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: ST. KENELM'S WELL. Come, all of you, and sit around, And listen while I tell A tale from ancient chronicles About St. Kenelm's well: But first, good Christians, one and all, Upon the Saint in glory call. " 0 sweet St. Kenelm, 0 sweet St. Kenelm, Pray for us ! Pray for us, 0 sweet St. Kenelm ! Chorus St. Kenelm's well, St. Kenelm's well, How calm and clear it flows ! As when a thousand years ago By miracle it rose : So flows the stream of Faith sublime, For ever clear in every time. This land was ancient Mercia, Which far and wide you see; And Kenelm he became its king When seven years old was he: A fairer little prince, I ween, A holier child, was never seen. But oh ! what will not envy do 1 This good and gracious boy A cruel sister had, who sigh'd His kingdom to enjoy; And so, to gain her wicked will, She plotted this sweet lamb to kill. St. Kenelm rose at early dawn, ' And prayed his little prayer; But from his tender infant cheek Had fled the roses fair; Then signing with the Cross his breast, He thus his aged nurse address'd : " O Ella, dear, this morn I dreamt I stood upon a tree, All in a flush of blossoms bright, When down it fell with me; And like a bird I soar'd away:— Now read to me the dream, I pray." " Ah, sweetest child, the dream I read,"— Thus made the nurse reply ; " Gut off in virtue's opening bloom, I fear me thou must die : But like a bird thy soul shall mount, To sip and sing at glory's fount." St. Kenelm clapp'd his little hands, " God speed the time," quoth he ; " I've often pray'd that I might go With holy Mary to be. One sight of Christ in glory clear Is better than a kingdom here." That eve they led him sporting forth Across the woodland wild, A...