THE FLOWER.

ONCE in a golden hour

I cast to earth a seed.
Up there came a flower,
The people said, a weed.

To and fro they went

Thro' my garden-bower,
And muttering discontent
Cursed me and my flower.

Then it grew so tall

It wore a crown of light,
But thieves from o'er the wall
Stole the seed by night.

Sow'd it far and wide

By every town and tower,
Till all the people cried,
Splendid is the flower."

Read my little fable:

He that runs may read.
Most can raise the flowers now,
For all have got the seed.

And some are pretty enough,
And some are poor indeed;
And now again the people
Call it but a weed.

REQUIESCAT.

FAIR is her cottage in its place,

Where yon broad water sweetly, slowly glide 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.

THE SAILOR BOY.

He rose at dawn and, fired with hope,
Shot o'er the seething harbor-bar,
And reach'd the ship and caught the rope,
And whistled to the morning-star.

And while he whistled long and loud
He heard a fierce mermaiden cry,
"O boy, tho' thou art young and proud,
I see the place where thou wilt lie.

"The sands and yeasty surges mix In caves about the dreary bay, And on thy ribs the limpet sticks,

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

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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."

THE ISLET.

“WHITHER, O whither, love, shall we go, For a score of sweet little summers or so," The sweet little wife of the singer said,

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On the day that follow'd the day she was wed.
Whither, O whither, love, shall we go?
And the singer shaking his curly head
Turn'd as he sat, and struck the keys
There at his right with a sudden crash,
Singing, "And shall it be over the seas
With a crew that is neither rude nor rash,
But a bevy of Eroses apple-cheek'd,

In a shallop of crystal ivory-beak'd,

With a satin sail of a ruby glow,

To a sweet little Eden on earth that I know,
A mountain islet pointed and peak'd;

Waves on a diamond shingle dash,
Cataract brooks to the ocean run,
Fairily-delicate palaces shine

Mixt with myrtle and clad with vine,
And overstream'd and silvery-streak'd

With many a rivulet high against the Sun
The facets of the glorious mountain flash
Above the valleys of palm and pine."

"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, And his compass is but of a single note, 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,
And a storm never wakes on the lonely sea,
And a worm is there in the lonely wood,
That pierces the liver and blackens the blood,
And makes it a sorrow to be."

THE RINGLET.

"YOUR ringlets, your ringlets,
That look so golden-gay,
If you will give me one, but one,
To kiss it night and day,
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,
Till all the comets in heaven are cold,
And all her stars decay."

“Then take it, love, and put it by;
This cannot change, nor yet can I."

2.

"My ringlet, my ringlet,

That art so golden-gay,

Now never chilling touch of Time

Can turn thee silver-gray;

And a Jad may wink, and a girl may hint,
And a fool may say his say;

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."
"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 stil! are golden-gay,

But Ringlet, O Ringlet,

You should be silver-gray :

For what is this which now I'm told,
I that took you for true gold,

She that gave you 's bought and sold,
Sold, sold.

2.

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:
If this can change, why so can I."
O fie, you golden nothing, fie,
You golden lie.

3.

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.

For what is this which now I learn,
Has given all my faith a turn?
Burn, you glossy heretic, burn,
Burn, burn.

A WELCOME TO ALEXANDRA.

MARCH 7, 1863.

SEA-KINGS' daughter from over the sea,

Alexandra!

Saxon and Norman and Dane are we,
But all of us Danes in our welcome of thee,
Alexandra!

Welcome her, thunders of fort and of fleet!
Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street!
Welcome her, all things youthful and sweet,
Scatter the blossom under her feet!
Break, happy land, into earlier flowers!