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IN MANY KEYS
IMARY KEELY TAYLORu
PRIVAT ELY PRINTED
19 1 2
CONT ENT S
L’ENVOI
THE BALM OF G ILEAD TREELOVE ’3 TE STOUR B IRTHDAYA CHR ISTMAS GREETI NGA LOVER CON S IDERS , COMPARE S , CONCLUDE SKI SMETA FALLEN LEAFMY STARMU STERED OUTA WOOD VIOLETN IGHTFALLHYAC INTH SENDYM IONEG ERIAM IRANDAA VALENTINEFROM THE BEACH— IFROM THE BEACH— IITW ENTY YEARS AFTERONLY A WORDAT LASTMEMORI ES
THE CAPTAIN ’ S PRIZEv ii
Content!
TOUT LASSE ! TOUT CASSE ! TOUT PASSETHE HOUR W ILL COME
THE POET ’ S GRAVEON THE WAY HOMEPERSICOS 00 1, P UER, APPARATUS
D I CK THE D I SCONTENTED
SUNT LACHRYMAE RERUM
A REMON STRANCEA CHALLENG EIN OLD MADRIDAFTER THE BALLSERENADEWHY P
SONNETSI . SW EET I S THAT SOLITUDEI I . LOVE CAME TO THEEIII . SHEMNITZ
IV . NOVEMB ERA LAST WORD
FOR KATHERINE AND ELIZABETH
A FAIRY SONGIN A CLOSET
PRO BONO P UBLICO
HYMN FOR DECORATI ON DAYA SONG OF THE CENTURY
v iii
L’ENVOI
HAND unskilled may touch and try the strings,
With vagrant fancies charm ing ca re away,
Some solace oft such id le mu s ic b rings,
Whether the tune be p la intive,bold
,or gay .
Not these the notes the master’ s hand awakes
When Art her gift to heaven-born Geniu s lends,
And o ’er the chords h i s sou l impass ioned breaks
In sound that a l l ou r morta l speech transcend s .
Yet may the master smi le,sometimes
,to hea r
The fa int,imperfect mus ic that betrays
A kindred impu l se,to hi s sp i rit dea r
,
And,smil ing
,pardon What he cannot pra i se .
THE BALM OF GILEAD TREE
ATE overtakes u s a l l !
I bl ame not the decree that bade thee fa l l ;And yet
,thou qua int Old tree
,
My sou l resents the stroke that shattered thee,
In a l l thy spring-time show of bravery,
Sti l l cheerfu l at the core,
Greeting the May 80 gal l antly once more .
Alas,when we a re old
,
The invi s ible deep roots of l ife take hold
Upon a Past unknown
To newer generat ions ; I had grown
To love thee for the memories thou alone,
Year after year,with me
Sweetly d idst share,thou Balm of Gi lead tree !
The Balm Of Gilead Tree
How long ago it seems
Since fi rs t,a ch i ld
,j u s t mingl ing truth with dreams
,
I s tayed my steps to greet
Thy gracious shadow in the Vi l lage street ;For I had heard beloved l ip s repeat
Old words that seemed to bear
A charm—Of Gilead and the Healer there .
Dimly my heart perce ived
The i r myst ic meaning ; d imly I bel ieved
God se t thee there for good ;Wherefore
,with chi ld ish fa ith
,devout I stood
Beneath thy blos soming boughs,a ssu red He wou ld
From those green depths bles s me
A l ittle sou l,aware of poverty .
Ah ! many a year s ince then
Great storms have shaken thee,sweet suns again
Made glad th ine heart ; and I2
The Balm of Gilead Tree
1 too have tos sed in t empests,faced the cry
Of hungry w inds,and seen at last the sky
Look forth,d ivinely b lue ;
No t -al l a dream,that trust my chi ldhood knew !
VI
Wel l hast thou done thy part,Thy ways ide warning to each carele s s heart
Whispering,the summer through !
M ight man but learn of thee to be a s true
To H i s dea r l aw Who gave thee l ight and dew,
And bade thee to the end
With shelter,shade
,and strength His ea rth befriend .
Farewel l ! ’t i s trans ient pa in ;
Yet O,whene ’er th i s hea rt
,a chi ld aga in
,
D rawn close to Memory’ s b reast,
Hea rs the Old vo ices lu l l ing doubt to rest
And owns the firs t bel iefs are s ti l l the best ,I shal l remember thee
,
Thou fragrant mes senger of peace to me !
LOVE ’S TEST
Le vent ! uz’
! te int une Iumzere allume un bran ’
er .BEAUMARCHAIS
AST twelve ! and chi l l through my Shutter
A gust of the night-wind sweeps ;In the grate i t startles the embers
,
And the answering blaze up- leaps ;
It fla res the lamp on my table,
And the sca red flame cowers and c reep s
And dies in the dark . So work ends .
What task now the l ittle W i fe keeps !
I shut my book ; in the shadow
I Sit and muse how stern
Blows the piti les s b last of Fate . What !
You are come,Sweet ! Ah
,I tu rn
To the l ip s and the heart that love me !
Why I S i t in th e dark P I learn
How a fra i l love d ies of the ha rdsh ip
That makes ou rs sparkle and bu rn !
BIRTHDAY
To E . P M .
OW shy and sad th is Ch i ld of Spring .
Her secret spe l l
In wood and del l
She weave s with t ea rs ; her ta sk i s done .
Nor stays she for the blos soming ;Wh i le May flowers bud and blueb i rds s ing,
Apri l i s gone ;And none makes moan
But you and I wi l l not forget
A mark bes ide her grave to set .
A CHR ISTMAS GREETING
SIGH— a wh i sper,far away
,
May reach an ea r attuned to hear ;And I could half bel ieve
,to-day
,
Your Sp i rit knows that mine i s ! near .
Be wel l ! be happy ! so I p ray .
While round me re igns h igh Chri stmas
I,for a moment
,seem to stay
Bes ide you ! do you th ink so,Dear !
A LOVER CONSIDERS,COMPARE S
,
CONCLUDES
UY coa l ! buy coal ! !
You hear it,M arguerite ,
Far down the distant street,
That lamentable,long-drawn c ry
And smi le among you r cu sh ions where you l ie,
With sat in-s l ippered feet,
Deep in the velvet cu rve of that qua int cha i r
Carved l ike a shrine above you r golden head
What are you thinking,Sweet !
We note the d iff erence , it may be said
Outs ide,the wintry ai r,
Sharp as hi s v o ic e that p ierces l ike a knife ;The black and grimy trade ;The rough humanity that al l its l i fe
I s doomed to j olt and bawl
Beneath men’ s windows ! hear the dolorou s cal l
Buy coal ! buy coal ! !
