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BOOK OF POEMS

EDITED BY

VOLNEY

33

H.

U ^N

9

FREEMAN

!888

7)

PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

t

fun*'

f1

Entered according to Act of^Congress, in the year

V. H.

1888,

by

FKEEMAN,

in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

DEDICATED TO MY SON

FRANK

A.

FREEMAN

J*,

*9«3V

%p.

a

38C5

PREFACE.

may

it

be of some importance to the general public, and especially

to the readers of 'he almost

my "Book

op Poems," to

know why

numberless authors, whose poetry

not been accredited

to

each piece, as

state that, while the great majority of

is

the names of

these pages, have

fill

usually the

them

case,- 1

will

are productions of the

most noted men and women who have ever written poetry, yet some of

my

them

are of

name, and in order to be

f all, leaving

my own

justified in

doing

the reader to accredit those to

those with which they

Having strong volume may chance

may not

faith

so, I

concluded to omit the names

me which

appear to be new, or

be familiar enough to recognize the authors.

that every person, into whose hands a copy of this

to fall, will

pared to discharge the duties of tion

production, to which I don't care to attach

be edified, educated, and life,

made

and make stronger the

and Friendship which ever bind us each to the other,

this vast

truly better pre-

ties of

1

Love, Affec-

herewith submit

and varied collection of " Choice Poems." V. H.

FREEMAN.

A

y>

IHOOK OF POEMS

iHlf^%r y/

*j

a

MAY BE GLORIOUS TO WRITE.

IT It

Book of Poems

may

be glorious to write Thoughts that shall glad the two or three

With

eyes like a couple of marbles;

And a nose that 's as black as And then when you 've other

that

—

come

engage-

ments,

never miss you, know."

I will

High souls, like stars Ouce in a century;

a crow,

in sight

But better far it is to speak One simple word, which now and then Shall waken nature in the weak And friendless sons of men;

To write some earnest verse or line Which, seeking not the praise of art, Shall make clear faith and manhood

Then up

rose the dude in his anger,

And his eye-glasses flashed in the light. " You know how I hate and despise them, You must choose, and between us tonight."

"Ah me,"

said his lady-love, sighing, " I really do n't wish to be rude,

But

if 1

must be happy with either, pug dog to a dude."

I prefer a

shine

In the untutored heart. He,

who doth

May But

shall be

Who

this in verse or prose

be forgotten in his day, live

crowned at last with those and speak for aye.

TO CAROLINE. Havana Long kept from the light

Like a fragrant

Ere its loveliness fadeth In ashes and night;

—

Like a saint in his cloister

A monk A SENSIBLE YOUNG LADY.

in his cell:

Like a York River oyster

Shut tight

They

sat in the firelight together,

For the winds of the winter were rude, And she was a lady of fashion, And he was a dear little dude, With an innocent smile and an eye-glass,

if

in his shell:

Like a toad in a grind-stone

A calm in the sea — My heart is bound up,

Dearest maiden in thee!

And a collar of wonderful height, And hair a la pompadour standing, As

—

THE ONE

WAY

TRUE.

he had suffered a fright.

Take time by the foretop whatever you

"Now, Charlie," she tenderly murmured, " I am lonely when you are not here, So I'm going to get a companion, A pug such a sweet little dear!

—

do

—

—

And if you would win a widow prize To be sure of success, the one way true, Is to

win her before her husband

dies

,

A liOOK OF POEMS

THE MAID AND HER

ALMOST.

A

And

down

apple blossom fluttered

little

lightly

came between the

maid and her

To watch

that moment would have changed a kiss But for the warning that the light just

at the sunset the fast-ebbing

And

while the last rays of red glory came o'er,

thus that the fond one half

weeping cried

She started back, and in a nervous laugh Refused to kiss, and in her rosy hand Graily held up the dainty cup of pink, Loosed, and set floating by some fairy wand.

by the

tide;

'T was

breeze blew.

sailor lad stood

shore,

lips of

two

Who

A

SAILOR.

