, in favor of Bible Christianity? Mr. Stockton labored on, more or less in the fire, "hand and heart full of toil and anxiety;" with far less headway than he could have wished. In January, 1847, the Christian Atheneum was opened "at No. 40, N. 4th St., Philadelphia; in a small way, but not without hope of increase." In April, 1847, the Christian Society of Brotherly Love was organized; embracing some who had never been in any church fellowship, and others" connected with fourteen different Denominations." The whole movement however was still most uncomfortably crippled, to the feeling of Mr. Stockton, by the supremacy allowed on all sides to these sectarian distinctions. Towards the close of the same year we find him settled in Cincinnati, full as ever of his amiable fixed idea, and teeming with projects and plans for carrying it into at least partial execution. Thus originated, The Ladies' Committee of Instruction and Relief; then the Young Men's Reading Class; then the Good Boys' Band. A Prospectus was issued for a periodical, to be styled The Let

ter Press; and a proposition followed to establish a Bible Col lege, "in the midst of the People and for the People." The following record is characteristic. "June 3: 1848:-Spent the evening over Robert Hall's works: still seeking to understand the subject of False Authority in the Visible Church of Christ. In all these investigations, am deeply persuaded of the supreme importance of faith in Christ; the baptism of the Holy Ghost; love to God and man; and the freedom of the Ministry and the People, in a Church duly honoring the Bible and Private Judgment, to the glory of God and the good of the world." In March, 1849, Mr. Stockton received a call to the Presidency of Miami University. There was something pleasant, he acknowledges," in the notion of finding time to issue a series of Ameri can OXFORD TRACTS'-not devoted, like the English series, to Puseyism, or the Newmania, as some call it, but to the Old Glory of the Christianity of the New Testament shining through the Transfiguration of the Church of the New Testament." But still the invitation, for good reasons, was declined; and the champion of Bible Christianity went on as before, preaching and working as the Pastor of the Sixth St. Station, with one foot in the Methodist Protestant Church and the other foot fairly on the outside. A most uncomfortable sort of dualism, not easy to support either in walking or working. Finally, in the way of compromise, he proposed in form to open a new church, (without forsaking the old one,) where he might be free from all denominational trammels at least with half his ministry; consenting to bear them still in the other half of it, and offering to relinquish at the same time one half of his salary, for the privilege of such partial freedom. The congregation was supposed to be itself deeply committed to the interest of Bible Christianity; but this seemed to be going too far; and the denominational spirit was roused at once into an attitude of remonstrance and rebellion. Mr. Stockton however refused to bow any farther to its demands; having been held back too long already, in his own opinion, from a whole consecration to undenominational Christianity; and we find him accordingly, since last December, preaching and working in a fully independent way, in the bosom of the Church general, without ecclesiastical patronage or help from any quar No account seems to have been taken of this irregularity in the body to which he belonged. He professes to belong to it still; only taking his ministry into his own hands, and placing himself for the exercise of it under the guidance of the Bible, instead of the Quarterly M. P. Conference. The "Bible Alliance" is intended to give to a wider public, the preparations of

ter.