LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. ?$n*? @^tp §opF»# ^ Shelf ^CUl- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. U7 & book of uei^ses BY £0. B. GO^DOH 33 20 y cues© eoia© PI^INiflED BY IHE A U 11 H O % 1887 .. 7s \m ..at Copyright, 1887, BY W. B. Gordon. PREFACE. UE rhymester thought to mayke a booke, * And searched hys crop of verse to fynde Yf hee, by any hooke or crooke, Coulde mayke y* thycke enough to bynde. Of modest mien and little pelfe, Hee feared to seeke y e prynter's aide, And so hee sett y e type hymselfe, And here's y e booke y e rhymester mayde. Some rhymes are gay and some are grave, And some but little to hys mynde ; But these y e rhymester had to save To mayke y* thycke enough to bynde. Ye rhymester hopes y e readers' heads Wyll not be in an awful rage Wyth heavy paper, triple leads, And very little on a page. Perhaps they'll thynke y* quyte enough, — A great abundance of y e kynde. Att least, by using all hys stuffe, Hee mayde y* thycke enough to bynde. W. B. G. West Point, N. Y., Ye 11 th Mon., 20 th Day, 1887. IV L'ENVOI. f^O forth, and hope thou not ^ Fond hearts to sway, But may it be thy lot A humbler part to play. If, in some dreary hour, But one dear heart Be lightened by thy power, — Then thou hast played thy part. CONTENTS. PAGE Preface iii L'envoi v Sonnet, Trailing Arbutus - - - i At the Ball 2 A Fragment - - - - - - 4 A Dream - 5 Horace, Book III, Ode IX - - - 6 For an Album 8 Then and Now 9 Two Rondeaux : My Vassar Girl - 10 My own Cadet - - 11 A Serenade 12 A Valentine 13 A Romance of the Slide - 14 At the Hop 17 vi Sonnet, The Statue of Liberty - 20 Sonnet, A Portrait - - - - 21 The Proposal 22 Stanzas 24 Sonnet ...... 2 6 Sonnet 27 Three Pictures 28 A Fancy 30 Sonnet, 32 To B. M. B., (Rondel) .... 33 For 34 Under a Cloud 36 Hymn 37 Midnight, Dec. 31, 1875 38 Song - - - - - - - 39 The Arrow and the Song 40 Aftermath (Second Marriages) - 41 vii To 42 A Cousin - 44 One hundred Days to June - - 46 Osculation 49 A Song of Spring 54 O Faded Rose (Rondeau) - 66 Ye Critic Wise (Rondeau) - - - 67 A Valentine 68 Sonnet - - - - - -7° Sonnet - 71 The Class of '75, U. S. M. A. - - 72 Say Nothing 76 After the Hop (Two Triolets) - - 78 To My Cigarette (Rondeau) - - 80 Two of a Kind (Rondeau) - - - 81 To S. B. L. on her Wedding-day - 82 Invitation to Dance - - - - 83 viii The Lieutenant to his Love - - 86 Sold ....... 88 Sonnet 90 Sonnet 91 Looking Ahead 92 A Revery 94 Ballade of Leap-year ... 98 Lines 100 Appendix. I 104 II 105 III - - - 106 IV 107 IX SONNET. (trailing arbutus.) IT 7HEN hearts by love are willing captives led, Unhappy they while love is unconfessed. While thou unto my trembling lips art pressed I whisper words to mortals yet unsaid. Sweet flower, I pluck thee from thy mossy bed, And bid thee change thy home, to rest — Where bliss awaits thee — on her pearly breast. How sweet the hours in such a garden sped. This be my olive-branch, and thou my dove ; And when in that fair garden thou shalt bloom, Then softly whisper my undying love, And breathe away thy life in sweet perfume. But leave thy fragrance in her heart of gold, That thus my love forever may be told. AT THE BALL. T)ACK again *-* To the world ! And the pain That once hurled My heart's love From its throne Makes me shudder and moan That it still has such power to move. Friends of old With me here — That I hold Still so dear — I would spurn After all, Could I only recall The promise that made me return. And the smile I must wear All the whfle, When I bear Such a weight At my heart ! Must I finish the part That I play by the fiat of Fate ? Thus at strife With my heart Till my life And my part Are played out, — Must I be ? No! I'll fight till I see All the foes of my life put to rout. A FRAGMENT. "PADE, fade, sweet flower, fade fast away And fade, my memory of the day That gave thee to my sight. Dead is the hope that came with thee ; So may thy cruel fragrance flee And leave me to my night. A DREAM. [ DREAMT that in some fairy-land Where Cupid tends the bovvers, Where all for perfect love is planned And souls live in the flowers, — We dwelt together 'neath a sky That ne'er was dim or hazy. Thou wert a violet, and I A happy, happy daisy. HORACE, BOOK III. ODE IX. Horace. 