Wherever thou If storms be

—

rovest, o'er ocean or land, around thee or sunny the

sky,

Remember

the motto I write on the sand, Oh! rather than change, it were better to die.

And so And

she kept in a

it

few

for a little while,

months

short, fleeting

From

the west,

from then

him on his wedding day, Writing, "An emblem of the hearts of

She'sent

it

the Ind in the east, and the lies in

to

men."

The

sailor lad back to his native vale came; The maiden once more he clasped to his

breast,

And found

her in beauty and kindness

the same;

FOREVER.

He

now, and she presses his

kisses her

hand,

The wide world hastens on

its

While the

way

The" gray-haired century near Its sorrow deepens day by day,

For he hath remembered the words on

The summer blush forsakes the

the sand

rose.

But, darling, while your voice I hear,

And

tear sparkles bright in her

loving blue eye,

its close,

while your dark brown eyes

—

Oh! rather than change,

it

were better

to die.

I see,

Sad months and sunless seasons' drear

Are

all

the same,

all

glad to me.

DEAR MAIDEN.

Despair can never reach me,

While your soft hand I hold, While your eyes love and teach me, I never shall grow old.

They say that

But, darling, while your heart

is

mine,

And while I feel that you are true, For me the skies will ever shine, With summer

light

and tenderest blue.

Yes, let the old age deride me,

mocking tongue with you beside me,

I scorn his

T

love,

am

a lovely face and

air,

Let a tender heart be joined,

Love can make you doubly fair; Music's sweeter when you 're kind.

love forsakes the old,

That passion pales and fades away, That even love's bright locks of gold Must lose their charms and turn to gray,

Dear

To

forever young.

SHE STOPPED ME. She stopped me. " I 'm sorry," she murmured discreetly, u But, you see, I 'm engaged!" and pretended to sigh:

While a swift pletely

recollection upset

—

"Great Caesar! "

am

I!"

I

me com-

gasped, "I forgot.

So

—

—

;

s>±-

Wl

A BOOK OF POEMS

9 ADALINE.

The Grecian

gleaned from

artist

many

faces,

There 's matchless beauty in the dark blue

And

sea,

In flower enameled all

fields,

—

skies;

In

and radiant

So I have garnered up dear woman's graces

things there

Naught seems

is

beauty, but to me,

To form

Mary

the

my

of

ardent mind.

so lovely as thy soul-lit

What

eyes:

No

whole the parts com-

in a perfect

bined,

shape of earth there

is

in

spirits

round

my

weary way are

plying,

beauty

What fortunes on my future

dressed,

Like that which Nature on thy form

Like the mysterious sighing,

impressed.

Are

unknown

all

hymns

— in

life

await,

the winds are

trust, I bide

my

fate

But

MARY. What though

the

name

is

old and oft re-

cheer,

peated,

What though it

And

one blessing I might crave from Heaven, 'Twould be that Mary should my being if

a thousand beings bear

Hang

me when

o'er

the chord of

life is

riven,

now;

true hearts oft the gentle

word have

Be my dear household word, and my accent here.

last

greeted,

What though

'tis

hallowed by a poet's

vow?

We

ever love the rose and yet

its

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS

bloom-

THYSELF.

ing Is a familiar rapture to the eye,

And yon

bright star

we

hail,

although

its

Age As

after age has

lit

the northern sky.

beams o

'er

troubled billows

starry

He.

—

looming

"Love thy neighbor as thyself. When at dawn I meet her, As by the garden wall she stands,

And

stealing,

As garden odors

In bosoms faint a gladsome

me

gives

flowers across the wall,

— Are hands or flowers the sweeter? — hope revealher feet to I'm ready clown Or a to labor! — tone —

to the desert blown,

My

heart goes out to kiss her hands

at

ing-

Like patriot music or affection's

Thus, thus, for aye, the name of Mary spoken By lips or text with magic-like control,

fall,

like

Better than I love myself

Do

I

love

my

neighbor.

