 | City Festivals |  |
A LEAP FOR LOVE.
A great balloon hung in the city park,
Swelling and swaying with unconscious strength,
Grandly coquetting with the gentle breeze,
Then tugging at its leashes, with desire
To leap upon the clouds. A pleasure-throng
Struggled, and laughed, and waited for two souls
That soon would enter on a marriage tour,
In this strange wedding-car.
And now there walked
Down a long lane, flesh-walled with living forms,
A bride and groom. Her classic-moulded face
Bore eyes half tender and half daring; as
Perchance the lioness Maid of Arc possessed.
Her wedding-gown was costless; but it gleamed
With the ne'er-stolen jewel of good taste;
And the hushed crowd gazed on her with respect.
Swelling and swaying with unconscious strength,
85
Then tugging at its leashes, with desire
To leap upon the clouds. A pleasure-throng
Struggled, and laughed, and waited for two souls
That soon would enter on a marriage tour,
In this strange wedding-car.
And now there walked
Down a long lane, flesh-walled with living forms,
A bride and groom. Her classic-moulded face
Bore eyes half tender and half daring; as
Perchance the lioness Maid of Arc possessed.
Her wedding-gown was costless; but it gleamed
With the ne'er-stolen jewel of good taste;
And the hushed crowd gazed on her with respect.
The groom was strong and manly. Though his face
Clasped not the gift of beauty, yet it bore
The grander badge of manliness and brain.
Clasped not the gift of beauty, yet it bore
The grander badge of manliness and brain.
Silence crept downward from the sky; and soon,
A man of God joined this adventuring two,
Whose souls already clasped. Then to the throng,
He pictured how the brave, determined pair
Were taking this strange flight, to win the means,
From those whose hands controlled the enterprise,
To launch their wedded life in prosperous seas.
At this the crowd cheered cheerily, and threw gifts;
And with proud smiles, 'mid bows of courtesy,
The pair embarked on their quaint wedding-tour.
A man of God joined this adventuring two,
Whose souls already clasped. Then to the throng,
He pictured how the brave, determined pair
Were taking this strange flight, to win the means,
From those whose hands controlled the enterprise,
To launch their wedded life in prosperous seas.
At this the crowd cheered cheerily, and threw gifts;
And with proud smiles, 'mid bows of courtesy,
The pair embarked on their quaint wedding-tour.
The strands were cut; the buoyant engine climbed
Ladders of air; a chorus of hurrahs
Followed it, far as human voice could fly;
The silver sax-horns sung the Wedding March,
Which journeyed gayly with the wedded pair;
Glad church-bells swelled the stream of melody.
Ladders of air; a chorus of hurrahs
Followed it, far as human voice could fly;
The silver sax-horns sung the Wedding March,
Which journeyed gayly with the wedded pair;
Glad church-bells swelled the stream of melody.
But soon were pierced the white walls of a cloud;
The wedded ones rose in the sun's clear light,
And found themselves alone, clasped hand in hand.
An hour they flew through the love-lighted air,
In converse close; past struggles were recalled,
To make more pure their present happiness;
They sundered seemed from every earthly care,
And felt as they had naught to do, but float
Forever through wide spaces, hand in hand,
And heart in heart; it seemed as if a world
Between the worlds—'twixt heaven and earth—were made
Into a new exclusive heaven for them,
Where they could live and love for evermore.
The wedded ones rose in the sun's clear light,
And found themselves alone, clasped hand in hand.
86
In converse close; past struggles were recalled,
To make more pure their present happiness;
They sundered seemed from every earthly care,
And felt as they had naught to do, but float
Forever through wide spaces, hand in hand,
And heart in heart; it seemed as if a world
Between the worlds—'twixt heaven and earth—were made
Into a new exclusive heaven for them,
Where they could live and love for evermore.
But when the sun began to seek the sea,
They knew that earthly life must re-begin;
He pulled the strand of rope that touched the valve.
Swift outward rushed the fluid that had borne
Them toward the sky—rushed farther toward the sky;
And downward sank the weight-borne bridal car,
And downward sank the love-bewildered pair.
The earth began to show its form once more,
And the sweet idyl of the air must end.
They knew that earthly life must re-begin;
He pulled the strand of rope that touched the valve.
