FAIR is her cottage in its place, Where yon broad water sweetly slowly glides. It sees itself from thatch to base Dream in the sliding tides. And fairer she, but ah how soon to die! Her quiet dream of life this hour may cease. Her peaceful being slowly passes by To some more perfect peace. CXXII THE SAILOR BOY He rose at dawn and, fired with hope, And while he whistled long and loud "The sands and yeasty surges mix And in thy heart the scrawl shall play." "Fool," he answer'd, "death is sure To those that stay and those that roam, But I will nevermore endure To sit with empty hands at home. My mother clings about my neck, My sisters crying, 'Stay for shame ;' My father raves of death and wreck, They are all to blame, they are all to blame. "God help me! save I take my part Of danger on the roaring sea, A devil rises in my heart, Far worse than any death to me." CXXIII THE ISLET "WHITHER, O whither, love, shall we go, To a sweet little Eden on earth that I know, Waves on a diamond shingle dash, Fairily-delicate palaces shine Mixt with myrtle and clad with vine, Thither, O thither, love, let us go." "" No, no, no! For in all that exquisite isle, my dear, There is but one bird with a musical throat, That it makes one weary to hear." 'Mock me not! mock me not! love, let us go." 'No, love, no. For the bud ever breaks into bloom on the tree, CXXIV THE RINGLET I "Your ringlets, your ringlets, Then never chilling touch of Time Will turn it silver-gray; And then shall I know it is all true gold To flame and sparkle and stream as of old, And all her stars decay." "Then take it, love, and put it by; "My ringlet, my ringlet, That art so golden-gay, Now never chilling touch of Time And a lad may wink, and a girl may hint, For my doubts and fears were all amiss, And I swear henceforth by this and this, That a doubt will only come for a kiss, And a fear to be kiss'd away." 66 Then kiss it, love, and put it by: If this can change, why so can I." II O Ringlet, O Ringlet, I kiss'd you night and day, And Ringlet, O Ringlet, You still are golden-gay, But Ringlet, O Ringlet, You should be silver-gray: For what is this which now I'm told, O Ringlet, O Ringlet, She blush'd a rosy red, When Ringlet, O Ringlet, She clipt you from her head, And Ringlet, O Ringlet, She gave you me, and said, Come, kiss it, love, and put it by: You golden lie. O Ringlet, O Ringlet, I count you much to blame, For Ringlet, O Ringlet, You put me much to shame, So Ringlet, O Ringlet, I doom you to the flame. CXXV A WELCOME TO ALEXANDRA MARCH 7, 1863 SEA-KINGS' daughter from over the sea, Alexandra! Saxon and Norman and Dane are we, Welcome her, thunders of fort and of fleet ! Break, happy land, into earlier flowers! Make music, O bird, in the new-budded bowers! Rush to the roof, sudden rocket, and higher Roll as a ground-swell dash'd on the strand, Bride of the heir of the kings of the sea- Teuton or Celt, or whatever we be, We are each all Dane in our welcome of thee, Alexandra! CXXVI A DEDICATION DEAR, near and true-no truer Time himself Can prove you, tho' he make you evermore Dearer and nearer, as the rapid of life Shoots to the fall-take this and pray that he, |