She.

The course of present thought has quickly

"Love thy neighbor

broken,

And

stirred the fountains of

my inmost

soul.

When

tales of

human

weal and

sorrow,

The

fairest trophies

of

the limner's

To my fond

My

fancy, Mary, seem to borrow

Celestial halos

from thy gentle name;

at

as thyself.

takes

my

I

flowers across the wall,

—

hands It flew so fast to greet him! And oh, I grow so proud and tall, soul's already in his

My

fame,

dawn

meet him, As by the garden wall he stands,

And The sweetest

"

heart beats like a tabor!

Better than I love myself

Do

I love

my

neighbor.

"

—

!

!

A BOOK OF POEMS A WIFE.

Of

all

others he

fairest;

is

Beauty

When it is

man

a

of sense comes to marry,

a companion that he wants, not an It is

artist.

not merely a creature

it

who can comfort and judge, and discriminate; one who can

a being

discourse

him

assist

Heaven

shield

who

can paint or play, and sing and dance; is

and educate

Of the storm. Mermaids with their melody, Charm his ear and lead him back

Such is for a mother and

Alas! for

his children.

is

fit

A woman

the mistress of a family.

the former description occasionally

of fig-

ures in the drawing room, and attracts

to me.

the admiration of company;

but she

human

happiness.

The one she

loved

Ne'er met her gaze again. away,

Months passed

And still so lonely and so sad she seemed, You might have deemed her a Penelope,

is

Waiting for her Ulysses.

entirely unfit for a helpmate to a man, and to " train up a child in the way he

should go.

his errors

the terrors

in his affairs, lighten his sor-

woman who

the

his form;

him with

From

rows, purify his joys, strengthen his principles,

rarest

Ou

Fie on truth saw her yesternight. A score of years Had passed since she and I had met be-

1 '

I

A SKETCH.

fore I left her sad

There was a tinge of red upon her cheek, Sweet as the last departing rosiness Of early morn, that fainter and more

Vowing

and sorrowing for her loss, and die unwed; and find

to live

That now she is a Mrs. Howard Stubbs As happy now as she was beautiful.

faint

Waxeth before the coming of the sun. Her eyes were filled with brightness till

THOU ART CHANGED.

their light

Overflowed and beamed upon the gazer.

charms

Gave So sweet, that

a pensive melancholy,

man might

scan her entire

look

To

!

]

fall in love with sadness.

O'er her

harp

Her

Thou art changed since first we met, But 't is not that thy cheek has faded, Nor years like mine of vain regret The lustre of thine eyes have shaded. Around thee linger fondly still Each charm that lured my soul of

Yes

Love to her

fingers danced,

Thy

tips

Sprang music into being. While her hair, Wooed by the am'rous wind moved mod-

— form's pure — yore

and from their rosy

grace, thy tone's soft

thrill;

'Tis that

we meet and

love

no more!

estly,

To

'scape the rude caressing, thus she

Yes! thou art changed; what tongue had dared

sang:

To

Where

the waves are high in motion

On

Mermaids with

Charm

his ear

time has proved

I in vain thy sorrow shared, In pain, in hopeless absence loved thee! Like shells that through the waves look

Bold and free, Where the tempest spirits hover lover

Bold and

me once what

thee?

Have

the ocean

Roams my

tell

bright, free.

their melody,

and lead him back

to me.

But cold and dull are cast on shore, My dream has lost its fairy light, And now we meet and love no more

—

A BOOK OF POEMS HEART.

Unnoticed, coldly cast aside, I yielded

God gives, and swerve not from a

heart, whatever lot to thee

Be

strong,

blameless way, Dishonor hurts the soul that ever lives, Death hurts the body that is kin with clay.