'TWILL thy fair bosom's snowy charms Could lie content in other arms, Sure of thy love, naught else J sought, And Persia's monarch envied not. Lydia. Till thou couldst from thy Lydia part, Ere hated Chloe touched thy heart, — How blest was I, so loved by thee That Ilia's fame was naught to me. Horace. Fair Chloe now my bosom sways With touch of lyre and sweetest lays. For her my life I'd freely give, Content to die that she might live. Lydia. Now youthful Calais loves me well. With mutual fire our bosoms swell. Twice would I gladly die to save My Thurian lover from the grave. Horace. What if the love that chained us then Should bind our willing hearts again ? If fair-haired Chloe now I spurn And ask my Lydia to return ? Lydia. Though Calais' brow be fairer far Than is the brightest morning star, — Thou rough and fickle as the sea, — Yet would I live — and die — with thee. FOR AN ALBUM. r WISH not all thy life may be A never-failing pure delight, But that each joy that comes to thee By trial may be made more bright. For ours would be a dreary lot If no tear e'er the cheek shone on ; Our liveliest joys would be forgot. And love would die if hate were gone. All joy that life can claim Be unto thee whose name Now hidden lies this page upon. THEN AND NOW. THEN. /^N this sweet spot two lovers sigh, And vow their love will never die. (If man had never loved on earth, I'd wager this were Cupid's birth.) NOW. On this sweet spot two lovers sighed. I wonder if their love has died ! (Each wedded another ere long. Ah, well! You can't most always sometimes tell.) TWO RONDEAUX. I. MY VASSAR GIRL. T)LOW, Summer breezes, gently blow The spirit of my heart's rondeau From Highland hills my love to greet, — The bloom upon her cheek to meet And kindle there an answering glow. Would I could on your fleet wings go, And with you flutter to and fro To see the blushes of my sweet, — My Vassar girl. Long as the Hudson's waves shall flow, The spirit of my love shall grow And follow her with flying feet. Com me elle est belle, ma chere petite. You too will think so when you know My Vassar girl. II. MY OWN CADET. dear ! we girls are all to go To West Point on the boat, you know. They told me so just down the street. And wont we have a jolly treat ! 1 know my face is all aglow. And now my heart is beating so I don't know what to do; for Oh, What do you think? I am to meet My own Cadet. You know he sent that sweet rondeau That rhymes with blow, and grow, and flow. The old boat cannot go trop vite. (If he's sufficiently discreet Then I will pay him all I owe, — ) My own Cadet ! A SERENADE. OLEEP, my darling, slumber bring thee To the realms of Dream-land near ; But the song that now I sing thee May thy waking spirit hear, So that thou shalt dream I'm near thee, — That I guard thee in thy sleep. O may thy sweet spirit hear me While my watch of love I keep. Sleep, my darling, while around thee Soft and pale the moonbeams fall. Here the chain of love has bound me, And my soul to thine doth call. Dream, my love, that I am near thee, — That I kiss thee in thy sleep. O may thy sweet spirit hear me While my watch of love I keep. A VALENTINE. TAEAR lady, let me lift my eyes In deep humility to thine. As mortals hope to reach the skies, So let me hope to call thee mine. Thou art the perfect dream of love That lifts my soul from baser earth To rest on purer thoughts above And know thee at thy priceless worth. Fair as the dawn of summer morn And sweet as dying eve in May, And pure as breath of virgin borne To heaven while she kneels to pray; O matchless being ! from afar I worship at thy holy shrine. Sweet love shall be my guiding star If thou wilt be my Valentine. 13 A ROMANCE OF THE SLIDE. 'pOGETHER they hied A To the top of the slide, To mount the wild toboggan ; For they had agreed, Whatever the steed, Together through life to jog on. Her blanket suit Went down the chute Like a streak of greased lightning, The while she felt Around her belt His arm securely tightening. Says she " What bliss To shoot like this Through life's steep chute together. So shoot the bummer Who sighs for Summer, But give us Wintry weather." Then they suddenly stop And spin like a top, Till you can't tell which from whether; And then they fall, Toboggan and all, In a helpless heap together. i5 She crawls from the drift Without deigning to lift Her eyes to his crest-fallen features ; And he hears her say As she limps away, " I hate such careless creatures." x\nd since their slide They have not been tied, And together they never will jog on ; And their " it" suits All treacherous chutes Where sails the wild toboggan. 