And near the light a giant woman sat,
All over earthy, like a piece of earth,
A pickaxe in her hand: then out I slipt
Into a land all sun and blossom, trees
As high as heaven, and every bird that
sings:

And here the night-light flickering in my eyes

Awoke me.'

'That was then your dream,' she said, 'Not sad, but sweet.'

'So sweet, I lay,' said he, And mused upon it, drifting up the

stream

In fancy, till I slept again, and pieced The broken vision; for I dream'd that still The motion of the great deep bore me on, And that the woman walk'd upon the brink :

I wonder'd at her strength, and ask'd her of it:

"It came," she said, "by working in the mines: "

O then to ask her of my shares, I thought; And ask'd; but not a word; she shook her head.

And then the motion of the current

ceased,

And there was rolling thunder; and we reach'd

A mountain, like a wall of burs and thorns;

But she with her strong feet up the steep hill

Trod out a path: I follow'd; and at top She pointed seaward: there a fleet of glass,

That seem'd a fleet of jewels under me, Sailing along before.a gloomy cloud That not one moment ceased to thunder, past

In sunshine: right across its track there lay,

Down in the water, a long reef of gold, Or what seem'd gold: and I was glad at first

To think that in our often-ransack'd world Still so much gold was left; and then I fear'd

Lest the gay navy there should splinter on it,

A loose one in the hard grip of his hand, A curse in his God-bless-you: then my eyes

Pursued him down the street, and far

away,

Among the honest shoulders of the crowd, Read rascal in the motions of his back, And scoundrel in the supple-sliding knee.'

'Was he so bound, poor soul?' said the good wife;

'So are we all: but do not call him, love, Before you prove him, rogue, and proved, forgive.

His gain is loss; for he that wrongs his

friend

Wrongs himself more, and ever bears about

A silent court of justice in his breast, Himself the judge and jury, and himself The prisoner at the bar, ever condemn'd: And that drags down his life: then comes what comes

Hereafter: and he meant, he said he meant,

Perhaps he meant, or partly meant, you well.'

"With all his conscience and one eye askew "

Love, let me quote these lines, that you may learn

A man is likewise counsel for himself, Too often, in that silent court of yours"With all his conscience and one eye askew,

So false, he partly took himself for true; Whose pious talk, when most his heart was dry,

Made wet the crafty crowsfoot round his eye;

Who, never naming God except for gain, So never took that useful name in vain, Made Him his catspaw and the Cross his tool,

And Christ the bait to trap his dupe and fool;

Nor deeds of gift, but gifts of grace he

forged,

And snake-like slimed his victim ere he

gorged;

And oft at Bible meetings, o'er the rest Arising, did his holy oily best,

Lessening to the lessening music, back, And past into the belt and swell'd again Slowly to music: ever when it broke The statues, king or saint, or founder fell; Then from the gaps and chasms of ruin left

Came men and women in dark clusters round,

Some crying, 'Set them up! they shall not fall!'

And others, 'Let them lie, for they have fall'n.'

And still they strove and wrangled: and she grieved

In her strange dream, she knew not why, to find

What does little birdie say
In her nest at peep of day?
Let me fly, says little birdie,
Mother, let me fly away.
Birdie, rest a little longer,
Till the little wings are stronger
So she rests a little longer,
Then she flies away.

What does little baby say,
In her bed at peep of day?
Baby says, like little birdie,
Let me rise and fly away.
Baby, sleep a little longer,
Till the little limbs are stronger.
If she sleeps a little longer,
Baby too shall fly away.

'She sleeps: let us too, let all evil, sleep.

He also sleeps - another sleep than