1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
7. |
8. |
9. |
10. |
11. |
12. |
13. |
14. |
15. |
16. |
17. |
18. |
19. |
20. |
21. |
22. |
23. |
24. |
25. |
26. |
27. |
28. |
29. |
30. |
31. |
32. |
33. |
34. |
35. |
36. |
37. |
38. |
39. |
40. |
41. |
42. |
43. |
44. |
45. |
46. |
47. |
48. |
49. |
50. |
51. |
52. |
53. |
54. |
55. |
56. |
57. |
58. |
59. |
60. |
61. |
62. |
63. |
64. |
65. |
66. |
67. |
68. |
69. |
70. |
71. |
72. |
73. |
74. |
75. |
76. |
77. |
78. |
79. |
80. |
81. |
82. |
83. |
84. |
85. |
86. |
87. |
88. |
89. |
90. |
91. |
92. |
93. |
94. |
95. |
96. |
97. |
98. |
99. |
100. |
101. |
102. |
103. |
104. |
105. |
106. |
107. |
108. |
109. |
110. |
111. |
112. |
113. |
114. |
115. |
116. |
117. |
118. |
119. |
120. |
121. |
122. |
123. |
124. |
125. |
126. |
127. |
128. |
129. |
130. |
131. |
132. |
133. |
134. |
135. |
136. |
137. |
138. |
139. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
7. |
8. |
9. |
10. |
11. |
12. |
13. |
14. |
15. |
16. |
17. |
18. |
1. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
7. |
8. |
9. |
2. |
1. |
2. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
1. |
2. |
2. |
2. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
1. |
2. |
2. |
2. |
3. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
7. |
8. |
2. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
3. |
2. |
3. |
1. |
2. |
2. |
2. |
3. |
3. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
2. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
1. |
2. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
1. |
2. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
1. |
2. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
7. |
8. |
9. |
10. |
11. |
12. |
13. |
14. |
15. |
16. |
17. |
18. |
3. |
1. |
THE DECLARATION. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
THE DECLARATION. The complete works of N.P. Willis | ||
THE DECLARATION.
'Twas late, and the gay company was gone,
And light lay soft on the deserted room
From alabaster vases, and a scent
Of orange leaves, and sweet verbena came
Through the unshutter'd window on the air,
And the rich pictures with their dark old tints
Hung like a twilight landscape, and all things
Seem'd hush'd into a slumber. Isabel,
The dark-eyed, spiritual Isabel
Was leaning on her harp, and I had stay'd
To whisper what I could not when the crowd
Hung on her look like worshippers. I knelt,
And with the fervor of a lip unused
To the cool breath of reason, told my love.
There was no answer, and I took the hand
That rested on the strings, and press'd a kiss
Upon it unforbidden — and again
Besought her, that this silent evidence
That I was not indifferent to her heart,
Might have the seal of one sweet syllable.
I kiss'd the small white fingers as I spoke,
And she withdrew them gently, and upraised
Her forehead from its resting-place, and looked
Earnestly on me — She had been asleep!
And light lay soft on the deserted room
From alabaster vases, and a scent
Of orange leaves, and sweet verbena came
Through the unshutter'd window on the air,
And the rich pictures with their dark old tints
Hung like a twilight landscape, and all things
Seem'd hush'd into a slumber. Isabel,
The dark-eyed, spiritual Isabel
Was leaning on her harp, and I had stay'd
To whisper what I could not when the crowd
Hung on her look like worshippers. I knelt,
And with the fervor of a lip unused
To the cool breath of reason, told my love.
There was no answer, and I took the hand
That rested on the strings, and press'd a kiss
Upon it unforbidden — and again
Besought her, that this silent evidence
That I was not indifferent to her heart,
Might have the seal of one sweet syllable.
I kiss'd the small white fingers as I spoke,
And she withdrew them gently, and upraised
Her forehead from its resting-place, and looked
Earnestly on me — She had been asleep!
THE DECLARATION. The complete works of N.P. Willis | ||