16 AT THE HOP. T MET her at the hop; And I felt a sudden stop In the calm and placid beating of my heart, For her face was so divine As she raised her eyes to mine That I straightway felt a thrust from Cupid's dart. I begged her for a dance, And I felt the little lance Sinking deep into my organ of affection, Which was beating very hard As I took the little card She so gracefully produced for my inspection. n And when my arm was placed Around her dainty waist, Then I felt that Cupid's dart was in to stay; And the agitation felt Near the region of my belt Was intenser when the music ceased to play. Then I offered her my arm, And a nameless vivid charm Seemed to claim me as we sauntered thro' the hall. But the pretty things I said Did not seem to turn her head, And she looked as if she heard them not at all. 18 Then I led her to the tank, And a cooling draught she drank ; And a " Cit " stood by and smiled at her so sweetly That I longed to punch his head, When she turned to me and said, "My husband." And I wilted then completely. And I wiped my crimson face With her fan of dainty lace, A circumstance that's quite beyond belief. But if you can believe, I poked it up my sleeve And fanned her with my pocket-handkerchief. i9 SONNET. THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. f^\ THOU great Goddess at the nation's gate ! ^ May thy strong arm, uplifted for the right, Pierce Earth's deep darkness with refulgent light, The only weapon that all tyrants hate. Guide safe to port old Ocean's precious freight. And as thy beams shall pierce the angry night, A welcome beacon to the sailor's sight, So may thy spirit guide our Ship of State. When waves of discord beat against her side, When stormy winds would drive her on the shore, And sunken rocks shall lie before her prow, Thy spirit teach her then the waves to ride And float in peace till stormy winds are o'er; And may her latest day be bright as now. 20 SONNET. A PORTRAIT. r pHERE hangs a picture on the darkened wall; A Uplifted eyes and trembling lips. A place For smiles and tears and kisses. I can trace Upon her lovely features signs of all. To the dim past it never fails to call My soul. In sunshine all the lines efface. In shadows how distinct they lie ! The face Grows bright when dim lights on the canvas fall. The artist is a sturdy youth, — with wings. The canvas broke, — it was so tightly stretched. 'Tis more a work of nature than of art, And of the brush I still can feel the stings, Though ten long years ago 'twas sketched From life upon the canvas of my heart. 21 THE PROPOSAL. [ ASKED her. And what did she say? Why, Kate, don't you think you could guess? I have known for many a day That the answer would surely be yes. 'Twas jolly! And what did I do? Well, that's a bold question, ma belle, But still I don't mind telling you, For we know one another so well. You see we had wandered away To this sweet little spot that I love; But were we on earth? I can't say, For I surely felt lifted above. 22 When she lifted her sweet eyes to mine, And murmured that dear little word In accents so sweet, so divine, Ah, was it a mortal I heard ? And then our loving lips met In one long, sweet, lingering kiss. Ye gods ! I can taste the sweets yet Of that double concentrated bliss. Why, your eyes are beginning to fill ! Forgive me, dear Kate, I confess ; I have not asked yet, but I will. Speak, darling, and answer me yes. STANZAS. HHELL me, gentle breeze, Whispering thro' the trees, If in some wild gladsome freak You have kissed my fair one's cheek. Never will you meet Other face so sweet. Have you ever heard Sweetest note of bird Half so sweet as that she sings When her dreamy carolings Murmur soft and low Like a brooklet's flow? 24 Watching her the while Have you seen her smile? All her soul is in her eyes As her long dark lashes rise When she smiles on me, — Smiles on happy me. Waft, then, gentle breeze, Whispering thro' the trees, One sweet kiss to her I love, — One sweet kiss that well may prove All my love for her, — Me her worshiper. 