A Lover Considerr, Comparer, Conelua’
er
Wh i le here a re warmth and bloom
The glowing grate that tempts you r gracefu l foot
To perch upon the fender ; flowers
That make a s i lent summer in the room ;Books
,mus ic
,art ;
And you,the cau se and crown
Of al l th i s beauty,sit here
,smil ing down
On me,whose part
In the s cene i s to adore you — and I do !Flower of my heart
,
Blos soming so fa r above the world ’ s dark root ;But human
,too !
Buy coa l ! buy coa l
That faint and vanish ing c ry,How al l unl i ke the s igh
With which,del ic iou s ly
,you s ink
Again among you r cu shions and (I th ink)With soft approving eye
Su rvey the ring that white hand deigns to wear.
My ring— and you rs ! ou r sacred sol ita ire !! Splend id
,you sa id . Bu t I
S eem to look down into the blacknes s where
(Of u s two unaware !)
A Lover Considers, Compares , Concludes
From yonder blackened to i ler in the street,
My exqu i s ite girl , - to you !
That rude sou l fated in its own dark wayTo l ive and love
,to suffer and to pray
,
Li ke u s perhap s some day .
Shal l i t be named w ith you rs ! —~ be named and owned !
Now,you r heart speaks !
Now shines,tea r-l ighted
,i n those deepening eyes
The vi s ion my sou l seeks
The fai r true self,whose sweet human ities
Cheapen and put to shame
The tawdry elements of dust that cla im
Homage and servitude from such a s you !
Al l va in,fa l se
,fool ish things
Drop o ff their fl imsy wings
And peri sh in the su nl ight and the dew
Of love and pity God has made
To fi l l the heaven of a pu re woman ’ s heart !
VI
O , take you r p leasu re , undismayed ,Laugh
,dance
,my Sweet
,and wear
Whatever ’s rich and rare ;I O
A Lover Cons iders , Compares , Concludes
I know where hides my j ewel,unconfessed !
I know the heart that beats beneath th is vest
SO broidered and beset
With'
flowery fancies,wrought
After some marvel lou s fashion,brought
Acros s the Atlantic to adorn you . Yet,
When these s low days are done,
When you,my Love
,are won
,
Won,past al l a rgument
,question
,or retreat
,
When I sha l l l i sten closer to the beat
Of that dea r hea rt,wi l l fear
Startle my own , to hea r
How yours,a l l woman
,denying naught to mine
,
IS yet,divine !
I I
KISMET
A
Y a thing the heart d ivines
In its firs t d im youth,
Half aware of days unbo rn,
While yet in the front of morn
The Star of Childhood sh ines !
Many a thing the coming years
Sea l with s low,reluctant tea rs
For truth .
Mock not thou the Ch i ld i sh woe ;Soot he the groundles s fear !
What prophetic shadow may
That l ittle help les s heart d ismay
Alas ! we cannot know .
In mystery ou r l ives unfold ;Yonder the secret may be told ;
Not here !
1 2
A FALLEN LEAF
OOR faded leaf,blown sh ivering down to me ,
Was i t for this , thy home was fixed so fa r
Beyond the rude hand ’ s reach , where winds a re
free
In yon blue deep , and heaven so near to t hee
Thou might ’ st unblamed have deemed thyself a sta r !
Was it for this that thou,the fa i res t there ,
First of thy kindred felt the kis s of dawn ,Beloved of the sunsh ine ! —first d idst shareThe dewy wh i sper of the evening a i r
,
And caught the pale moon ’ s earl iest smile forlorn !
Alas ! there came to thee an evi l day
When,with hi s subtle whisper
,sweet and strange
,
The late Year sought thee,danc ing on thy spray
,
And stole the freshnes s from thy heart away,
And flushed thy cheek,amazed
,with crimson change .
13
A Fa llen Leaf
Flame-tinged and glowing in thy ways ide tower,
Thou wast the wonder of the pas ser-by ;Perchance a marvel to thyself
,that hou r
When al l thy being owned the fatal power
That matched thy sp lendor with the sunset sky .
Brief was thy dream ! The frost i s keen to—night,
And thou,poor outcast
,t remblest in the du st
,
Where heedles s footsteps tread thee out of S ight,
And none remembers thee to mou rn thy bl ight
From l ight from life to outer da rknes s thru st !
I4
MY STAR
ST fal l s the summer night
O ’er field and wood,and thi s dark s i lent stream ,
Where,resting on my oars
,I watch day’ s l ight
Withdraw its las t red beam .
LO,in the west one sta r
From heaven ’ s c lea r deep looks at me wi stfu l ly ;Later, a host wi l l follow,
brighter far,
But none so dear to me .
For thu s,when l ife is done
,
And Death ’ s great Shadow darkens o ’er mine eyes,
For me sha l l thy lost face,ou r bli s s begun
,
Open God ’ S Pa rad ise .
I S
MUSTERED OUT
E cricket ch i rp s in the orchard ;The night grows sweet with the s cent of the
barley sheaves,
The wind i s s ti l l ; not a b reath sti rs the shadow 0
l eaves
The moon draws on the'
wal l ;And c lose u nder my window I hear an app le fa l l .
0 that Old s cent of the barley!And the apples lying so cool i n the dew-wet gra s s !
There was once a way, by the broken step s , you cou ld
pa s s
To the orcha rd unseen
Many ’s the night that way after an apple I ’ve
been .
I 6
Mustered Ou t
Darknes s and S leep then the waking !
Dawn and her face ! O my God , sha l l i t be so aga in !
She s a id so . Thought of that shamed away many a s ta in
From a sou l none too pu re .
I ’ve been true to you,Love ! In heaven I cou ld not be
truer .
O good-bye,da rk world of sorrow !
That ’ s the las t st ab l Now her l i ttle soft hand in my
breast
Comes,s ti l l ing the angu i sh
,hu sh ing the hea rt’ s th rob
to res t,
And her wh isper ! She sa id,
S leep and peace for u s both,i n the holy home of
dead ! !
18
A WOOD VIOLET
If it h av e breath ,I f li fe taste sweet t o it, if deathPa in it s soft petal, no man knows.
SW INBURNE
INGER ING,I stoop to look
On thee,lone dwel ler in thy forest nook !
Violet,thou dost not mis s
This summer eve,thy l ittle sha re of bl i s s !
Su rely thou finde st i t sweet
Thy tiny tribute,at His grac iou s feet
From that unstained cup ,Pu re a s In Parad ise
,to Offer up !
To leave thee,I am loth
,
Alike we s leep and wake ; al ike for both
Draws near the Unknown—Death !And hast thou not
,with that brief
,exqu is ite breath
I 9
Whispering of Love divine,
B rought H i s own message to th i s hea rt of m ine !
