And the blossom mouth and the dainty chin, The girl I love God love her! A song for the girl I loved God loved her! A song for the eyes of faded light, And the cheek whose red rose waned to white, And the quiet brow, with its shadow and gleam, And the dark lashes drooped in a long deep dream, And the small hands crossed for their churchyard rest, And the lilies dead on her sweet dead breast. The girl I loved God loved her! FREDERICK LANGBRIDGE. WE LOVE BUT FEW. Oh, yes we mean all kind words that we say Yet doth this truth grow clearer day by day; We love! we love! What easy words to say When sunrise splendor brightens all the way, THINE EYES. Are breath of flowers and caroling of birds, And bells that chime; 175 Our hearts are light; we do not weigh our words At morning time! But when the matin music all is hushed, Doth weigh us down, and thick with dust Then do we say less often that we love. With pleading eyes we look to Christ above, Their lives are bound to us by mighty bands Nor Death himself, with his prevailing hands, The world is wide, and many friends are dear, Yet do these words read plainer year by year, ANONYMOUS. THINE EYES. Thou hast diamonds and pearls of rare beauty, Thou hast all that the heart can admire; Thine eyes shine far brighter than jewelsWhat more can my darling desire? In thine eyes, bright as stars of the evening, With thine eyes of unquenchable splendor Hast thou kindled my heart into fire, And forced me to kneel as thy suitorWhat more can my darling desire? From the German of HEINE. AN EXPLANATION. Her lips were so near But her lips were so near- But her lips were so near WALTER LEARNED THE RING'S MOTTO. A lover gave the wedding ring Into the goldsmith's hand; "Grave me," he said, "a tender thought Within the golden band," THE RING'S MOTTO. 177 The goldsmith graved "Till death us part." The wedding bell rang gladly out; My hand, my heart, Till death us part." 'Twas she that lifted now his hand, (O love, that this should be!) Then on it placed the golden band, And whispered tenderly; "Till death us join. Lo, thou art mine, And I am thine. "And when death joins, we nevermore Shall know an aching heart, The bridal of that better love Death has no power to part, For thee and me, So up the hill and down the hill, Through fifty changing years, They shared each other's happiness, That death's cold dart Such love can part! But one sad day-she stood alone She drew the ring from off her hand, "O man who graved With careful art, 'Till death us part,' "Now grave four other words for me,'Till death us join.' He took The precious golden band once more, With solemn, wistful look, And wrought with care, For love, not coin, "Till death us join." WHERE IGNORANCE IS BLISS. Is love contagious?—I don't know; A great desire to make it so. |