The happy birds, loud singing overhead; And the monotonous chamber's narrow bound; With,-best of all, the consciousness at length, In every nerve of sure returning strength : Long the dream stayed to cheer that darkened room, That this should be the end of all that gloom! Long, as the vacant life trained idly by, She pressed her pillow with a restless sigh, To-morrow, surely, I shall stronger feel!" To-morrow! but the slow days onward steal, And find her still with feverish aching head, Still cramped with pain; still lingering in her bed ; Still sighing out the tedium of the time; repose. Until the skilled physician,-sadly bold From frequent questioning,—her sentence told! That no good end could come to her faint yearning, That no bright hour should see her health return ing, That changeful seasons,-not for one dark year, But on through life,-must teach her how to bear: For through all Springs, with rainbow-tinted showers, And through all Summers, with their wealth of flowers, And every Autumn, with its harvest-home, And all white Winters of the time to come, Crooked and sick for ever she must be: Was with the past, the future was a life Continual torment, and obscure annoy. Blighted in all her bloom,-her withered frame And, in the soft lamp's glimmer, sink to rest, With pride of motherhood, and thankful prayers, And peeps into the future brightly given, As though her babe's blue eyes turned earth to heaven! Never again could she, when Claud returned After brief absence, and her fond heart yearned To see his earnest eyes, with upward glancing, Greet her known windows, even while yet adyancing, Fly with light footsteps down the great hall stair, And give him welcome in the open air As though she were too glad to see him come, To wait till he should enter happy home, And there, quick-breathing, glowing, sparkling stand, His arm round her slim waist; hand locked in hand; The mutual kiss exchanged of happy greeting, While, giving welcome also in their way, Her dogs barked rustling round him, wild with play; And voices called, and hasty steps replied, And the sleek fiery steed was led aside, And the grey seneschal came forth and smiled, The Master's step is on his threshold-stone ! Never again those rides so gladly shared, So much enjoyed,—in which so much was dared |