Thou hast not l ived in va in ;May ’s t b loom aga in !
20
NIGHTFALL
ARK between thy banks , 0 lonely R iver,All day long thy restles s waters moan ;In the bu sy summer fields
,unheeded
,
Like some mou rnfu l mus ic ’ s undertone,
Sti l l the i r murmu r saddens everywhere
Labor’ s ceaseles s d in,beneath the noontide gl are .
But when n ight along the mis ty val ley
S t ea ls , and shuts the door of forge and m i l l,Hush ing al l the sti r of toi l and traffic
,
Wh i le the twi l ight a i r breathes cool and s ti l l,
Then thy voice cal l s loud acros s the h i l l s,
And with sound supreme the darkening s i lence fi l l s .
2 1
All day long the lonely heart keeps s igh ing ;Toi l and thought res i s t its yea rning prayer ;
Li fe needs many th ings,nor stays for p ity
But n ight comes at last ; day’ s s tri fe and ca re
Die forgotten ; then , O heart of mine,Have way ! s i lence and the dark
22
HYACINTHS
URPLE and white and rose !
Out of the sad black mou ld
The fragrant sp ike s u nclose,
The Hyacinth buds and blows .
But how,in the dark and cold
,
Each blos som its duty knows
To be purple,or wh ite
,or rose
,
NO Hyac inth ever ha s told !
Pu rple,and wh it e, and rose
A dream of the hues that fleet
At sunset o ’er Alpine snows .
And ever the wonde r grows
That a bu lb in my window-seat,Here by the sa lt sea, knows
How the ! ungfrau pales and glows ,When Twil ight ki s ses her feet !
23
ENDYMION
Blessed , meth inks, is the lo t o f h im that sleeps, and tosses no t , no r turnsev en Endym ion.
!
THEOCRITUS , Idyl I I I .
USH !!
sh e s a id,ye Winds that v is it Latmo s !
Breath e no wh i sper where Endymion l ies,
Lost to ea rth beneath the brood ing Skies ;Closer c reep
,ye s i lvery Mists of midnight
,
Le t no keen-eyed Sta r h is s leep surpri se .
Lu l l h im,0 ye Dews ,— h e must not waken !
Steep h i s Ch i l ly senses in a d ream
Deep and dim,where t his fond face shal l seem ,
Softly gl id ing earthward through the shadows,
Li ke a meteor pa le to pause and gleam .
24
EGER IA
HAT whispered She to h im
Bes ide the water d im,
Under the misty shade of leaves that clung
So th ick about the founta in ! Dark and sweet
The vei led night her s i lence o ’er them hung ;No sound of wandering feet
,
Nor stealthy step of sylvan Creatu re s ti rred’
Among the wood-paths ; fa r away he hea rd
Rome ’ s midnight pu lses beat,
But heeded not . What wh ispered sh e to him
Beneath the shadowy leaves,bes ide the water d im !
Some secret,dread and old
,
From morta l s over—boldHid by the h igh and j ealou s gods a lway !
Some rune of th ings that were or th ings to
Or sage enchantment wherewith princes sway
The round earth and the sea,
26
Egeria
And happy hea rts of men ! So legends say.
Was it for th is the ir wise King stole away
From pomp and revel ry,
To that lone del l Where,by the founta in ’ s b rim
,
His dewy-sandal led love kept tryst with h im !
Ah,but the p lace was sweet !
Beneath h is heed les s feet
He crushed the fern and deep del ic iou s bloom
Of violets . Sweeter to h i s sou l her kis s,
Her arms that c lasped h im in the fragrant gloom,
Her s igh of timid bl is s !
D is c rowned awhile,h is brow upon her breast
Forgot its bu rden ; dea r he was, and blest .
Perchance sh e wh ispered th i s’
T was al l sh e knew ! Would ’ st thou her secret share !! Where Love is found
,the wise find Wisdom there .
!
27
MIRANDA
!But you , 0 you ,
SO perfec t and so peerless are c reatedOf ev e ry c reature ’s best ! !
The Tempest. Ac t I I I ., Sc ene I . SHAKSPEARE .
OU pearl of maids , M i randa , — sta inles s , free,Fearles s of evi l
,yet not over—bold !
Thy beauty haunts my heart ; beside the sea
In dreams,meth inks I do compan ion thee
,
Where ’neath the moon the waves shine s i lver-cold,
And thou,W ith gentlest shape of ai ry s tate
,
And young eyes bright with innocent command,
Wh i le Ariel ’ s wh isp’ring sp rites around thee wa it,
On the wide shore in mus ing mood dost stand .
High o ’er thee darkens al l the wooded i s le,
Beneath thee al l the stars in ocean smi le,
And in thy face the lone and lovely night
I s mirrored lovel ier ! Maiden without gu i le,
Thou in that sol itude has t no affright,But mu rmu re st to thyself a song the wh i le
That charms the s leep ing sea to deeper hush of
28
A VALENTINE
To E . H. R .
ADY,I know a prison
Where a captive p ineth,
A dungeon dark and deep,
Where no beam of noonday shinet h ,And the sweet consol ing stars
Through those unrelenting ba rs
Never peep .
He i s young but wasted
With a s i lent sorrow ;He dares not hope to-day
Nor can hOpe to—morrow ;Yet from l ife he may not
Ti l l the fi re s in h is heart
Die away .
29
Oft h ave I thought h im dead,
And hi s pam past forever,But he only s lept
To waken wi ld a s ever ;His p rayer for l iberty ,Lady
,grieved even me
,
Ti l l I wept .
0 shal l I se t h im free
The Boy in pri son lying !’T i s but a word from thee
And the door i s Open flying .
Thou only ha st the key ;Wi l l mercy sweet plea se thee,
Emily !
30
FROM THE BEACH I
EAR l ittle Boat,home-faring
Acros s the white-capped sea ,
I watch thee tos s and tremble
Li ke the fool i sh heart in me '
Yet shoreward thou art speed ing,
No homing b ird fl ies truer ;Thy master’ s hand i s steady
,
Thy master’ s eye i s su re .
Why shou ld I d read the tempest !
The stress of coming years !
Why doubt the dis tant harbor
So d imly seen th rough tears !
I,too
,may keep , though trembling ,
A course as true as th ine ,For
,happy Boat
,thy Master
Steers,too
,thi s heart of m ine !
31
FROM THE BEACH—I I
OME with me !
The l ight wind and the se a
Laugh along the sunny shore together’T i s summer weather !
My l ittle s a i l i s dancing on the foam ;Yon fa i ry i s le to—day shal l be ou r home !
0 come with me ! 2
Come with me !
