Part 13 (1/2)

The hills far-off were blue, blue, The hills at hand were brown; And all the herd-bells called to me As I came by the down.

The briars turned to roses, roses; Ever we stayed to pull A white little rose, and a red little rose, And a lock of silver wool.

n.o.body heeded, -- none, none; And when True Love came by, They thought him naught but the shepherd-boy.

n.o.body knew but I!

The trees were feathered like birds, birds; Birds were in every tree.

Yet n.o.body heeded, n.o.body heard, n.o.body knew, save me.

And he is fairer than all -- all.

How could a heart go wrong?

For his eyes I knew, and his knew mine, Like an old, old song.

Where Love is. [Amelia Josephine Burr]

By the rosy cliffs of Devon, on a green hill's crest, I would build me a house as a swallow builds its nest; I would curtain it with roses, and the wind should breathe to me The sweetness of the roses and the saltness of the sea.

Where the Tuscan olives whiten in the hot blue day, I would hide me from the heat in a little hut of gray, While the singing of the husbandman should scale my lattice green From the golden rows of barley that the poppies blaze between.

Narrow is the street, Dear, and dingy are the walls Wherein I wait your coming as the twilight falls.

All day with dreams I gild the grime till at your step I start -- Ah Love, my country in your arms -- my home upon your heart!

Interlude. [Scudder Middleton]

I am not old, but old enough To know that you are very young.

It might be said I am the leaf, And you the blossom newly sprung.

So I shall grow a while with you, And hear the bee and watch the cloud, Before the dragon on the branch, The caterpillar, weaves a shroud.

The Lover envies an Old Man. [Shaemas O Sheel]

I envy the feeble old man Dozing there in the sun.

When all you can do is done And life is a shattered plan, What is there better than Dozing in the sun?

I could grow very still Like an old stone on a hill And content me with the one Thing that is ever kind, The tender sun.