THE DRAMA OF THE DOCTOR'S WINDOW

Still in one s morning "Times" one reads

How fell an Indian Hector;

Still clubs discuss Achilles' steeds,

Briseis' next protector;

Still Menelaus brings, we see,
His oft-remanded case on;
Still somewhere sad Hypsipyle

Bewails a faithless Jason;
And here, the Doctor's sill beside,
Do I not now discover

A Thisbe, whom the walls divide
From Pyramus, her lover?

A

ACT THE FIRST

CT I began. Some noise had scared

The cat, that like an arrow

Shot up the wall and disappeared;
And then across the narrow,
Unweeded path, a small dark thing,
Hid by a garden-bonnet,
Passed wearily towards the swing.
Paused, turned, and climbed upon it.

A child of five, with eyes that were
At least a decade older,
A mournful mouth, and tangled hair
Flung careless round her shoulder,
Dressed in a stiff ill-fitting frock,
Whose black uncomely rigor

Seemed to sardonically mock

The plaintive, slender figure.

What was it? Something in the dress
That told the girl unmothered;

Or was it that the merciless

Black garb of mourning smothered

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Life and all light:—but rocking so,
In the dull garden-corner,
The lonely swinger seemed to grow
More piteous and forlorner.

Then, as I looked, across the wall

Of "next-door's" garden, that is— To speak correctly-through its tall Surmounting fence of lattice, Peeped a boy's face, with curling hair, Ripe lips, half drawn asunder,

And round, bright eyes, that wore a stare Of frankest childish wonder.

Rounder they grew by slow degrees
Until the swinger, swerving,
Made, all at once, alive to these

Intentest orbs observing,

Gave just one brief, half uttered cry,
And, as with gathered kirtle,
Nymphs fly from Pan's head suddenly

Thrust through the budding myrtle.—

Fled in dismay. A moment's space,
The eyes looked almost tragic;
Then, when they caught my watching face.
Vanished as if by magic;

And, like some somber thing beguiled

To strange, unwonted laughter,

The gloomy garden having smiled,

Became the gloomier after.

THE DRAMA OF THE DOCTOR'S WINDOW

YE

ACT THE SECOND

YES: they were gone, the stage was bare,-
Blank as before; and therefore,
Sinking within the patient's chair,
Half vexed, I knew not wherefore,
I dozed; till, startled by some call,
A glance sufficed to show me,
The boy again above the wall,
The girl erect below me.

The boy, it seemed, to add a force

To words found unavailing.

Had pushed a striped and spotted horse
Half through the blistered paling,

Where now it stuck, stiff-legged and straight,
While he, in exultation,

Chattered some half-articulate

Excited explanation.

Meanwhile, the girl, with upturned face,

Stood motionless, and listened; The ill-cut frock had gained a grace,

The pale hair almost glistened;

The figure looked alert and bright,
Buoyant as though some power
Had lifted it, as rain at night
Uplifts a drooping flower.

The eyes had lost their listless way.-
The old life, tired and faded.

Had slipped down with the doll that lay
Before her feet, degraded;

She only, yearning upward, found
In those bright eyes above her
The ghost of some enchanted ground
Where even Nurse would love her.

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Ah, tyrant Time! you hold the book,
We, sick and sad, begin it;
You close it fast, if we but look
Pleased for a meager minute;
You closed it now, for, out of sight,

Some warning finger beckoned;
EXEUNT both to left and right;—
Thus ended Act the Second.

ACT THE THIRD

R so it proved. For while I still
Believed them gone for ever,

Half raised above the window sill,

I saw the lattice quiver;

And lo, once more appeared the head,

Flushed, while the round mouth pouted, ·Give Tom a kiss," the red lips said,

In style the most undoubted.

The girl came back without a thought,
Dear Muse of Mayfair, pardon,

If more restraint had not been taught
In this neglected garden;

For these your code was all too stiff,
So, seeing none dissented,
Their unfeigned faces met as if
Manners were not invented.

Then on the scene, by happy fate,
When lip from lip had parted,
And, therefore, just two seconds late,

A sharp-faced nurse-maid darted;
Swooped on the boy, as swoops a kite

Upon a rover chicken,

And bore him sourly off, despite

His well-directed kicking.

THE CONVALESCENT TO HER PHYSICIAN

The girl stood silent, with a look

Too subtle to unravel,

Then, with a sudden gesture took
The torn doll from the gravel;
Hid the whole face, with one caress,
Under the garden-bonnet,
And, passing in, I saw her press
Kiss after kiss upon it.

RIEND, by whose cancelling hand did Fate forgive
Her debtor, and rescribe her stern award
Oh with that happier light wherein I live

May all thine after years be sunned and starred

May God, to Whom my daily bliss I give
In tribute, add it to thy day's reward,
And mine uncurrent joy may'st thou receive
Celestial sterling! Aye and thou shalt thrive
Even by my vanished woes: for as the sea
Renders its griefs to Heaven, which fall in rains

Of sweeter plenty on the happy plains,

So have my tears exhaled; and may it be That from the favoring skies my lifted pains

Descend, oh friend, in blessings upon thee!

-SYDNEY DOBELL.

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