In Cornwall and Across the Sea With Poems Written in Devonshire. By Douglas B. W. Sladen |
 |
| I. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BEHIND THE SCENES. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
|
|
|
 | In Cornwall and Across the Sea |  |
91
BEHIND THE SCENES.
Sometimes it is man's privilege
To have a lovely woman, either sister,
Or, being wed himself, a friend
Who seeks his aid and counsel, if he list her,
To have a lovely woman, either sister,
Or, being wed himself, a friend
Who seeks his aid and counsel, if he list her,
And lays her mind before his eye,
Confesses herself simple and a mortal,
While those who are her worshippers
Regard her mouth as a Sybilline portal,
Confesses herself simple and a mortal,
While those who are her worshippers
Regard her mouth as a Sybilline portal,
From which proceeds the voice of fate,
And look on her as a remorseless power,
That worship by caprice accepts
And tramples on her subjects in her hour.
And look on her as a remorseless power,
That worship by caprice accepts
And tramples on her subjects in her hour.
92
While she, poor girl, is half appalled
By the immense importance thus accruing
To every little word or act
She has been saying carelessly or doing.
By the immense importance thus accruing
To every little word or act
She has been saying carelessly or doing.
Her guide or brother sees it all,
How that she cannot venture to be simple,
However she desires to be,
When destiny is looked for in a dimple,
How that she cannot venture to be simple,
However she desires to be,
When destiny is looked for in a dimple,
Doubt in delays and fate in frowns,
And love in happy peals of girlish laughter,
When aught she does or utters bears
She knows not what significance thereafter.
And love in happy peals of girlish laughter,
When aught she does or utters bears
She knows not what significance thereafter.
He, happy man, behind the scenes,
Seeing how hard she strives to do her duty
And so to act that what she does
May not deceive, must trebly see her beauty.
Seeing how hard she strives to do her duty
And so to act that what she does
May not deceive, must trebly see her beauty.
93
He knows, besides her outward charms,
That, far from being a remorseless power,
She is the fool of fate herself
And longing for the coming of the hour
That, far from being a remorseless power,
She is the fool of fate herself
And longing for the coming of the hour
When love will let her honestly
Her mind and heart implicitly surrender,
And let her give full liberty
To aspirations and emotions tender.
Her mind and heart implicitly surrender,
And let her give full liberty
To aspirations and emotions tender.
There is not aught more beautiful
Than watching a fair maid, who feels that beauty
Has won her love she would avoid,
But yet strives tenderly to do her duty.
Than watching a fair maid, who feels that beauty
Has won her love she would avoid,
But yet strives tenderly to do her duty.
| In Cornwall and Across the Sea | |