The storm i s on the sea ;Wi ld ’m id the su rge that o ’er u s dashes
The l ightning fla shes !
We must drive head long now before the gale ;I know not wh ither
,nor how fa r, we sai l ,
But— come with
32
Twenty Years After
Wiser and s adder ! Ye s— perhaps !So much t h e ~
mo re’
t i s wel l to feel
That where one worshipped in one ’ s youth
I s sti l l the fittest place to kneel .
NO man whose heart yOu’v e deigned to school
Looks back to ca l l h imself a fool !
That ’
s someth ing to be thankfu l for
When fi rst i l lu s ions,thinning fast
,
Begin to Show how flat and drea r
Life ’ s rea l coast- l i ne l ies at las t
One high romance sti l l throned in mist
By dreams of dawn forever ki s sed !
You keep your secret sti l l . I know
To-night no more than years ago
Why,of al l morta l faces
,yours
Should stir the sou l with in me so
34
Twenty Years After
Old thoughts deep buried,not to ri se
,
Live,and reproach me
,in you r eyes .
Old thoughts,old vis ions
,old bel iefs
The th ing I meant— but fa i led— to be !Ah wel l ! —Good-night ! O
’
UI! ways part h ere
Ay— and hereafter ! Yet to see
Your face for me that shadow wea r
Perhaps heaven i s one man ’ s share !
35
ONLY A WORD
NLY a word !
A little winged word
Blown through the busy town,
Lighter than this tle-down,
Lighter than dust,by roving bee or bi rd
B ru shed from the blossoming l i ly’ s golden c rown,
Borne id ly here and there,
Oft a s the summer a i r
About men ’ s doors the sunny sti l lnes s s ti rred .
Only a word !
But sharp—O,Sharper than a two-edged sword
,
To p ierce and sting and sca r !
Only a word !
A little word that fel l
Unheeded as the dew
That from the darkl ing
36
Only a Word
Of summer m idn ight soft ly stea ls to tel l
The t a le Of t inkl ing b rook and s tar—lit del lIn yonder noisome street.
There, pa le with du s t and heat,The l ittle window-flower in workman’ s cel l
It s droop ing bel l
Lift s up to meet the k i s s it knows so wel l .
A word—a drop of dew
But O, t ouch cou ld l i fe’ s lost hope renew !
37
AT LAST
BUILT my bower in summer weather,
A bower no b i rd ie need d isda in,
Where two that loved might l ive together,
Safe sheltered from the wind and ra in ;For now that woods are green
,sa id I
,
The B i rd I love wi l l h i ther fly .
The summer roses bloomed and perished
The brooks grew s i lent in the gras s,
Va in were the May-time hopes I cheri shed ;
My B i rd was but a dream ,ala s !
And thick about my lonely eaves
Began to fa l l the fad ing leaves .
38
At Last
And now the sky was drea r November’ s,
And roa red the wind and pla shed the ra in ;Sadly I brooded o’er the embers
,
When,hark
,aga inst my window-pane
A flutter fa int,a cry
,I hea rd
,
I sprang to Open ’
t was my Bird !
A tiny th ing t o brave such weather
Its eyes were d im and ch i l led its feet ;Rain d ripped from every droop ing feather,But O
,its note was pass ing sweet !
I caught it c lose,I held it fast ;
Love s ings within my bower at last !
39
MEMOR IES
ORA’ll be marr ied to-morrow ! Dora , the younge st
of al l !
But yesterday she was the baby ; now she i s
twenty— and ta l l,
Taller than Helen or NIargare t — a bride,and going
away !
And th is old,sad house 18 once more bedecked for a
wedd ing day.
There ’11 be bustle enough in the morn ing,what with
dress ing the bride,
And wedding guests to welcome,and Dora ’ s la st packing
beside ;To-night how qu iet the hou se i s ! I hear but the wind ’ s
low moan,
And the ticking clock in the corner . ’T wil l be so when
she i s gone !
40
Memories
We two,in a sec ret heaven the heaven of bl i s s denied
Were a lone in the world together,when he was by my
s ide .
He might not speak,and I knew it — but what was
that to me !
Hope i s the s lave that trembles ; Despa i r i s fearles s
and free .
He came for h i s own ! I gave it,unasked . Was it mine
to keep !
How else could I bea r to remember that grave in
the fa r cold deep !
No words,but only a S i lence ; no kis s , though we were
a lone ;Not a S igh— h is true heart guarded my secret a s we ll
a s h is own,
But the c la sp of that c l ing ing hand,in h i s eyes that
pass ionate c laim !
SO he left me . One week later,the news of the
lost sh ip came .
42
Memories
V I I I
None pitied me ; how cou ld I tel l them ! I mou rned
h im al l alone ;I mou rn you as much to-night, Love , now ten long yea rs
a re flown !
Marga ret has her hu sband ; Helen , husband and Ch i ld ren ,too ;
But I have noth ing,Lawrence
,only my dream Of you .
Only a dream,and yet are the others so much more
blest !
Sometimes I cou ld a lmost th ink the sad,wronged love
fares best .
If that dream were the brief delu s ion that d ies with the
br ida l hou r
Cou ld I have borne its fad ing—my l i fe’ s one perfect
flower !
It i s pleasant to V i s itMargaret ; her home is grand and gay,Her husband i s in the Senate
,and ! a ri s ing man
,
! they
say ;
43
Memories
They go everywhere together ; h e’s pol ite to her
,never
unkind,
And Margaret,I know
,i s learning woman’ s le s son not
to mind .
Yet I cannot choose but remember the i r courtship of
long ago,
When R ichard came so early and wa s a lways the la s t
to go,
How they sat and ta lked in the twi l ight or,leaning
together,read
In the book —o r the broidery pattern some wonderfu l
th ing unsa id .
Does he ever ca re now to sit! by her ! Or know if she
works or reads !
He has too much to do for h i s party to th ink of the
l ife sh e leads
That l ife he had vowed to cheri sh ! Sad mockery ! Yet,I know
,
He i s one of the world ’ s goodv
hu sbands . Perhaps it i s
a lways so .
44
Memories
! I I I
They say i t i s a lways so , Love Everyt hing changes
but you .
Shal l I blame Death ! What -am I, then , that you m ight
not have a ltered,too !
Better my dead than thei r l iv ing,grown so ca reles s and
cold
Dearer the ki s s never given,the tale that never was
told
45
THE CAPTAIN ’
S PR IZE
HE came to me ! sh e came to me !
As though a l ittle b i rd shou ld be
B lown out upon th is wintry sea,
And,buff eted by storm and s leet
,
Drop on the deck here at my feet .
