University of Virginia Library

Milly (alone) sings—

So she went Drifting

So she went drifting, drifting
Over the sea,
Thinking that others were shifting;
Surely not she.
She no anchor had lifted,
Meant not to move;
Only she slowly drifted
Deep into love.
Oh she had held that a maiden
Should not be first
To sigh with a heart love-laden,
And long and thirst;
And mad at herself for her longing,
Hard things she said,
Then was mad at herself for wronging
The love she had.
He knew not how she was yearning
Just for a word,
And went on his way discerning
Nothing he heard:
Only he sometimes wondered
What she could mean—
Oh had he only pondered
He might have seen.
So she went drifting, drifting
Day after day;
So he went shifting, shifting,
Farther away;

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Oh but a word would have done it—
Word never spoken;
So she went drifting, drifting
With her heart broken.