Some Verses. Whitney Helen Hay

      A long grim corridor—a sullen bar

      Of light athwart the darkness—where no fleet

      Pale sunshine spreads for dark his winding sheet

      A light, not born of noon nor placid star

      Glows lurid thro' the gloom—while from afar,

      Beats marching of innumerable feet.

      Is this the place where tragic armies meet?

      The throb of terror that presages war?—

      I strain to see, then softly on my sight

      There falls the vision, manifold they come—

      White listless Day chained to her brother Night—

      Their hands are shackled and their lips are dumb,

      And as they meet the air where each one dies,

      They turn and smile at me—with weary eyes.

      And shall it be that these undaunted snows

      That poise so lightly on the mountains' crest—

      A lily laid to cheer its lonely breast—

      Shall their chill smile still face the wind, that blows

      Across the field whereon no blossom grows,

      And light the land where no gay life may rest

      Save glowing hasty fingers of the West,

      When our two hearts lie cold beneath the rose?

      These silver flakes of ancient hoary frost,

      Surviving all our joys' supremest powers,

      And though the petals of your lips be lost

      And gone the summer of your golden head,

      This pale eternal growth of winter's flowers

      Shall still live on—though our sweet love be dead.

      He had a vision of a golden throne

      Fronting an altar; both alike were bare,

      But o'er the purple of the regal chair

      Blazed the device, "I wait for him alone

      Who with the world has held his soul his own."

      He sadly turned, this height he could not dare.

      But—Stay—the text upon the altar there—

      "I wait for him who has not made a moan

      Howe'er his kind have used his heaven-sent dower.

      Fear not, and burn thine incense, lowly heart."

      And sudden brightness turns the averted face,

      To holy sense of majesty and power—

      And a voice:—"Master—this indeed thou art."

      Wondrous music trembles thro' the space.

      You have not ceased for me. Though stern-browed Fate

      Laid our two paths apart; when in the West

      She gave you over to the seas, and great

      Wide winds of enterprise, and set your breast

      Against the suns and shadows of the earth;

      Then with a gilded largess, led my ways

      Toward the time-worn East, who paints her dearth

      With purple vain imaginings; the praise

      Of all her languid incense and the pride

      Of ancient mysteries and hopeless creeds

      Hold for my heart no spell when warm and wide

      I see across the blue of Isis' veil

      The thunderous breakers of your ocean pale

      And glints of prairie sun through river reeds.

      The pallid waves caress the paler sand,

      Falter and tremble, then reluctant wane,

      Fearing advance, yet venturing again.

      Grey deep sea waves that never knew the land,

      Tired with the tumult, stretch a crooked hand

      To win a precious sweet surcease from pain,

      But, glancing back upon the mighty main,

      Perforce return to swell the strong command.

      So fretful Life sees Death's cold sands and faints

      To fling thereon the wearing of her wave,

      Yet, turning ere she finds the gloomy shore,

      Seeing ahead the idle senseless grave,

      Behind—the Kings, the Patriots and the Saints,

      She sighing turns to face the fight once more.

      I asked for water and they brought me wine;

      Wine in a jewelled chalice, where the gold

      Gleamed thro' the purple beads, as if unrolled—

      One saw the sun-rays of a life-time shine.

      So drinking, I forgot my dream divine

      Of crystal purity, for in my hold

      Were wealth and Fame and Passions manifold

      Which with the draught I fancied might be mine.

      "Ah, Youth," I said, "Ah, Faith and Love!" I said;

      "These are but broken lances in the strife!

      What shall remain when all these things are sped?"

      Then crashed the dream. I clutched the hand of Fate

      Amid the ruins of my shattered life,

      And found the Gods had cheated, all too late.

      Cruel and fair! within thy hollowed hand

      My heart is lying as a little rose,

      So faint and faded, scarce could one suppose

      It might look in thine eyes and understand

      The song they sing unto a weary land,

      Making it radiant, yet because I dare,

      To love thee, being weak, lose not thine air

      Of passive distance, fateful and most grand.

      Pity me not, nor turn away awhile

      Till absence's cloud has caught my passion up.

      Ah, be not kind! for love's sake, be not kind!

      Grant me the tragic deepness of the cup,

      And when thine eyes have flashed and made me blind,

      Kill me beneath the shadow of thy smile.

      A vast screen of unequal downward lines,

      An orange purple halo 'round the rain,

      Twists from a space whose very size is pain.

      Here in this vortex day with night combines

      Ruby and Emerald glint their blazing spines;

      Closing