Though

duty's face

is

stern, her

path

then to grief and

Yet struggled hard

To my

When And I

who

die

pride

assistance.

some one gently

called

my name,

straightway o'er the threshold came:

hung my head for very shame, Nor made resistance.

What happened sleep

cried,

summon

is

best:

They sweetly

to

upon her

breast.

then

I

need not

tell,

We bid to flirting firm farewell; We whispered, while my tear-drops

fell,

In accents mellow;

And now from

fears we both are For Jack had foolish doubts, you As if he wasn't sure of me,

A LOVER'S QUARREL.

free,

see

—

Dear, stupid follow.

You have heard we Well, yes

quarreled, Jack and I!

— perhaps

deny

I can't

why He should be jealous; But when command he tries to show There was some

trifling reason

(He quickly dropped the

He seemed

—

WOMANKIND. In

pretense, tho

I plainly told

him

so

—

),

Quite over-zealous.

impertinence,

Dress, dancing, and discourse devoid of sense;

To

twirl a fan, to please

some foolish

beau,

A week went by before we met — A weary time I can't forget; My days were spent in vain regret And

trifling, visits, pride,

1

And

sing an empty song, the most they

know; In body weak, more impotent of mind,

indignation;

Thus many represent

their

womankind.

While with that stranger, Miss Sinclair, (They raved about her beauty rare

—

I ne'er perceived

He

it,

BEAUTIFUL MABEL.

I declare),

held flirtation.

Thy At last within the crowded hall, The night the Darcy's gave their

He

calmly passed in sight of

Not even

ball,

tremble with a strange alarm,

fruitless effort to be

—

I

And

know

't

was

screened from sight

my

chilly!

Wilt thou dare to blame the woman for her seeming sudden changes, Swaying east and swaying westward as the breezes shade the tree?

tell-tale face

entry's narrow space; formed a welcome hiding place,

But rather

—

silly!

Within an It

EXCULPATION.

gay

made then softly slipped away, Unheeding what the girls might say I

in the bliss that saints ap-

thee.

Yet went on dancing.

A

me

prove;

For 0, how good, how beautiful, must be The God that made so good a thing as

all,

glancing.

She leaned serenely on his arm; I watched as drawn by magic charm,

And

beauty, ante-past of joys above,

Instructs

Fool! thy selfish thought misguides thee

— find the man that never ranges;

Woman wavers but to seek him — is not then the fault in thee?

!

A BOOK OF POEMS \

MINERVA. No

power

TO ALICE.

in death can tear our

names

All that's lovely speaks of thee

When

apart,

As none

in life could rend thee

from

my

heart.

A WOMAN WITH A

the glorious sun appeareth,

harbinger to me; Only thus he cheereth.

'Tis thy

In the garden where thou

MISSION.

There

She declaimed with fervid vigor, on the mysery of the Digger, cut a most dramatic figure while lamenting his condition.

go'st,

thou the rose of First of lilies fragrant most art

Of the fragrant

roses,

posies.

PROXIMITY.

And she said the bare Numidian, and much tanned Abyssinian, and the

the

Cannibal and Guinean, overflowed her with contrition. her deep sighs

filled

the breezes,

for those lands where bread and cheese for the Turks and the Chineses she was

filled

know not wherefore, dearest love, Thou often art so strange and coy!

When

And is;

I

Thy

coldness puts to flight

But soon

with deep emotion.

And

'mongst men's busy haunts move,

my

we

joy.

night and silence round us

as

reign,

her ardent love was greater,

all

I

know

thee by thy kisses sweet again.

the more she strove to cater to the tribes

beyond

th'

Equator or across a distant

PERFECT

ocean.

And like wept

Rachel, the sweet Jewess, she

tears as thick as glue

is,

here,

Nature in a

tion;

And is,

that these towns, where such sin

such a race for golden guineas, might

be made as good as

Lynn

is,

While her husband, if his

dowed,

luckless victim,

a throng of noble knees were bowed, love's perfect gift her Gave all

glorious self to

When

first

thou'camest, gentle, shy, and

fond, eldest born, first hope,

and dearest

treasure,

My due allowance make! Formed of a crooked rib was she. Attempt to bend her and she '11 break; By Heaven, she could not straightened

cP

me!