25 SONNET. J ARK! hear the bugle echo o'er the plain, To call us back within the old gray walls Where oft we tread the maze of Learning's halls. How sweetly sounds the old familiar strain. Minerva woos us now to thoughts of war; But one fair goddess do I hold above The patron of the arts and war. I love Minerva not the less, but you the more. The siege I laid to win your heart began With naught of strategy, or grand display, Or forces in reserve content to wait. Ah, no ! the only parallels I ran Were outstretched arms; and then, behold, straightway We both surrendered. Quick, good night! * * I'm late. 26 SONNET. A S when the humming-bird flits near a flower And flutters for an instant in the air, Thrilled with delight at all the sweetness there, And feels that sweetness all within its power, — Sips in anticipation o'er and o'er The honeyed depths of nature's lovely cells, Ere drawing from those golden nectar-wells Of delectation their abundant store, — So I, when hov'ring o'er a fairer flower Than ever bloomed in fairest earthly bower, Drink long, deep draughts of pure ethereal bliss, And then, entranced with one ecstatic kiss, I sip the nectar from her angel lips, And feel the sweetness to my finger tips. 27 THREE PICTURES. I. /^VNLY a bonny lad ^ Clad in his coat of gray ; Only a sweet young maid, — Both at the same old play. Ah, the sweet things they said, And the hope that was born that day ! II. Only a battle fought Where the western sun glows red ; Only a soldier brave Lying among the de.ad ; And the portrait at his heart Is dyed in the blood that he shed. 28 III. Only a broken heart That vainly sighs for rest. Only a smothered sob That will not be represt. Afas for the sweet young maid And the hope that was born in her breast ! 29 A FANCY. r^VNCE on a time, in Fancy's fields, I wandered till my weary feet Found rest where fickle Fancy yields To man what makes his life most sweet. While on the flow'ry bank I slept And dreams of love my being thrilled, Fair Fancy there her vigil kept And all my sweetest dreams fulfilled. Wouldst thou," she said, " in Fancy's fields The fairest of our race behold? She reigns the Queen of Love, and wields O'er all our hearts her wand of gold." 30 And then, mid scenes of beauty rare, I saw thy radiant face, that yields — In all that makes love's dream most fair To naught in Fancy's fairest fields. 3* SONNET. A DEDICATION. C* REAT names there are whose praise is sung by all. ^ Let mine be not unsung by thee, whose name So often fills my thoughts, and then the fame So great that on more favored ones may fall — That grows with every hour — I envy not. And fairest reader mine, if thou canst see Thy name upon this page, — if here it be, — Canst thou then with that knowledge read my thought. For nestling here, as in my thoughts, there lies — From other eyes obscured — a name. If thine, It is to thee these idle thoughts of mine I freely dedicate. And may the ties That now unite us, friends as true as dear, Prove dearer with the flight of every year. 32 TO B. M. B. RONDEL. T FILL this cup to B. M. B. A And drink her health in Extra Dry, Though she is extra dry to me Whene'er to win her heart I try. Though she has caused me many a sigh. And will not be my own Marie, I fill this cup to B. M. B. And drink her health in Extra Dry. Perhaps she thinks I am too shy, And would consent if I should be A trifle bolder and more " fly." I'll take my hat and go to see. (I fill this cup to B. M. B. And drink her health in Extra Dry.) 33 FOR . 1\ /TY heart and I have strolled away, And I have found the place To lay my head Among the dead When I have run my race ; And Oh that I could go to-day! The very earth seems so divine, 'Tis such a lovely spot; E'en tho' no tear Should reach me here, I could not be forgot If such a resting place were mine. 34 Though but a name were graven there Above my weary head, Some kindred heart From which I part Might come with silent tread, And read a tale from the marble fair. And if my own true love will go My resting place to see, And linger near To shed a tear, How happy I shall be When the aneels come to tell me so. 35 UNDER A CLOUD. f\ RESTLESS sea! Thy waves, though free, Seem chafing 'neath the lowering mist; But when God's eye Shines from the sky, They laugh and play, by sunlight kissed. O restless heart ! Would I could part The cloud that dims thy lover sky, And, like the sea, Grow wild with glee Beneath the smile of one bright eye. HYMN. (air, silent night.) pOD of light, In Thy might, Guide our feeble steps aright. While we lift our eyes to Thee, Grant that we Thy light may see,— See Thy glorious light. Lord, to-day, While we pray, Help us cast the world away; Help us lift our thoughts above, Fill our souls with peace and love, Teach us how to pray. 37 MIDNIGHT, DEC. 31, 1875. 