La Nuit Blanche

Changing to a tangled story,--
"What she said you said I said,"-
Till the Moon arose in glory,

And I found her-in my head;

Then a Face came, blind and weeping,
And It could.n't wipe Its eyes,
And It muttered I was keeping

Back the moonlight from the skies;

So I patted It for pity,

But It whistled shrill with wrath,

And a huge black devil City
Poured its peoples on my path.

So I fled with steps uncertain
On a thousand-year long race,
But the bellying of the curtain
Kept me always in one place;
While the tumult rose and maddened
To the roar of Earth on fire,

Ere it ebbed and sank and saddened
To a whisper tense as wire.

In intolerable stillness

Rose one little, little star,
And it chuckled at my illness,

And it mocked me from afar ;
And its brethren came and eyed me,
Called the Universe to aid;

Till I lay, with naught to hide me,

'Neath the Scorn of Al! Things Made.

Dun and saffron, robed and splendid,
Broke the solemn, pitying Day,
And I knew my pains were ended.
And I turned and tried to pray;
But my speech was shattered wholly,
And I wept as children weep,
Till the dawn-wind, softly, slowly
Brought to burning eyelids sleep.

THE LOVERS' LITANY

Eyes of gray a sodden quay,

Driving rain and falling tears,
As the steamer wears to sea
In a parting storm of cheers.

Sing, for Faith and Hope are high
None so true as you and I-

Sing the Lovers' Litany:—
"Love like ours can never die !”

Milky foam to left and right; Whispered converse near the wheel In the brilliant tropic night.

Cross that rules the Southern Sky! • Stars that sweep and wheel and fly Hear the Lovers' Litany :"Love like ours can never die !"

Split and parched with heat of June,

Flying hoof and tightened rein,

Hearts that beat the old, old tune.

Side by side the horses fly,
Frame we now the old reply
Of the Lovers' Litany:

"Love like ours can never die !"

Eyes of blue-the Simla Hills
Silvered with the moonlight hoar;
Pleading of the waltz that thrills,
Dies and echoes round Benmore.
Mabel," "Officers," "Good-by,"
Glamour, wine, and witchery -
On my soul's sincerity,
"Love like ours can never die!"

Maidens, of your charity,

Pity my most luckless state. Four times Cupid's debtor I Bankrupt in quadruplicate. Yet, despite this evil case, An a maiden showed me grace, Four-and-forty times would I Sing the Lovers' Litany:

"Love like ours can never die!"

A BALLAD OF BURIAL

("Saint Praxed's ever was the Church for Peace.")

If down here I chance to die,
Solemnly I beg you take

All that is left of "I"

To the Hills for old sake's sake.
Pack me very thoroughly

In the ice that used to slake

Pegs I drank when I was dry--
This observe for old sake's sake.

To the railway station hie,
There a single ticket take
For Umballa-goods train-- I
Shall not mind delay or shake.
I shall rest contentedly

Spite of clamor coolies make;
Thus in state and dignity

Send me up for old sake's sake.

Next the sleepy Babu wake,

Book a Kalka van "for four."
Few, I think, will care to make
Journeys with me any more

Umballa: An Indian city on the way to Simla.

Babu: A Hindoo with a European education; title of respect.
Kalka: A town between Umballa and Simla.