Swift outward rushed the fluid that had borne
Them toward the sky—rushed farther toward the sky;
And downward sank the weight-borne bridal car,
And downward sank the love-bewildered pair.
The earth began to show its form once more,
And the sweet idyl of the air must end.
Still outward rushed the fluid that had borne
Them toward the sky—rushed farther toward the sky;
Still downward dashed the earth-desired balloon;
Still downward sank the fear-bewildered pair.
They strove to stop the valve, but 'twas in vain!
Some carelessness had plotted well with Death;
Earth was a grave, fast rushing up to them!
Them toward the sky—rushed farther toward the sky;
Still downward dashed the earth-desired balloon;
Still downward sank the fear-bewildered pair.
They strove to stop the valve, but 'twas in vain!
Some carelessness had plotted well with Death;
Earth was a grave, fast rushing up to them!
He flung the bags of ballast from the car;
He threw the outer garments they had worn;
He threw all weight that could be cut apart;
But it was vain: still to the earth they rushed—
A falling star of love and happiness!
He threw the outer garments they had worn;
He threw all weight that could be cut apart;
But it was vain: still to the earth they rushed—
A falling star of love and happiness!
At last, with intuition, born of thought,
And past experience, he divined the truth:
That but for his own weight, the falling mass
Would flutter, with no shock, unto the earth.
He clasped the bride a moment to his breast,
And whispered: “I have promised to protect
And shield you from all harm—even unto death;
My death means life for you; and here it is.”
And past experience, he divined the truth:
That but for his own weight, the falling mass
Would flutter, with no shock, unto the earth.
87
And whispered: “I have promised to protect
And shield you from all harm—even unto death;
My death means life for you; and here it is.”
He kissed her lips, her brow, her eyes, her hands,
Then, without time for a detaining word,
Torn from her wild, beseeching, fainting grasp,
Sprang into the airy gulf.
Slowly she fell—
A pulseless form; but landed without hurt,
And walked for him in weeds for evermore.
Then, without time for a detaining word,
Torn from her wild, beseeching, fainting grasp,
Sprang into the airy gulf.
Slowly she fell—
A pulseless form; but landed without hurt,
And walked for him in weeds for evermore.
The Sky Club heard this very sad recital,
With a display of pity almost vital;
And scarcely three through Dreamland had been soaring,
When it was done, and only one was snoring.
The Club gave these men (for its own protection)
The regular pecuniary correction;
Then for another story calmly waited,
At the established price already stated.
With a display of pity almost vital;
And scarcely three through Dreamland had been soaring,
When it was done, and only one was snoring.
The Club gave these men (for its own protection)
The regular pecuniary correction;
Then for another story calmly waited,
At the established price already stated.
Not long; these proofs of Heaven's aerial mercies
(Especially the ones with well-filled purses),
Told several times, each one, the self-same story
(Not disconnected with the teller's glory),
And to reduce the cost were never trying,
Although, as one might say, at wholesale buying.
(Indeed, they always fined a fellow-rover,
Who told the same tale more than three times over.)
(Especially the ones with well-filled purses),
Told several times, each one, the self-same story
(Not disconnected with the teller's glory),
And to reduce the cost were never trying,
Although, as one might say, at wholesale buying.
(Indeed, they always fined a fellow-rover,
Who told the same tale more than three times over.)
Soon rose a member with appearance youthful,
But whose unnumbered scars pronounced him truthful,
And for the second time began recalling
A reminiscence of stupendous falling,
When, self-announced, without a moment's warning,
An old man entered, salutation scorning,
Fastened the door as tight as bolt could lock it,
Retired the precious key into his pocket,
Then, on th' assembled people fiercely glaring,
With small regard for their indignant staring,
As there they sat, hot disapproval swallowing,
In feeble tones he shouted forth the following:
But whose unnumbered scars pronounced him truthful,
And for the second time began recalling
A reminiscence of stupendous falling,
When, self-announced, without a moment's warning,
An old man entered, salutation scorning,
Fastened the door as tight as bolt could lock it,
Retired the precious key into his pocket,
88
With small regard for their indignant staring,
As there they sat, hot disapproval swallowing,
In feeble tones he shouted forth the following:
| City Festivals | |