'T^HE dear Old Year is dying, The Winter wind is sighing, A pure snow sheet is lying Upon the cold, cold ground ; I watch the dead leaves quiver, The ghostly old trees shiver, The moonbeams on the river, The mountains all snow-bound. The winds are sighing for thee, The trees are weeping o'er thee, The grand old hills adore thee, All love thee, dear Old Year. Time, like a mighty river, Flows on and ceases never. But thou art gone forever, And Nature drops a tear. 38 SONG. "IT 7HISPER once again, my darling, That such happiness is mine, — That I'm loved (though all unworthy) By a creature so divine ; No, let the silence be unbroken, Lest a whisper break the spell That holds us in this sweet Elysium, Where e'en the angels cannot dwell. Speak to me in love's sweet language, — By thy smiles and happy tears; And I'll answer thee with kisses, — Pledge of faith through coming years. But let the silence be unbroken, Lest a whisper break the spell That holds us in this sweet Elysium, Where e'en the angels cannot dwell. 39 THE ARROW AND THE SONG. f FIRED an arrow into the air. * It fell to earth, and I know where. A policeman found its pointed end Sticking fast in the heart of a friend. I fired a song at an editaire. It fell in the basket beside his chair. It is easy to follow the flight of a song When you know the fellow who sent it along. Because of the arrow this son of Mars Was fired behind the prison bars; And the world has lost a poet rare Because of the basket beside the chair. 40 AFTERMATH. (second marriages.) \\ THEN love'sSummer fields are mown, * * When death's shade has softer grown, And they tread life's shortened path ; Though the hair be tinged with snow, Or perhaps has ceased to grow, Again the fields of love they mow And gather in the aftermath. Not the flowers that first love bears Is this harvesting of their's; Not the perfect Summer bloom Of the grass in pleasant meads ; But a'gathering of weeds That have died and dropped their seeds In the shadow of the tomb. 4i TO . r T > HE golden cord of friendship Has bound us heart to heart, And we have learned the lesson That friends too soon must part; And as our pathways differ, One boon I ask of thee: — That sometimes you'll remember The friend you have in me. The time we've spent together Seems like a Summer day, That sweetly dawns upon us But swiftly glides away; And when you spoke of parting, In accents soft and low, You seemed so like a sister I scarce could let you go. 42 But cruel Time will sever The strongest earthly ties, And life itself too often Seems but a "bridge of sighs." But one who loves the Summer Must bear with Winter snows; And though the thorns may pierce us, We'll eive thanks for the rose. 43 A COUSIN. f\F all the jolly things in life. Unless you chance to have a wife Your every grief and joy to share, — To scratch your eyes and pull your hair, How nice to have a cousin! A sister's fondness, brothers tell, For home consumption answers well. Of strangers you had best beware ; But then, 'tis quite une autre affaire If she is only cousin. How oft a tender, loving word Is softly breathed and gladly heard, And conscience quieted with this: — ; What harm to steal one little kiss When she is only cousin ?" 44 If with a stranger you but walk, The gossips never cease to talk; But one may boldly stroll away, And " spooney" all the livelong day If she is only cousin. And if you sometimes wish to meet A girl that you would like to greet As friend, and keep the gossips still, (I wish you'd answer if you will,) What harm to call her cousin? 45 100 DAYS TO JUNE. \ DAY is coming, sweetheart mine, Preceded by but ninety-nine, When sweet perfume Will meet us on the balmy air, And we will bid good-by to care When roses bloom. How long the days, O sweetheart mine, (Preceded by but ninety-nine) Till we resume The sweet communion that we knew. I wonder if you'll still be true When roses bloom. 46 Then will I don the Army Blue And hasten, love, to be with you, Unless my doom The Academic Board pronounce And give "yours truly" the "grand bounce When roses bloom. And if I fail to graduate Some other " file" you'll captivate. And I'll make room For one who'll suit as well as I, And you'll forget me by and by When roses bloom. 47 Well, love is but a fitful flame, And two can play at that old game ; And I presume It's very well that one can flirt And change a lover like a shirt, So let them bloom. 