THE FIRST BABY. A MOTHER.

WOMAN.

be.

—

—

My woman

many

wife had licked him, and

through back streets where she kicked him, walked about with one suspender.

For

'mongst

To whom

For the wild man of Alaska, or of barb'rous Madagascar, she would say if you would ask her, that her love was deep and tender.

looked as

thrift doled out

fair,

She showered with open hand, thou peerless one, on thee! And she, that was so wond'rously en-

was her

prayer and supplication.

ALAMEDA.

All the divine perfections which, while

at the ac-

tion of St. Louis, and Chicago's degrada-

BLISS.

heart received thee with a joy beyond

All

that

yet

it

had

felt

of earthly

pleasure;

Nor thought

that any love again might

be

So deep and strong

as that I felt for thee.

A BOOK OF POEMS

NATURE CHANGES

NOT.

Yet some men, rather than incur the slander

Tf the ass that bore the

Were Still

an

to

Mecca

Savior

alter,

true apostates, will false martyrs

driven, he

prove;

ass in his behavior,

Would not

Of But

bst would be.

I

am

I

neither Tphis nor Leander,

neither drow n nor

'11

r

hang myself

for

love.

BUT Now, Some

IF

Methinks a wise man's actions should be

FOR ME.

such

me

thou dost forsake other maid, and rudely break

if

for

Her worshiped image from its base, To give to me the ruined place; Then fare thee well! I'd rather make My bower upon some icy lake

—

Where thawing suns Than trust to love so

begin to shine, false as thine.

LINES ON LOVE. There

is

no worldly pleasure here below,

Which by

But among all the follies that I know, The sweetest folly in the world is love; But not that passion which, with fool's consent,

yield to reason's best advice;

much

for to love too little or too

Are both extremes, and

all

been a lover by report,

I

Yea, I have dy

'd for love, as

others do;

was in'such a sort, That I revived within an hour or two. Thus have I lived, thus have^I loved till now, And find no reason to repent me'yet; And whosoever other ways^ill ^do, His courage is as little as hisjwit. But, praise be God,

GIVE

it

and lukewarm

that love die as they pre-

tend; If all that say they die

Sure, long ere

now

had

died, indeed,

THINE.

ALMA.

sea shore,

as

heart dropped in the sand beside the sea;

I asked of yonder'mariners,

They saw

who

in thy bosom,

it

said

worn by

thee. I

have none, and thou,

alas! hast

two:

And

I

am come

to seek that heart of

mine; If this be so, dost

—

do? Still keep

me

the world had had

know what thou

my heart,

and give me

shalt

— give

thine.

an end.

we need not

No destiny can And

love but

if

IT PAYS.

we please,

force man's disposition;

Whereof himself may be

his

helping hand To eager, earnest youth; To note, with all their waywardness,

It pays to give a

can any die of that disease

own phy-

sician ?

Their courage and their truth.

But some seem so distracted of their wits, That I would think it but a venial sin To take some of those innocents that sits In bedlam out, and put some lovers in. >\

I

strayed,

zeal in love,

Although I do not like it in devotion; For it has no coherence with my creed,

ME

One morning, on the

Then

tion;

Besides,

j

extremes are

vice.

Yet have

My

Above the reason bears imperious sway, Making their life-time a perpetual Lent, As if a man were born to fast and pray. No, that is not the humor I approve, As either yielding pleasure or promo-

To think

Now

experience doth not folly

prove;

I like a mild

As always

It pays to

comfort heavy hearts,

Oppressed with dull despair,

And

leave in sorrow darkened lives,

One gleam

of brightness there.

!

—

!

A BOOK OF POEMS LIED LIKE A LAWYER.