Perhaps it was not wise nor wel l
To seek such refuge . Who can tel l !’T i s not the shelter you ’
d expect
A b i rd or woman to select ;Nor I the sort of fel low j u st
A woman or a bird would tru st.
But here sh e is. What ’s next,we
’11 see .
Up anchor, shake the mainsa i l free !
One thing i s su re— she ! came to me !
A year ago I d id not dare
To ask th is lady cou ld sh e care
My wild and wandering l ife to share ;
46
The Capta in ’s P riz e
TOO bold a question tha t , for me
I,but a grace les s sa i lor she
,
The fairest,daintiest
,s tatel ies t gi rl
,
Of al l her haughty house, the pea rl !
See,now ! Two l ittle feet are se t
Bes ide me,in the wind and we t ;
The salt sp ray sparkles in her ha ir ;She tu rns her face to me take care
,
Sweethea rt ! between the wind and me,
You ’
ll th ink we have wi ld ways at sea !
And yet you know you came to me !
All ’s wel l ! the sh ip begins to fee l
The long swel l underneath her keel ;The harbor-l ights beh ind u s reel ;Far out
,in ra in and darkness
,soon
We sha l l be running free ; no moon
Nor sta r,Sweet
,in the sky above ;
Nor pilot wanted,now but Love !
Give me those l ittle hands that seem
To make a l l true that else were dream !
They ’ re m ine— and yet,on sea or shore
,
47
For O,there i s such sovere ignty
In thei r soft touch,their s i lent plea
knows,my Dea r
,
48
Tout passe ! -The l ight,the shadow of th i s mortal day
Sorrow and j oy how fast they fleet
away,
To blend a s one in His eternal thought ,Where Love abides that
hath wrought !
SO
THE HOUR WILL COME
OT yet—not yet ! B etween the night and mornThere i s an hou r
,uncheered by moon or sta r
,
That hungers for the day— the day unborn .
Never seems l ight so fa r
As when that hou r s its,darkl ing and forlorn
,
Waiting,a s we wait
,on the verge of morn .
Not yet not yet ! When,al l ath i rs t for ra in ,
The hot field s gasp,and up the su ltry sky
The great c louds gather,darkening o’er the p la in ,
Earth sti l l s her fa intest s igh ;She wa its —as we wait dumb
,in patient pa in ,
The crash with which the tempest b reaks its chain .
5 1
The Hour will Come
Not yet—not yet ! When,
flooded fu l l with streams
From mounta in height and glen,the river wide
B rims nea r its thundering fa l l,how sti l l i t gleams !
NO ripple s ti rs the tide
That wa its— as we wait— hold ing hushed in dreamsThe fate with which its cu rrent darkly teems .
The hou r wi l l come l— the dawn,th e thunder-pea l ,
The weltering plunge of waters down the steep !
Ay— thrones
,dominions
,powers
,in terror reel
,
Deep cal l ing unto deep,
And star to Sta r,when ! udgment breaks the sea l ,
And tyrants learn,at la st
,with whom they dea l !
5 2
THE POET’S GRAVE
OR h im no b itter tears we shed ;Rather
,self-pitying
,we s i t and weep
That we are left,around hi s bed
,
These annua l rites of memory to keep
Ere we shal l with ou r friend be la id,
Through the long summer days with h im to
Beneath the Old oak ’ s whispering shade .
Where doth he wait for u s ! To-night
Meth inks the blooming earth and fragrant a i r
Shou ld bring his dea r etherea l Sprite
TO seek,thi s eventide
,the old wood where
At eventide we used to meet,
And dream away day’ s sord id strife and care,
Til l dews were th ick beneath ou r feet .
A sweet and noble sou l was he ;Too finely strung for thi s world ’ s tuneles s touch
,
But breath ing pu res t melody
53
The P oet’
s Crave
Of thought divine and tendernes s to such
AS loved him,—a l l too wel l aware
Of wea ry worldl ines s and stri fe how much
H i s sh rinking sp i rit needs must bea r .
Alone with blos soms,birds and bees
,
At la st he s leepeth in the anc ient shade ;No voice
,save murmur of the breeze
,
And wh i spers in the flowery grass o’
e rhead
To m ingl e with h i s d ream of peace
If thou,ou r Poet
,in the mould low l a id
Dream sti l l,where thou hast found re lease .
54
ON THE WAY HOME
Y l ight streams fa r,thou gladden ing
O ’er va le and fores t,tower and town ;
From land and sea men look to thee
In every cl ime,as night comes down !
And yet,were a l l the eyes that mark
Thy ri s ing,closed in endles s dark
,
Und immed would gl itter sti l l
Thy bright,unpitying Spark .
I heed thee not. In yonder co t,
As home I haste,from toi l se t free,
Though dark and damp,the casement lamp
Shines clea r,acros s the fields
,for me .
Dear l ight ! dea r heart ! how wel l I know
If bitter death Shou ld lay me low
Dark would that ca sement be,
And quenched you r W insome glow !
5 5
PERSICOS ODI,PUER,
APPARATUS
HORACE . Odes, I , ! ! ! VI ! !
LL th i s . pa rade,Boy
,that the Pe rS Ian
Makes o ’er h is cups i s my avers ion !
These wreaths yo u b ind
Of l inden rind
Are nowise to my taste ; and , mind ,I ’ l l have no sea rch ing up and down
For some late rose
That,l ingering
,blows
Our l ittle fea st to crown !
Nor do I choose you shou ld be taking
More time and pa ins than go to making
The twist you may,
Of myrtle spray,
Weave fresh,the yea r round
,any day
56
DICK THE DISCONTENTED
F I had bu t a home of my own,sa id he ;
Poor fel low,how sad ly he s ighed a s he sa id i t
I f I had bu t a home of my own you wou ld see
How steady and sober and saving I ’d be,
Though for that,now
,you give me no cred it .
To think I may never get qu it of that trunk,
And d ie after a l l in a lodging-hou se attic !
So low at the prospect my sp irits have sunk
You may thank you r good stars I don ’t go and get drunk,Or p itch into some scrape
,as bad and emphatic . !
Dick,dearie
,sh e sa id
,now you ’ re fool i sh indeed ,
Not to say you are real ly a l ittle - ungratefu l !
We can ’t have our hou se yet,bu t what i s the need
Of su l king and threatening ! You ’re bound to succeed .
I t ’ s th is grumbl ing,I tel l you
,makes poverty hatefu l !
58
Dick the Discontented
And no home of you r own,D ick ! Why
,where a re
yo u r wits !
Here ’s your home in my heart
,where you ’
re ma ster
forever,
Such a n ice cosy corner,where nobody s its
But you r own prec ious self ! Very i l l it befit s
A fel low with your luck to ta lk about ! never ’ !
