 | A Wreath of Wild Flowers From New England |  |
166
TO MISS M---.
I know that thou art beautiful,—
In dreams I see thy face,
I see its dimples come and go
Like light in frolic grace.
Thy rich eyes steal before mine own.
'Neath lashes long and dark,
And on thy softly rounded cheek,
The maiden bloom I mark.
And why is this? what wizard spell
Hath touched with prophet power
My fancy thus? a simple thing—
A tone—a word—a flower!
I heard thy voice—so gaily sweet—
I could not choose to guess,
The mouth that breath'd it wreath'd with smiles
Of playful loveliness.
It spoke to one whose tiny lips
To lisp thy name shall learn,
Though now they can but murmur soft
And answering smiles return.
In gentle words of love they spoke,
And I was very sure,
That all thy looks were eloquent,
With feeling high and pure.
In dreams I see thy face,
I see its dimples come and go
Like light in frolic grace.
Thy rich eyes steal before mine own.
'Neath lashes long and dark,
And on thy softly rounded cheek,
The maiden bloom I mark.
And why is this? what wizard spell
Hath touched with prophet power
My fancy thus? a simple thing—
A tone—a word—a flower!
I heard thy voice—so gaily sweet—
I could not choose to guess,
The mouth that breath'd it wreath'd with smiles
Of playful loveliness.
It spoke to one whose tiny lips
To lisp thy name shall learn,
Though now they can but murmur soft
And answering smiles return.
167
And I was very sure,
That all thy looks were eloquent,
With feeling high and pure.
I know that thou art beautiful,—
For thou hast told me so,
In a sweet language that I learned
Of Flora long ago.
Thou'st sent me from thy garden bower
The latest rosebud there,
Its blush was eloquent, its leaves
Were rife with meaning rare;
It told of virgin bloom and hope,
And modesty and truth;
Ah! what so fit as fragrant flowers
To emblem sunny youth?
It touched a weary stranger's heart,
That one she had not known,
Could give a kindly thought to her
In sadness and alone;
It minded her of days gone by,
When Love's untiring hand
Wove blossoms for her youthful brow,
In many a graceful band.
Ah! far away from home and friends,
That heart still warmly beats
With something of its olden joy,
When such as thou she meets!
And oft in future dreams shall rise
The eye and glossy curl,
The soft rose-bloom and dimple
Of the sweet-voiced English girl!
For thou hast told me so,
In a sweet language that I learned
Of Flora long ago.
Thou'st sent me from thy garden bower
The latest rosebud there,
Its blush was eloquent, its leaves
Were rife with meaning rare;
It told of virgin bloom and hope,
And modesty and truth;
Ah! what so fit as fragrant flowers
To emblem sunny youth?
It touched a weary stranger's heart,
That one she had not known,
Could give a kindly thought to her
In sadness and alone;
It minded her of days gone by,
When Love's untiring hand
Wove blossoms for her youthful brow,
In many a graceful band.
168
That heart still warmly beats
With something of its olden joy,
When such as thou she meets!
And oft in future dreams shall rise
The eye and glossy curl,
The soft rose-bloom and dimple
Of the sweet-voiced English girl!
| A Wreath of Wild Flowers From New England | |