KITTY OF COLERAINE.

he courted his charmer in sorrow-

First,

As

beautiful Kitty one

And

With

lawyer to move her com-

lied like a

morning was

trip-

from the

fair

ping

ful fashion,

a pitcher of milk

of Coleraine,

passion.

When And

THE BEST OF HUSBANDS.

me

she saw pitcher all

it

she

stumbled, the

tumbled,

the sweet buttermilk watered

the plain.

Oh, I have a husband as good as can be; No woman could wish for a better than

" 0,

what

he!

at

Sometimes, indeed, he

may chance

to be

shall I do

now

—

Sure, such a pitcher

wrong,

't

was looking

you now! I

meet

ne'er

'11

again

But his love for me

is

uncommonly strong

'T was the pride of

my

dairy, 0,

Barney

McCleary!

Be has one

He

little

has always

makes me fret, money, by far, than

You

fault that less

debt;

—

Moreover he thrashes me, now and then But, excepting that, he 's the best of men!

sent as a plague to the girls of

're

Coleraine!"

I sat

down

beside her,

and gently did

chide her,

That such a misfortune should give her I

own he

And,

is

dreadfully given to drink;

besides,

he

such pain,

rather too fond, I

is

A kiss

think,

Of playing ^t cards and Excepting

He (

'T

that, he

dice; but then,

the way with the men, always so),

break

know

— they

'T was

Excepting that, he

's

the best of men!

To

Excepting

I scold

that,

he

's

my

As good,

indeed, as a

And who

could ask for a better than he?

can

be,

For very soon

The

lips of Julia.

was whole in Cole-

THE LAST WORD. To

lose you, dear, at a single stroke,

And never have time And then to recall how

to say good-bye," last

we

spoke,

So rough, so bitterly, you and Too late! and I cannot revoke.

the rubies grew,

I can, I will, I I

I

must!

uttered they were not

true;

swear with my lips laid low in the dust, I never meant what I said to you, When I gave that hasty thrust. I

to

can

raine.

Those words

And nothing did I say, But with my finger pointed

I

after poor Kitty's disaster

devil a pitcher

Can not?

JULIA. Some asked me where

—

't is

—

plain;

men?

Yet such is the loyalty I have shown; But I have a spouse who is all my own;

man

hay-making season

when,

darling,

the best of

'd

again.

Misfortunes will never come single,

't

But how can

I did leave

tell

but say I think he is rash pawn my pewter, and spend the cash;

can

it

the reason

The I

gave her, and ere

't

're

care I for his flirting, when,

But what

I

She vowed for such pleasure she

the best of men!

's

loves to chat with the girls I is

then her

"

^D

A BOOK OF POEMS

AN ORIGINAL LOVE

STORY.

Thompson, who sung about the

" seasons "

said

He

struggled to kiss her.

She struggled

the same

But then he

To prevent him, so bold and undaunted; But

by lightning he heard her

as smitten

was a glorious thing

It

At

it

ten o'clock,

a.

He wrote

exclaim,

"Avaunt,

sir!"

and

off

heavaunted.

But when he returned with the

m.

in his bed

— the very reason The simple

charmingly.

so

fact

to rise in season;

— lying —

said

is,

His preaching wasn't sanctioned by his practice.

fiendisk-

est laugh,

Showing

And

clearly that he

was

threatened by main force to carry

her

off,

She cried "Don't!" and the poor low donted.