0 there now ! come D icky,be sen s ib le
,do !
I real ly must finish th i s hat . See,to-morrow
We wil l walk in the Park— and the hat must go too,With a rose and a ribbon se t on, to p lease you !
For which I had neither to beg nor to borrow.
Good-night ! go you r ways l—I ’v e heard something
to-day
I may mention to—morrow,i f you behave bet t er.
I was told not to te l l,so I hardly can say
0 such luck for u s both ! But it ’s l ate ! you can ’t stay.
You may take it and read it ; it’
S a l l in that let t er ! !
59
SUNT LACHRYMA! RERUM
HE wept ; her tears l ike summer rain
Revived the beauty of her flowe r-l i ke face ;She s ighed— for wonder more than pain
,
s igh ing,found sh e ga ined an added grace !
She wept,and s ighed .
You th ink sh e d id not care . She d id,
For h im who never wi sh of hers denied .
Nor shou ld the deeper grief be hid ;She ca red for many a th ing that with h im
SO,wept and s ighed .
Sorry and sca red may yet be sh rewd !
Wealth,homage
,love
,her beauty stil l m ight buy ;
Sorrow prolonged might p rove too rude,
Ay !—mar that face on wh ich she must rely !
Her tears she dried .
60
A REMONSTRANCE
(Addressed to one who asserted that man’s fr iendsh ip was worth more thanwoman’s love .)
NCERTAIN,cap ric iou s
,inconstant
,untrue
,
A creatu re that can ’ t be rel ied on
That ’S the verd ict of man,whose l i fe ’
s but a span,
Presuming our sex to decide on !
His l ife ’ s but a span ; somewhat brief, one would
th ink,For a j u st and complete self- inspection ,
Without compl icating the task by debating
How fa r woman fal l s short of perfection !
And you too,though no woman-hater, my friend ,
More cruel,perhaps
,becau se kinder
Even you echo shabbi ly ! Varium et mu tabile
She p roves,wheresoever you find her . !
61
A Remonstrance
Place aux dames for awh ile ! Le t a woman expla in
Those s imiles gracefu l,but bitter
,
With which Civi l ized man,s ince d is cu s s ion began
,
I l lu s trates hi s ru le— not to h it her !
There ’
s the moon,type of female incons tancy !
Don ’ t you know that her Changes a re due
To the smiles and the frowns,the ups and the down s
Of her master— as ou rs a re to you !
There ’s the wind,blowing h ither and thither ! ’
T i s sa id
Woman ’ s fancy i s fickle as a i r ;But the vacuum sti l l that sh e
’s trying to fi l l
Ah ! ’t i s caused by a coldnes s
,somewhere !
Bring on al l you r emblems ! The dew and the m i st,Sea and cloud
,image woman ’ s caprices !
But observe,i f you please
,how each one of
Confirms me in my exeges i s .62
A Remonstrance
VI I I
Under infin ite aspects,each s ti l l i s t he same
Vita l element,pure and pers i stent
,
You ’d tire Of al l beauty ’
t wou ld fa i l of its duty,
Were its forms ever fixed,nea r or d is tant.
Thus,her mood ever changing
,her m ind sti l l the same
,
Woman ’s true
,though she seem l ike a tra itor ;
One end she ’s pursu ing
,whatever she ’ s doing
,
And she reaches it,sooner or la t er !
63
A CHALLENGE
E th inks h imself granite . That su its h im right
well,
Steadfast and stern as the mountain wal l yonder !
Well,let h im be granite
,but I ’
ll be the brook
Through cranny and crevice commiss ioned to wander ;The l i ttle brook
,talking and teas ing al l day
,
Darkl ing or bright,in its misch ievous play
Wearing the heart of the granite awayI
He may be ice,too
,i f that ’
s to h i s mind,
Si lent and cold as the winter-locked river !
He shal l be ice — yes,and I ’
ll be the sta r
That del ights on its su rface to spa rkle and qu iver ;The l ittle s ta r
,lonely and daring and shy,
Which nobody marks as it creeps up the sky,
Its face,i n the ice-mirror imaged
,to spy .
64
IN OLD MADR ID
WEET,my red geranium flower !
Peep ing through my lattice screen ,Li ke a maiden from her bower,
Forth,I pray thee
,look and lean ,
When fa r down the street thou heares t
Step Of h im my heart holds dearest .
Naught to fear,i f thou art seen
Keep ing watch in shine or shower,
Wishing, waiting, hou r by hour ;Spitefu l though the neighbors be
None wil l th ink to mock at thee .
Hark ! h e ’
s coming ! Ye s,
’t i s he !
Nod , dear flower ! The wind blows free ,Nod and if he seem to se e
,
Say one l ittle word for me !
66
In Old Madrid
Tell h im what my m i rror shows
Tresses glos sy,black a s night ,
Brow of pearl,and l ips of rose
,
D ark-la shed eyes whose glances bright
Many a cava l ier s ays,s ighing
,
Would reward a man for dying.
(This , of cou rse, i s fa r from right !)But that I am fai r
,he knows
,
Oft h is looks the truth d isclose ;Tell h im I am good
,l i kewi se
,
Very grave,discreet
,and wise ;
True I am,and scorn a l l l ies
,
Such as that Dolores tries
When she,whispering
,s its and sp ies
Yonder,while her needle fl ies !
Bolder ma id I never knew !
Like a pa rrot on its perch
Twists her neck the street to v iew
While the p iou s come from chu rch67
I n Old Madrid
And the young gal lants are prancing,
Bowing here and there,and glancing !
Ah,they pas s !— And you may search ,
He ’
s not there ! And not for you
The rose that in ou r cou rtyard fel l
Last night,by the moonl it wel l !
I ’m no tattler,nor shal l tel l
Any sou l how that befe l l !
O,I hOpe he loves me ! Yet
SO a re maidens oft dece ived ;Men thei r fanc ies soon forget
,
Then the fool i sh one i s grieved ;And w ith grief
,one’ s bloom ’
s departed .
Keep me,0 sweet sa ints
,l ight-hearted !
68
AFTER THE BALL
QOD NIGHT ! I f you and I were lovers
I ’d say,! Good-night and dream of me
,
!
But prudence now— o r pride— d i scoversHow very fool i sh that wou ld be .
Since not a shadow of Love ’ s bl indnes s
Lu rks in those eyes of you rs,to bles s
The man they dazzle with thei r kindnes s,
What u se in s ignal s of d istres s !
Lo ok l— o ’er yon s and-bar sa i l s the moon ;Sm i le
,cool
,bri l l iant
,and remote
,
Not much ava i l s that luckles s s chooner
Fast stranded . Better keep afloat !69
Good-n ight ! ’t i s I must do the dreaming ;
Your pi l low dews obl iviou s steep .
