honest.

A Literary Curiosity.

The following remarkable little poem

Is a contribution to the San Francisco

Times from the pen of Mrs. H. A. De­

raiug. The reader will noticethat each

line is a quotation from some one of the

standard authors of Kngland and Amer •

ica. This is the result of a year’s labo­

rious search among the voluminous wri­

tings of thirty-eight leading poets of the

past and present. The number of each

line refers to its author below :

1.1 f f..

1. Why all this toil for triumphs of an hour?

2. Lite's a short Summer, mau a flower.

'3. By turns we catch the vital breath and die;

4. The cradle and the tomb, ala*! so nigh.

5. T" be, Is better far than.not to be,

6. Though all man's life m:-y seem a tragedy:

7. But light cajes ppt-ak when mighty griefs

are dumb. ,

g. The bottom Is but shallow whence they

come.

9. Your fale is but the common 'ate of all;

lb. Unmlntiled joys here t > no man befall

11. Nature to each allots Its prop r spheres

12 Fortune makes folly her peculiar care.

• 18. Custom does often reason overrule,

In And thro *• a cruel sunshine on a fool.

15. Live well; now long or short, peimli to

Heaven ;

16. They who forgive most shall be most :or-

given.

17. Sin may ba clasped so close we cannot see

Its lace —

IS Vile inteicourse, wh*-re virtue has no place.

l'J. Then keep each j asslon down, however

dear,

20. Thou pendulum betwixt a smile and tear.

21. Her sensual snares left faithless Pleasure

lay,

21. With craft and skill, to ruin and betray.

23. hoar not too high to fall, but stoop to rise ;

24 We masters grow of all that we -leapise.

25. Oh, then, I renounce that impious self-

esteem ;

26 Riches have wings, aud grandeur is a

drt-am.

27. Think not ambition wise because'Lis brave;

28. The paths of glory lead bu to the grave.

29. What Is ambition ? TU a glorious cheat—

-80. Only destructive to the brave aud great

What’s all the gaudy glitter of a crown ? •

82. The way to bliss lies not on beds of down

38. H w long we live, not years, but actions

tell;

31. That man lives twice wno lives the first life

well.

35. Make, then, while yet we may, yonr God

ycur friend

36. Whom Christians worship, yet not compre­

hend

37. The trust that’s given guard, and to your­

self tie Just;

38 For live we how we can, die we must.

1, Young; 2, Dr. Johnson ; 3, Pope ; 4, Prior:

5, a well; H, Spenser ; 7, Darnel; 8, Sir Walter

Raleigh; 9, Longfellow; 10,Southwell; ll.Coa­

greve; 12, Charcnill: 13, Rochester; 14, Arm­

strong ; 15, Milton! is, Bailey; 17,'Ireuch; 18,

omervilie; 19, Thompson; 20, Byron; 21,

Smollett; 22. Crabbe; 23, MasslDger; 24, Cow­

; 25, Beattie ; 26, Cowper - 27, Sir Walter

Devenant;‘.B. Gray ; 29, Willis; 30, Addison :

,31, Dryden; 32. Francis Quarles; 33 Watkins;

34, Herrick ; 35, William Mason; 36, Hill* 37,

Dana; 38, ah&kapeare.