Слике страница
PDF
ePub

DIS ALITER VISUM;

OR,

LE BYRON DE NOS JOURS.

DIS ALITER VISUM;

OR,

LE BYRON DE NOS JOURS.

4

1.

STOP, let me have the truth of that!

Is that all true? I say, the day

Ten years ago when both of us

Met on a morning, friends-as thus

We meet this evening, friends or what?—

2.

Did you because I took your arm

And sillily smiled, "A mass of brass

That sea looks, blazing underneath!"

While up the cliff-road edged with heath,

We took the turns nor came to harm

Did

you

3.

consider "Now makes twice

That I have seen her, walked and talked With this poor pretty thoughtful thing, Whose worth I weigh: she tries to sing; Draws, hopes in time the eye grows nice;

4.

"Reads verse and thinks she understands; Loves all, at any rate, that's great,

Good, beautiful; but much as we

Down at the Bath-house love the sea, Who breathe its salt and bruise its sands:

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

That flaps and floats from wave to cave! There's the sea-lover, fair my friend!

What then? Be patient, mark and mend!

Had you

And did

the making of your scull ?"

6.

you, when we faced the church With spire and sad slate roof, aloof From human fellowship so far,

Where a few graveyard crosses are, And garlands for the swallows' perch,

7.

Did you determine, as we stepped

O'er the lone stone fence, "Let me get Her for myself, and what's the earth

With all its art, verse, music, worth— Compared with love, found, gained, and kept?

8.

"Schumann 's our music-maker now;

Has his march-movement youth and mouth? Ingres 's the modern man that paints;

Which will lean on me, of his saints?

Heine for songs; for kisses, how?”

9.

And did you, when we entered, reached
The votive frigate, soft aloft
Riding on air this hundred years,

Safe-smiling at old hopes and fears,—
Did you draw profit while she preached?

10.

Resolving "Fools we wise men grow!

Yes, I could easily blurt out curt Some question that might find reply

As prompt in her stopped lips, dropped eye, And rush of red to cheek and brow:

E

« ПретходнаНастави »