Day ’ s los s in Lethe thus redeeming
Is Beauty ’ s sec ret . You will s leep !
But when,with bird and rose
,you waken
And count you r conquests,do me right ;
I shal l be wi sh ing then I ’d taken
Another sort of leave ! —Good-n ight !
70
SERENADE
0 not wake,thou Dearest !
NO,no
,s leep !
While in dreams thou hearest
Voices low and deep,
With pau se and cadence,creep
Through al l the winding ways
That weave their mystic maze
Around thy maiden hea rt,
Bid them not depart
NO,no
,s leep !
DO not wake,thou Dearest !
No,no
,s leep !
Love,s ince Love thou fearest
,
Dreaming too,shal l weep
The peace he needs must keep ;7 1
Yet song and dream may dare
B reathe,s ti l l
,Love’ s tender p rayer ;
Nor fright thy ma iden heart.
no,s leep !
72
IV
Why fool i sh mortals love at a l l,
Why we two hold each other dearest,
How long ’t wil l la st
,and how ’
t wi l l end,
You ’d l i ke to know
,you prec iou s queris t !
V
You never wi l l ! I ’ l l tel l you that !
Yet sti l l ma inta in my fi rs t a s sertion
Love understands what he ’
S about,
And bl inds u s,j u s t for h is d ivers ion .
VI
Ah,why I love you ! If I knew,
I wo u ld not tel l you .
—No,no
,never .
For soul s l ike yours and mine were made
To play at h ide and seek forever .
VI I
There ’s l ittle you do not find out,
But s ince that l ittle makes l i fe pleasant,
I th ink I ’ l l keep the secret sti l l,
And so keep you,too—for the present !
74
SONNETS I
WEET i s that sol itude where one dear face
Makes a l l the world ! —that face wherein I readWhatever ’s best in letters
,a rt
,or creed ,
And al l that ’ s fa i r in manners,good in men
,
By Love trans lated ! In some lonel iest glen’T were bl is s to dwel l
,sole student of thy grace
,
Each day’ s new les son in thy looks to trace !
And yet,in s treet
,or hal l
,or market-place
,
That face remembered makes a sol itude
D ivinely deep,where nothing mean or rude
Dares enter in . My Love ! with thee ab ides
The Charm that b inds the earth,the s tars
,t h e tides
Beloved by thee,where’er I rest or roam ,
Dwel l s in my heart serene,the unalterable home !
75
SONNETS I I
OVE came to thee a s when among the h i l l s
The Apri l torrent leaps its bank,and breaks
Fa r down the va lley in a flood that wakes
The startled herdsman,and with panic fi l l s
The p lain for b ridges wrecked and shattered m i l l s .
Homestead and hamlet reel ; but soon retakes
The stream it s channel,and with verdu re makes
The toi ler glad,among the field s he ti l l s .
Bu t hers the S lower heart,that unawares
Received the tribute of Love ’ s hundred ri l l s
That stea l in secret down to swel l i ts strength,
Ti l l brimm ing h igh with a l l that Pa ss ion dares
I t bu rsts it s f bu ilded barrier,and fu lfi l s
,
With one Sheer desperate p lunge,it s fate at length .
76
SONNETS I I I
SHEMNITZ
T Eden ’ s gate a Harp,o ld legends say,
Upborne by angel s,wa its ! mark wel l the plan
Devised in Heaven to try the Sou l of Man !
Six chords a re seen whereon requ i red to play,
Whoso ca l l s mus ic forth has leave to stay ;But though that sou l escape the ! udge
’ s ban
And s its expectant,for a granted span
,
Awa its it sti l l another ! udgment Day .
For one deep chord ungues sed that Harp contains ;And he whose Skil l may o ’er the rest p revai l
To draw from s ix thei r far-resound ing stra ins,
May yet to wake one note on Sh emnit z fa i l .
And Whoso fa i l s on Sh emnit z , for h is pa ins ,Outs ide the gate
,a stranger
,s ti l l rema ins .
77
SONNETS IV
NOVEMBER
LAS ! the bitter days before the snow !
When Earth l ies l ike a corpse , unshrouded , bare,Dumb
,desolate
,cold
,beneath the backward s t are
Of pale,reced ing suns ; a primal wo e
Mourns in the wai l ing wind that fa in would know
The secret of thi s death of a l l th ings fa i r .
Who shal l make answer ! Evermore aware
Of ! oy’ s da rk end ing
,bl ind ly man must sha re
The doom sad Natu re,seeking to foreshow
,
Writes in dead waste and ru in everywhere .
So be it ! Le t Youth,Strength
,and Beauty go
Even the hea rt’ s trea su re— angu ish pas t compare !We die ; God l ives ! O earth—born, answered so
,
So armed— defy man ’ s deadl ies t foe,Despa ir !
78
A LAST WORD
0 song is here for those the hea rt holds dea rest ;Deep i s the s i lence in Love ’ s holy places !
Nor mine the gift to match dea r names with
mu s ic
And yet,methinks I sometimes see the i r faces
And hea r the i r voices,for one happy moment
,
Am id the a l ien word s my fancy traces .
Ah , then I know the song, whate’er i t may be
,
Hath found its key-not e in the i r very being !
Thei r l ives,thei r sp i rit wake the pas s ion in me
To seiz e the j oy,the sorrow
,past u s fleeing
On that swift tide of Time,that sweeps forever
Sorrow and j oy to shores beyond ou r seeing .
79
A FAIRY SONG
AIRIES,wake ! the sun i s se t
Tree and tu rf with dew are wet,
And the moon with laughing l ight
Peeps above yo u mounta in height,While beneath her W itching beam
Morta l s l ie abed,and dream !
Now with tiny leaps,unseen
,
We ’ l l , across the shadowy green ,Stea l fa r down the darkl ing del l
,
And where ta l l ferns sh ield u s wel l
Linger in the dus k to hea r
Sounds too fine for morta l ea r .
83
A Fa iry Song
Li s t and hea r the sweet B luebel l
R inging S low its fa i ry knel l !
Far and nea r am id the gras s,
Where no ruthles s footstep s pas s,
R ings the B luebel l,sweet and low
,
Good-night to the elves below .
Hark ! and hea r the Windflower s ighWhen th e n ight-breeze wanders by |
Hear the l i ttle whispering wings
Of those merry moonl ight th ings
Who from si lver cup-lets pou rDew for every th irsty flower !
O,but haste !—No more delay !
Now ’ s the time to dance and play !
