FIRST time he kissed me, he but only kissed The fingers of this hand wherewith I write, And ever since it grew more clean and white, Slow to world-greetings. . quick with its "Oh, list!" When the angels speak. A ring of I could not wear here plainer to my amethyst sight, Than that first kiss. The second The first, and sought the forehead, passed in height and half missed, Half falling on the hair. Oh, beyond meed! That was the chrism of love, which love's own crown, With sanctifying sweetness, did precede. The third upon my lips was folded down In perfect, purple state! since when, indeed, I have been proud and said, "My love, my own." THE CRY OF THE HUMAN. "THERE is no God," the foolish saith, But none, "There is no sorrow;" And nature oft, the cry of faith, In bitter need will borrow: Eyes which the preacher could not school, By wayside graves are raised; And lips say, God be pitiful," We sit together with the skies, The steadfast skies, above us: We look into each other's eyes, "And how long will you love us?" The eyes grow dim with prophecy, The voices low and breathless "Till death us part!"-O words to be Our best for love, the deathless! We tremble by the harmless bed We sit on hills our childhood wist, Woods, hamlets, streams, beholding; The sun strikes through the farthest mist, The city's spire to golden. The city's golden spire it was, When hope and health were strongest, But now it is the churchyard grass And soon all vision waxeth dull Be verily bitter as self-sacrifice, We are no less selfish! If we sleep on rocks Or roses, sleeping past the hour of noon, We're lazy. [From Aurora Leigh.] A CHARACTER. As light November snows to empty nests, As grass to graves, as moss to mildewed stones, As July suns to ruins, through the rents, As ministering spirits to mourners, through a loss, As Heaven itself to men, through pangs of death He came uncalled wherever grief had come. [From Aurora Leigh.] PICTURE OF MARIAN ERLE. SHE was not white nor brown But could look either, like a mist that changed According to being shone on more or less. The hair, too, ran its opulence of curls In doubt 'twixt dark and bright, nor left you clear To name the color. Too much hair perhaps (I'll name a fault here) for so small a head, Which seemed to droop on that side and on this, As a full-blown rose, uneasy with its weight, Though not a breath should trouble it. Again, The dimple in the cheek had better gone With redder, fuller rounds: and somewhat large The mouth was, though the milky little teeth Dissolved it to so infantine a smile! |