When

fel-

well

doubtless,

'Tis,

affronted,

awake

—

to

sometimes

be

—

Awake to duty and awake to truth But when, alas! a nice review we take Of our best deeds and days, we find,

in

sooth,

he meekly approached, and sat down at her feet,

Praying aloud, as before he had ranted, That she would forgive him and try to be

The hours that leave the slightest cause to weep Are those we passed in childhood, or

—

asleep!

sweet, said " Can't

And

!

you " the dear

girl

'T

is

beautiful to leave the world awhile

For the

recanted,

And he whispered, " How could you do so? I certainly thought I was jilted; But come thou with me, to the parson

Then

soft visions of the gentle night;

from mortal care and

free at last guile,

softly

To In

only in the angel's sight, sweet realms so cosily shut in,

live, as

sleep's

Where,

at the worst,

we only dream

of sin!

we'll go;

Say wilt thou, my dear?" and she wilted.

and she

So

and give the Maker

let us sleep,

I like

the lad who,

when

paise.

his father

thought

To

EARLY " Rise with the lark,

clip his

morning nap by hackneyed

phrase

RISING.

Of vagrant worm by early songster

and with the lark to

caught, Cried, " Served hitn right,

it 's

not at

all

bed,"

Observes some solemn, sentimental owl,

Maxims

like these are very

But, ere you

make

cheaply said:

surprising,

The worm was punished, rising

sir,

for early

!

yourself a fool or

fowl,

Pray

just inquire about their rise fall

—

And whether

larks have

any bed

and

at all!

AN Beneath a shady

He The 'time

for honest folks to be abed'

morning, if I reason right; he who cannot keep his precious head

Is in the

And Upon his pillow till it 's fairly light, And so enjoy his forty morning winks, Is

up

— to knavery;

or else

— he drinks!

I

IDYL.

tree they sat,

held her hand, she held his hat;

held

my

They

breath, and lay quite

—

flat.

saw them do it; He held that kissing was no crime; She held her head up every time; I held my peace and wrote this rhyme, While they thought no one knew it. kissed

I

3&

'C

A BOOK OF POEMS

10

CHANGE.

Let the world go, with

all its

dross and

pelf,

what change Has come over thy heart, seek not what chances Have doomed us to part;

I ask not

I

Only for one, like Portia, could I say, would be trebled twenty times my-

" I

self;"

Only for one, and he is far away; His voice came back to me, distinct and

know thou hast told me. To love thee no more, And I still must obey Where 1 once did adore. I

dear,

And

thrilled

The present

the pain of lost

faded, but the past

Last night.

WHAT

me with

delight;

was

clear,

Last night.

ONE SMILE WORTH?

IS

answered as I answered then, would hear less, perchance, of

If others

Not

the gold that was ever found

all

In the busy wealth-finding past, Would I take for one smile of my darling's face,

Did

I

know

must be the

it

We

blighted lives;

There would be truer women, nobler men, And fewer dreary homes and faithless wives;

last.

Because I could not give you all my best I gave you nothing. Judge me, was I

SO SHE

REFUSED HIM.

Last night, within the

little

Last night.

LOVE'S ARITHMETIC.

silver lights

came stealing through She was one, and

the gloom,

You

women

told the tale that

loved to

told it well, with firm

hands clasp-

We

was one,

He

lays down the proposition: One and one make one.

'

Mere acting?

—

In the rule of his addition

deep eyes glowing with a tender light,

were one together.

Love's a queer arithmetician

ing mine,

And

I

Strolling o'er the heather,

Yet before the year was gone

hear;

You

Last night.

the gay music sounded faintly

clear,

And

that I stood the

test,

curtained

room,

Where

right?

You may thank heaven

But your prayer was half

divine

Last night.

Last night.

She and

I,

alas! are two,

Since, unwisely mated,

Ah! you had much to offer; wealth enough To gild the future, and a path of ease For one whose way is somewhat dark and rough;

New

friends

—

Having nothing

were separated. Now 'twould seem that by this action

Each was made a simple fraction. Yet 'tis held in love's substraction One from one leaves two.

calm as summer

life

seas,

And something (was

it

love?) to keep us

EQUALITY.

true,

And make

us precious in each other's

Children of wealth or want, to each

sight,

Ah!

then, indeed,

my

One Last night.

is

given

heart's resolve I

knew Last night.

else to do,

We

spot of green, and

heaven.

all

the blue of