The world had woe to me words may not tell,— Such pain as are a serpent's clingings fell,
While upturned face and brows, God's sky would
But now I know the equal joys, for thou
Hast miracled all wretchedness to Hell,
Sweet priestess whose pure oracles I spell
As, driving through live leafy lanes, we vow
In silent wonder life to life away.
I forward look, and see my youth's calm guide,
And would be all alone for what she'd say,
Then coldly turn to . . . find her by my side;
So that I have a double help to stay
Up in this land with her who is its pride!
26. The air is sharp and thin and pure wherein
I bore the Passion of my early days,
The hills are healthful, and the seas have praise
Of clearness for cool furloughs from Trade's din,—
À land intense to all but its own kin,
Who love its darker light of northern rays
As sweeter far than zenith southern daze;
But yet to me, though friends should count it sin,
Dear home could not be there; and I have found
My breathing-place in warmer clime than theirs,-
Have recognised Life's balmy winds,—have bound
Fresh strength around my loins; and now, as
fares
The sick restored to health, so I as sound
My maid's full words, and thought cold guide's
27. But I repent this hasty word; for each
Is mine, and both are one, and ever dear;
And I and they, in one, with smile and tear,
Are bound on one high path to one white beach,
Whence we shall gladly sail where' teach' and
'preach'
Have lost all meaning to the hearing ear:
If guide is like the slender days of fear,
Unsteady joy, of flitting loves whose reach
Could never rise to tropic light, she is,
Besides, the cool pure rivulet whose fount
Aye leads the river's purity, and this
Enchains her to my maid, whose charms to
So fair is she-so strong-so full of bliss-
Would pass the furthest reckoning's amount.
28. If I should wait to get the words whose glow Could equal what I wished to say to thee,
I should keep dumb till my last day would be,—
No pleasant lover to the humblest, so;
Therefore I'll risk the roughness of the flow
Of my strong river of delight, and free
Those boisterous flocks, that you their games
And give indulgent smile to their loud-No,
That never will they silent be, while they
Have tongues to cry that thou art chosen queen
O'er all, or blue or red or white or grey,
Or born of sky of sea or earth's live green,
Of their rough multitudes, who mean to say,
Their inmost meaning beggars quite their mien.
29. Thus fertile, all too much no doubt, who long
Kept silence in a dark and ice-bound land,
It is thy Sunshine waves the waking wand;
And ere I know 'tis I, with diamond song,
Ten thousand fairies, circling, singing, throng;
And I, who once no heart had e'en to stand,
Shout, sing, and dance, the chief of all the
band,
Till I to those dead days cannot belong,
But thus was always mirthful god of fays:
Yet ah! dear maid, still watch me lest I fall,-
Lest all this joy should turn to wizard bays;
And lay not fullest light on my tree's wall,
Who in thy garden, new to Love's full rays,
May waste myself, and lose thy bosom's call.
30. Let me be some long-travelled wave when eyes
Of all the universe at thee amazed,
White rock sublime on firmest footing based,
Make tongues raise cheer to Heaven's furthest
So I may break my heart amid their cries]
On thy full breast, if I myself have dazed
By fancied love, blind joy has long upraised !
But surely thou, if guarding well my prize—
The inlands full of men, maids, children, food-
Sweet wooded country past Cliff's etiquette-
Wilt not condemn me slave to monster brood,
But with your magic power, be I salt-wet,
Quick metamorphose thee to womanhood
And me to manhood,—one to pay Love's debt.
31. Like him who as he starts from home is brave, And lightlies presencing of honoured men, When nearer wishes every yard were ten:
So I, before it was to lose or save
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