48 OSCULATION. No. I. (in the section-room.) "TV TR. BLANK, the subject of your demonstration Is that of plane curves, as regards osculation." Then I turned to the board with increased respiration, And the laudable instinct of self-preservation Induced me to foster a determination To "bugle it" on him; but ah, what vexation! For after the usual bugling duration He rudely checked my unseemly elation By shouting in accents to startle creation, "Go on, Mr. Blank, with your recitation." And I " fessed " like the place where there's no congelation ; 49 Like the place that's considered the ultimate station Of the " files" who have severed this earthly relation And have moved their effects to their last habitation Without having given due consideration To the matters essential to human salvation. Then I stopped with a sigh and a sad resignation, And muttered some words about "time, — preparation;' But he stopped my ingenuous explication By remarking with cutting deliberation, "Time enough, Mr. Blank, for that enunciation. You have wasted your time in the vain expectation That the bugle would spare you the just expiation Of the sin of neglecting your true occupation. If you wish to avoid the extermination Which threatens you now, this excoriation Must induce you to cause the exfoliation Of your sinful habit of procrastination. You may take these remarks as a mild intimation That the limited time of your present probation Will probably reach an abrupt termination At the end of the coming examination. Your mark for to-day is the representation Of an osculatrix — with a slight elongation." No. II. (on furlough.) It happened in this way: A gentle flirtation Was turning my thoughts to the incatenation Of two hearts that beat in synchronal vibration. It is true that my very intense supplication 5i Had not met with a hearty and prompt acceptation; But still I was spared an emphatic negation, And the general tone of the whole situation Gave food for a great deal of deep contemplation. I was making a frequent profound lucubration Of my object of tenderest solicitation, And one evening repeated, with much animation, The above brief account of my humiliation In connection with curves. When my little oration Was finished she said (while the bright scintillation Of her beautiful eyes made a swift penetration To the depths of my heart), " What is osculation? " 'Well," I said, " to set forth its full signification Would require a tedious, long explanation. I can better explain by a slight illustration ; 5 2 But if it should meet with your disapprobation, You need not display any great trepidation ; Just pretend I'm afflicted with noctambulation." And the kisses I took, in their sweet cumulation, Would pay me, I'm sure, at the least calculation, For ten thousand marks like the representation Of an osculatrix with a slight elongation. 53 A SONCx OF SPRING. VTOW the Spring is drawing nigh, And the cloudlets in the sky Skip along With an air that seems to say, "Treat your comrades of the gray To a song." For the hundredth night to June Comes upon us very soon, And the boys Tune their riddles and their throats, Pouring forth in lively notes All their joys. 54 Soon the busy bee will hum. Soon the merry Plebe will come, And perchance He will realize his dreams With his fingers on the seams Of his pants. And the " Yearling " then will smile, And his leisure time beguile With the same ; And his eyes with glee will pop When he sees the " Mr." drop From his name. 55 By and by he'll drill a squad, And he'll tread the verdant sod With a charm That proclaims his chief objective Is the golden stripe prospective On his arm. Soon the furlough-man will try To explain the reason why Chauvenet Sould harass him with his squares, And he diligently swears Every day. 56 And he hums a furlough tune, For he's thinking now of June All the while. Then after taps where will he be? And will he sleep through reveille? I should smile! Now the second-classman bones Organ-pipes and overtones, And By Jing! He can discount Buttercup By the way he mixes up Everything. 57 Molecules and microscopes, Mollie Smith and all his hopes, Fill his brain ; But when Mollie Smith is near Molecules all disappear Like the rain. Now he seeks the wave to trace, And he thinks he has the case Very clear ; But when trying to recite All his little rays of light Interfere. He sees the radiant chase the focus, Sees them meet by hocus-pocus At the lens ; And he knows not, I suspect, If he's inverted or ei'eet When it ends. From the "Gym" on Saturday Now his melancholy way Back he wends; For his mark is the projection Of a double-convex section Of the lens. 59 But the man supremely blest Is the one who pulls his vest Gently down And imagines he's a " Cit," With the latest style and fit, From the town. For he thinks he'll shed the gray With but very slight delay, And depart With his tall hat and his cane, And but very little pain In his heart. 