16 NOVEMBER 1878, Page 15

POETRY.

QUESTION AND ANSWER.

A.—What is the good and what is the bad ?

Where is the perfectly true ?

What is the end you live for, my lad ?

And what, may I ask, are you ?

Unproven, I fear, is your heaven above, Life is but labour and sorrow ; Then why should we hope, and why should we love, And why should we care for the morrow ?

13.—There may be a fight worth fighting, my friend, Though victory there be none ; And though no haven be ours at the end, Still we may steer straight on.

And though nothing be good, and nothing be bad, And nothing be true to the letter, Yet a good many things are worse, my lad, And one or two things are better. C. R.