 | English Roses |  |
THE MIDNIGHT TRYST.
The gray mouse squeaked in the old church tower
Drearily, wearily;
And the wandering wind felt the dead hand's power,
As it moaned to the breast of the midnight flower
Messages, presages;
When the Bridegroom past on the troubled blast,
And the rose looked up with a redder cup
To grieve that its roots were all earth-fast;
While the bats were scrawled on the purple sky
Chittering, flittering,
And the owl to his mate made hoarse reply
Serious, mysterious.
Drearily, wearily;
And the wandering wind felt the dead hand's power,
As it moaned to the breast of the midnight flower
Messages, presages;
When the Bridegroom past on the troubled blast,
And the rose looked up with a redder cup
To grieve that its roots were all earth-fast;
While the bats were scrawled on the purple sky
Chittering, flittering,
And the owl to his mate made hoarse reply
Serious, mysterious.
But his grave stood wide like an opened shell
Quivering, shivering;
And a moonbeam pale with its finger fell
On the dusky door, and the great church bell
Tolled the hour, knolled the hour;
There was mist for the moth and its white grave-cloth
Lay on plenty and dearth and above the earth
As on some cold face, but his dear love-troth
Was deeper than death and it drew him forth
Mightily, flightily;
To pursue his Bride, and from south to north
Hastened him, chastened him.
Quivering, shivering;
And a moonbeam pale with its finger fell
On the dusky door, and the great church bell
Tolled the hour, knolled the hour;
There was mist for the moth and its white grave-cloth
Lay on plenty and dearth and above the earth
As on some cold face, but his dear love-troth
Was deeper than death and it drew him forth
Mightily, flightily;
To pursue his Bride, and from south to north
Hastened him, chastened him.
But the ivy waved its flag on high
Presently, pleasantly;
And her passing soul with a sudden sigh
Through the church-door fled, as the Bridegroom nigh
Sought for her, fought for her;
But the silence then as of murdered men
With the tangles green slipt right between,
And she sadly dropt from his cheated ken;
But with hungry hand and his lone blind feet
Painfully, strainfully,
O he hurried yet for that shadow sweet
Haunting him, taunting him.
Presently, pleasantly;
And her passing soul with a sudden sigh
Through the church-door fled, as the Bridegroom nigh
Sought for her, fought for her;
But the silence then as of murdered men
With the tangles green slipt right between,
478
But with hungry hand and his lone blind feet
Painfully, strainfully,
O he hurried yet for that shadow sweet
Haunting him, taunting him.
Through the brush and brier and poppied lea
Shimmering, glimmering
In its mantle soft like a starlit sea
He went out in his search with a piteous plea
Ceaselessly, peacelessly;
Over wood and wold, as he did of old
When he chased her on in the centuries gone,
He followed her back to the churchyard mould.
And the red cock crew at the dawning day
Lustily, dustily;
In their several beds again they lay
Set till night, yet till night.
Shimmering, glimmering
In its mantle soft like a starlit sea
He went out in his search with a piteous plea
Ceaselessly, peacelessly;
Over wood and wold, as he did of old
When he chased her on in the centuries gone,
He followed her back to the churchyard mould.
And the red cock crew at the dawning day
Lustily, dustily;
In their several beds again they lay
Set till night, yet till night.
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