60 But we'll try and not forget That he's probably in debt For his clo'es; And he'll likely liquidate By eighteen-ninety-eight What he owes. Now a word, before we go, Of the one to whom we owe All that's sweet. How she studies every day To beguile the boys in gray At her feet ! 61 See the smile she soon employs For her choice of all the boys As they part, And an image you detect, Real, larger and erect, In his heart. Soon the festive maid will wait For her lover at the gate Till he come ; Then the maiden and Cadet Will rehearse the sweet duet Called "Yum-yum." 62 And the button will depart From the region of his heart, And insist That its business is to dangle From a lovely little bangle At her wrist. And a golden sword you'll note, In the laces at her throat Neatly placed ; And their monograms entwined On a breast-plate you will find At her waist. 6.3 By and by the maid will smile Sweetly on some other " file," — Then a fuss!! And he'll meet and pass her by, While she sadly wonders why This is thus. Then she'll tell a bitter tale, Shed a tear, and sadly rail At her fate ; But, in spite of any wrangle, She will hold fast to the bangle And the plate. 64 Thus the quick returning Spring Unto each his fate will bring, Far and wide. In the meantime I have finished ; And until my brain's replenished I'll subside. 65 O FADED ROSE. RONDEAU. /^\ FADED rose in my lapel, What secret may your fragrance tell? The dainty hand that placed you there, — The hand in all the world most fair, — Has cast on me its mystic spell. In sweetest fragrance you excel, And she in every grace, as well. Tell me the message that you bear, O faded rose. And will you not my doubts dispel? Her fingers trembled and you fell When she had plucked you from her hair. I caught you then ; and now I swear Your secret safe with me will dwell, O faded rose. 66 YE CRITIC WISE. RONDEAU. UE critic wise (built on a plan ** So far above the common man) Who reads my very humble verse (I know it could not well be worse) To find a line that will not scan, — Go to ! I claim not that I can Stand with the poets in the van Of modern thought. Avaunt, disperse, Ye critic wise ! When this rondeau my pen began I knew the rhymes that end in an \yould surely play the act perverse ; But still my plan I'll not reverse For I must hold you under ban, Ye critic wise. 67 A VALENTINE. r\ COME and dwell beneath my vine, ^ And these devoted arms of mine Will round no other gal entwine If thou wilt be my Valentine. By day my soul for thee doth pine. By night in dreams I cast a line For thee, — a mermaid in the brine. Till thou and all thy love be mine For me the sun in vain will shine. And oh, shouldst thou my suit decline, How could I all my hopes resign, And, bending this devoted spine, Submit to cruel Fate's design? Oh, rather wilt thou not consign 68 To me that gentle heart of thine? Thy every wish I'll quick divine, Thy most obedient" always sign, And to thy slightest will incline. Then come and dwell beneath my vine, And these devoted arms of mine Will round no other gal entwine While thou art still my Valentine. 69 SONNET. \ LL silent ! Not a breath of air to stir A single leaf that droops above her head As if in mourning for the lovely dead. All silent ! yet there comes a voice from her, A voice I hear not ; but I feel its touch, As, spirit like, it plays upon my heart. With sad, sweet pain its o'erstrung fibers start And vibrate. Ah, 'twas loving her too much ! A thousand worlds were far too poor to buy The memory of even one sweet word That her poor lips have uttered. And I know That when she leaves her bright home in the sky And comes to watch where love's sweet tones she heard, While I am true she will not haste to go. 70 SONNET. On receiving a package of court-plaster with the inscription " I heal all wounds save those of love." IF ever shadows fall upon thy brow To make the world seem dark to thee and drear — If e'er a wound should come to cause a tear, Or e'en to make thy life less bright than now, Then mayst thou also find a balm to heal All wounds save those of love. And if in all Thy burdens one there be that seems to call For strength more than thine own, then mayst thou feel That thou canst call on one who fain would share Thy burdens but to make them light for thee,— On one whose love is thus to thee assured. But mayst thou never— never have to bear A single wound of love that might not be By application of