So through the moonlight lanes they go,
And far into the moonlight dale,
And by the church, and o'er the down,

To bring a doctor from the town,
To comfort poor old Susan Gale.

And Betty, now at Susan's side,
Is in the middle of her story,
What speedy help her boy will bring,
With many a most diverting thing,
Of Johnny's wit, and Johnny's glory.

And Betty, still at Susan's side,

By this time is not quite so flurried:

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125

Demure with porringer and plate

She sits, as if in Susan's fate

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Her life and soul were buried.

But Betty, poor good woman! she,—

You plainly in her face may read it,—

Could lend out of that moment's store

Five years of happiness or more

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To any that might need it.

But yet I guess that now and then

With Betty all was not so well,

And to the road she turns her ears,

And thence full many a sound she hears, 140
Which she to Susan will not tell.

Poor Susan moans, poor Susan groans;
66 As sure as there's a moon in heaven,"
Cries Betty, "he'll be back again;
They'll both be here-'tis almost ten-
They'll both be here before eleven."

Poor Susan moans, poor Susan groans;
The clock gives warning for eleven ;
'Tis on the stroke-" He must be near,"
Quoth Betty," and will soon be here,
As sure as there's a moon in heaven."

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The clock is on the stroke of twelve,
And Johnny is not yet in sight;
The moon's in heaven, as Betty sees,
But Betty is not quite at ease;
And Susan has a dreadful night.

And Betty, half-an-hour ago,
On Johnny vile reflections cast:
"A little idle sauntering thing!
With other names, an endless string,
But now that time is gone and past.

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And Betty's drooping at the heart,
That happy time all past and gone,
"How can it be he is so late?
The doctor, he has made him wait;

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The clock is on the stroke of one ;
But neither doctor nor his guide

With, "God forbid it should be true!"

At the first word that Susan said,

Cried Betty, rising from the bed,

66

Susan, I'd gladly stay with you.

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"I must be gone, I must away,
Consider, Johnny's but half-wise;
Susan, we must take care of him,
If he is hurt in life or limb ".
"O God forbid!" poor Susan cries.

"What can I do?" says Betty, going,
"What can I do to ease your pain? .
Good Susan, tell me, and I'll stay ;
I fear you're in a dreadful way,
But I shall soon be back again."

"Nay, Betty, go! good Betty, go!
There's nothing that can ease my pain."
Then off she hies; but with a prayer
That God poor Susan's life would spare
Till she comes back again.`

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So through the moonlight lane she goes,
And far into the moonlight dale:
And how she ran, and how she walk'd,

And all that to herself she talk'd,

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Would surely be a tedious tale.

In high and low, above, below,

In great and small, in round and square,
In tree and tower was Johnny seen,
In bush and brake, in black and green,
'Twas Johnny, Johnny, everywhere.

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And while she crossed the bridge, there came A thought with which her heart is sore,—

Johnny perhaps his horse forsook,

To hunt the moon that's in the brook,

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And never will be heard of more.

Now is she high upon the down,

Alone amid a prospect wide;

There's neither Johnny nor his horse
Among the fern or in the gorse :
There's neither doctor nor his guide.

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"O saints! what is become of him?
Perhaps he's climb'd into an oak,
Where he will stay till he is dead;
Or, sadly, he has been misled,
And join'd the wandering gipsy-folk.

"Or him that wicked pony's carried
To the dark cave, the goblin's hall;
Or in the castle he's pursuing,
Among the ghosts his own undoing ;
Or playing with the waterfall."

At poor old Susan then she rail'd,
While to the town she posts away;
"If Susan had not been so ill,
Alas! I should have had him still,

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The town so long, the town so wide,
Is silent as the skies.

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And now she's at the doctor's door,

She lifts the knocker, rap, rap, rap;

The doctor at the casement shows

His glimmering eyes that peep and doze! 250 And one hand rubs his old nightcap.

"O doctor! doctor! where's my Johnny?"

"I'm here, what is't you want with me?"

"O sir! you know I'm Betty Foy,

And I have lost my poor dear boy,
You know him-him you often see;

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"He's not so wise as some folk be." "The devil take his wisdom," said

The doctor, looking somewhat grim,

"What, woman, should I know of him?" 260

And grumbling, he went back to bed.

"O woe is me! O woe is me!

Here will I die; here will I die !

I thought to find my lost one here;

But he is neither far nor near;
Oh! what a wretched mother I !"

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She stops, she stands, she looks about ;
Which way to turn she cannot tell.
Poor Betty! it would ease her pain

If she had heart to knock again;

270.

To comfort poor old Susan Gale.

And now she's high upon the down,
And she can see a mile of road;
"Oh cruel! I'm almost threescore ;
Such night as this was ne'er before,
There's not a single soul abroad."

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She listens, but she cannot hear

The foot of horse, the voice of man ;

The streams with softest sounds are flowing,

The grass you almost hear it growing,

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You hear it now, if e'er you can.

The owlets through the long blue night

Are shouting to each other still:

Fond lovers! yet not quite hob-nob,

They lengthen out the tremulous sob,

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That echoes far from hill to hill.