A Summer Christmas and a Sonnet upon The S.S. "Ballaarat." By Douglas B. W. Sladen |
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 | A Summer Christmas and a Sonnet upon The S.S. "Ballaarat." |  |
I dreamed a dream of a lady fair,
A dream of a lady's birth.
There were six fairies assembled there
From the East and West and North,
A dream of a lady's birth.
There were six fairies assembled there
From the East and West and North,
All bidden to honour the christening
In hope of a fairy gift,
But when they answered the fair bidding
There was yet one fairy left.
In hope of a fairy gift,
But when they answered the fair bidding
There was yet one fairy left.
Oh! she lives down in the South, they said,
Oh, she lives down in the South,
Her face is fair and her cheeks are red,
But she hath a cruel mouth.
Oh, she lives down in the South,
Her face is fair and her cheeks are red,
But she hath a cruel mouth.
Oh! she lives down in the South, they said,
In the halls of ice and snow,
And a breath of her chilling home is shed
Wherever her footsteps go.
In the halls of ice and snow,
And a breath of her chilling home is shed
Wherever her footsteps go.
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Two fairies came from the golden East,
And wealth and affection brought,
They came from where jewels the costliest
Of Golconda's gems are wrought,
And wealth and affection brought,
They came from where jewels the costliest
Of Golconda's gems are wrought,
From where the sorrowing wife is fain
To share the funeral throne
With her dead lord rather than remain
In the lonely world alone.
To share the funeral throne
With her dead lord rather than remain
In the lonely world alone.
And two there came from the western lands,
With brightness of sunny France,
And Tuscan genius in their hands,
With its tinge of wild romance.
With brightness of sunny France,
And Tuscan genius in their hands,
With its tinge of wild romance.
And there were two from the sturdy North,
And their gifts were homely sense
And glowing health, with generous mirth
And freedom from false pretence.
And their gifts were homely sense
And glowing health, with generous mirth
And freedom from false pretence.
And lastly came Envy from the South,
To offer her offerings,
With her fair cheeks and her cruel mouth,
And a chill draught from her wings.
To offer her offerings,
With her fair cheeks and her cruel mouth,
And a chill draught from her wings.
But her cruel mouth was wreathed in smiles,
And soothly “I come,” she said,
“From the frozen bounds of Antarctic isles
My gift unbidden to add.
And soothly “I come,” she said,
“From the frozen bounds of Antarctic isles
My gift unbidden to add.
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“You gave her love and you gave her wealth
And brightness and genius,
You gave her wisdom and gave her health,
I give her the glorious,
And brightness and genius,
You gave her wisdom and gave her health,
I give her the glorious,
“The peerless crown of beauty to wear
Her lifelong upon her brow,
And ever in her right hand to bear
The grace to which all men bow.”
Her lifelong upon her brow,
And ever in her right hand to bear
The grace to which all men bow.”
And then she opened her draughty wings
And fled to the realm of ice,
Leaving the child with her offerings
Of rich and dainty device.
And fled to the realm of ice,
Leaving the child with her offerings
Of rich and dainty device.
And there rose a hum of glad relief
That Envy had come and gone
Without a word of anger or grief
For being the unasked one.
That Envy had come and gone
Without a word of anger or grief
For being the unasked one.
And a glow of transport through them thrilled
At Envy's glorious gift,
For Envy was vengeful when ill-willed,
And Envy's revenge was swift.
At Envy's glorious gift,
For Envy was vengeful when ill-willed,
And Envy's revenge was swift.
But amid the glow there came a chill,
And amid the hum a moan,
And her cold wings seemed to wave there still
Though she to her home had flown.
And amid the hum a moan,
And her cold wings seemed to wave there still
Though she to her home had flown.
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And e'en the good fays fell murmuring
That Envy had outgraced all
In the gift she brought without summoning
To the christening festival.
That Envy had outgraced all
In the gift she brought without summoning
To the christening festival.
| A Summer Christmas and a Sonnet upon The S.S. "Ballaarat." | |