Off with many a hop and skip
Down the woodland path we s l ip84
A Fairy Song
Trip and skip through hollows dark
Lighted by the Firefly’s Spark
,
Ti l l we reach the moonl it glen
Hidden deep from eyes of men,
Where from forest cave and cel l
Thronging Fai ries rush pel l-mell,
And with bow and cou rtesy meet,
Pau se,thei r lovely Queen to greet .
Queen Titan ia , l i ke a sta r,Sh in ing from her throne afa r
,
High upon a mossy mound
Bid s the Trumpet Blos soms sound,
Waves her hand,and with a glance
,
Smil ing,g ives u s leave to dance .
How the fai ry maids and men
Sparkl ing,
fly to partners then !
Queen’ s Own minstrels
,twelve a l l
Crickets s ta lwa rt,black and bold
,
85
A Fairy Song
Beat the i r tambou rs with a d in
That bids u s leap and wh irl and sp in .
Wild the mus ic,wild the glee !
B i rd and squ i rrel,from their tree
Peer,our tiny troupe to see
,
At ou r m idn ight revel ry .
Snake and toad come never nea r ;Sp iders flee in morta l fea r.
VI I I
But, a la s ! the eastern sky
Shows the streak that b ids u s fly ;Ended now i s a l l ou r fun ;Fa i ries do not love the sun .
QIieen Titania l ifts her hand ,Van ish a l l ! a t her command .
86
IN A CLOSET
DEAR ! and i t ’ s a l l you r own fau lt,All ie
,
Why wou ld you keep swinging that door !
Now we both are shut up in the c loset
And can never get out any more
That is,never more ti l l Mamma comes
,
And she ’11 not be at home unti l fou r !
She can ’ t know how dark it i s,in here
,
And somehow,so smothered and tight !
O All ie,you don ’ t mean you ’
re crying !
NO,we ’ re not going to stay here a l l night !
Pu t you r l ittle face up to the keyhole
And see what a pretty,bright l ight !
All ie dearie,you are not a baby !
And you never Shou ld sc ream and give way
To your feel ings l ike that ; and don’ t bang so !
There ’s nobody up
-sta i rs to hea r u s .
Stop crying ! Be good and we ’11 play .
87
In a Closet
In th is c loset a re al l M amma ’ s dres ses
I can feel the black s i lk,and the fu r
On her n ice winter coat ; you feel , All ie !’T i s a lmost a s if we had her .
And someth ing so sweet,and j u st l ike her
,
Shakes ou t of her th ings when we sti r .
I wi sh we could see ! Here ’s her bonnet
With the lovely pink rose and lace bow .
I ’ l l te l l you what we can be th inking
We are l ike poor bl ind chi ldren,you know !
They must feel to find out . I am thankfu l
We shal l not always have to do so !
They can ’ t see thei r father nor mother,Nor thei r cat
,nor a bit of blue sky,
Nor anyth ing else in the world ! Th ink,
They must stay in the dark ti l l they d ie.
We too must have patience,pretending
We ’re bl ind . S it by s i s ter— don ’t s tand !
Never mind about cutting ou t p ictu res,
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PRO BONO PUBLICO
Hymn f or Decoration Day
O hearts that bleed O sou l s that cry
Against the working of H i s Wi l lWhose storms leave sunshine in the sky,
Whose darknes s bids the dew fa l l sti l l,
Behold how soon His graciou s years
Bring j oy for mourning,l ight for tea rs !
No more the battle—tempest ravesNor blood of brothers s ta ins ou r sod
They S lumber in untroubled graves
Who passed through morta l stri fe to
While softly stirs above the dead
The sign for which thei r blood was shed .
They s leep,who heard the cannon roar
The squa drons charge,the steel blades c lang ;
Far from thei r d reams forevermore
The onset fierce,the death-stroke ’ s pang ;
The pain i s past— the peace they wonShines sweet and steadfa st a s the sun .
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Hymn f or Decora tion Day
0 therefore i s it meet to bring
Ou r garlands to the soldier ’ s tomb,
When sweetest blos soms of the Spring
In Winter ’ s frosty footsteps bloom,
And Hope anew repeats to men
That even this dus t shal l l ive again .
95
A SONG OF THE CENTURY
(Wr itten for the centenn ial ann iversary of the incorporation of the town ofWaterville, Ma ine, ! une 23,
HQ wi l l not love h is country— the dear landWhere he was born !
And we who love thee in ou r pride,to-day wi l l
love thee more,
Thou who s ittes t between the Seas w ith a hand on
either shore !
The sunset gold i s in thy locks,thy face i s towa rd
dawn,
And in thy lap the orchards l ie the Vineya rds and the
corn .
Thy mounta in heights s tand guard for aye ; their wh ite
crests greet the sun ;League on league thy forests marsha l the i r serried p ines
below ;A hundred rivers d raw thy streams
,ru sh ing sea-wa rd as
they go
96
A Song of the Centu ry
So they forge thei r guns and bu i ld the i r sh ip s,and are
thy friends indeed ;Wh i le England laughs acros s the Sea B lood tel l s
we know the breed ! !
0 wel l i t i s to dwel l with thee,North or South or East
or West,
But in al l thy pleasant borders from the mounta ins to
the Sea,
The valley of the Kennebec is the place where I wou ld
be !
And here ’ s a l ittle City,dearer far than a l l the rest ;
’T i s her hundredth b irthday ! Cheer her now
,you who
know her best !
You who know how fa i r her homes are beneath the
summer shade,
How many churches l ift thei r sp ires how trimly court
and lawn
With verdu re charm the stranger’ s eye— how cheeri lyat dawn
98
A Song of the Century
Bel l and whistle wake her echoes— how Time’ s magic
touch has la id
A spel l upon her College wal l s whose memory sha l l not
f ade !
Look back to the Old Taconnet ; you r Watervi l le l ies
there,
A clu ster of rude dwel l ings in the Clearing by the
stream
Where the sh in ing salmon leaps ; and t he prowl ing wi ld
cat’ s scream
At m idn ight scares the settler,in h i s troubled dream
aware
Of the dreaded Ind ian war-whoop and the bu rn ing roof
tree ’ s fla re .
Other days and other l ives now ! But many a time,
s ince then,
In peace and war the l ittle town has borne her part right
well .
She has her rol l of heroes— some who unrecorded
fel l .
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A Song of the Century
They have passed ; bu t what they stood for,s tands ;
th i s day we bless the men
Who taught and toi led and fought for u s With swordand spade and pen .
They have pas sed a s we shal l pas s ! Another centu ry
wil l see
The green turf growing over ou r own unheeded dust ;Well for thee
,O little City
,if some l ives
,generous
,pu re
,
and j ust,
Sow in thee to-day the seed whose fa i r ha rves t then
shaH be
A city’ s c rown Of glory a people worthy to be free !
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