Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: A CRITIC'S REWARD. Zo-i-lus was a critic, In very ancient days, And he dearly loved to pounce upon Another fellow's lays; So to Apollo, one fine day, A fearful screed he took In which he'd torn the flinders From another fellow's book. " And could you find no good, at all ?" Apollo asked the critic. The latter rolled his milky eyes, And in a breath mephitic From long confinement, musty rooms, And places dank and sad, Declared himself: " I know no good; 'Tis mine to seek the bad." Then the god gave to the critic A bundle—with a laugh— " 'Tis wheat unwinnowed ; you may have, For your reward, the chaff." MOUNT OF THE HOLY CROSS. Where Nature's God hath roughest wrought Where spring the purest fountains; Where, long ago, the Titans fought, And hurled, for missiles, mountains; Where everlasting snows abide, And tempest clouds are driven Along the solid granite side Of yawning chasms, riven Deep in the Rockies' grandest pride, That lifts its head to Heaven ; Amid the wilds, where awful rise The giant peaks that fathom Night's starry depths and day's blue skies, And brood above the chasm, One monarch 'mongst the mighty hills Rears high his summit hoary, Like some grim king, whose legend fills A page of olden story, And heart o'erawes and soul enthrills, Before his regal glory. The Holy Cross of Christian faith, Above the royal velvet, In beauty shines, an emblem wraith, High on his beetling helmet; Its white arms stretching through the sheen Of silvery mist, are gleaming; A talisman, the world to screen, Hope's symbol, in its seeming; A wonder grand, a joy serene, Upon the ages beaming. BABY'S MORNING. When morning comes and sunlight streams In tender, so...