 | 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition |  |
3
BETWEEN THE KISS AND THE LIP.
She was modest, pure of face,
And the sunrise on her brow
Gave a promise that was more than grace,
Grand as dedication vow;
And the eyes looked forward far,
Beyond this small earthly bound,
As if she beheld some guiding star,
Heard some secret heavenly sound;
As if she disdained the rest,
Sought by souls that feebly pine,
For the riches she by right possest
Of her womanhood Divine;
In the glow of beauty, bathed
By celestial flame and fount,
With the sweetness of a rapture swathed,
From high vigil on high mount;
Upward, onward, still she moved,
In the triumph of her trust,
Which embraced even what it had not proved,
Stamped the evil down to dust;
Knew not lust upon the way,
Would of such rare honey sip,
What delight with what destruction lay,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
And the sunrise on her brow
Gave a promise that was more than grace,
Grand as dedication vow;
And the eyes looked forward far,
Beyond this small earthly bound,
As if she beheld some guiding star,
Heard some secret heavenly sound;
As if she disdained the rest,
Sought by souls that feebly pine,
For the riches she by right possest
Of her womanhood Divine;
In the glow of beauty, bathed
By celestial flame and fount,
With the sweetness of a rapture swathed,
From high vigil on high mount;
Upward, onward, still she moved,
In the triumph of her trust,
Which embraced even what it had not proved,
Stamped the evil down to dust;
Knew not lust upon the way,
Would of such rare honey sip,
What delight with what destruction lay,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
Innocence her name, her sires
Loyal unto Church and State,
Had been oft baptised in battle fires,
Chased the foeman from the gate;
Borne, defaced with shot and shell,
As was ever Talbots' wont,
England's banner through the jaws of hell,
Riddled, glorious, to the front;
Stood within the stern red line,
Which retired not save to spring
Farther forward, where the swords might shine
Brighter and more sharply ring;
Faced on many a famous field
Awful odds, that men could dare
Only, who had never learnt to yield,
And were always glad to spare;
Had not once a sword resigned,
Beaten, in the trench or flood,
Simply left great memories behind,
And the marks of noble blood;
And she knew not, tender hands
Yet might snare in iron grip,
And there could be bite of iron bands,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
Loyal unto Church and State,
Had been oft baptised in battle fires,
Chased the foeman from the gate;
Borne, defaced with shot and shell,
As was ever Talbots' wont,
England's banner through the jaws of hell,
Riddled, glorious, to the front;
Stood within the stern red line,
Which retired not save to spring
Farther forward, where the swords might shine
Brighter and more sharply ring;
Faced on many a famous field
Awful odds, that men could dare
Only, who had never learnt to yield,
And were always glad to spare;
Had not once a sword resigned,
Beaten, in the trench or flood,
Simply left great memories behind,
And the marks of noble blood;
And she knew not, tender hands
Yet might snare in iron grip,
And there could be bite of iron bands,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
4
Innocence her nature, wrought
With the lessons, not from schools,
Of her fathers who had faithful fought,
Lessons never lived by fools;
Thus she gained a loving heart,
And a hospitable mind,
Which itself became a throbbing part
Of each mortal wave and wind;
Like the foam her feelings tost,
At the suffering sadly met,
Though when maiden pities she is lost,
Even ere the eyes are wet;
For the rashness in her race,
Better made to fight than fence.
While it poured the passion in her face,
Was not one for scraping pence;
And her ancestors, who served
Well their country and their God,
Could not help themselves, as those who swerved
From the path that honour trod;
But she knew not, headlong strain
Thrilling to the finger tip
Must bequeath its heritage of pain,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
With the lessons, not from schools,
Of her fathers who had faithful fought,
Lessons never lived by fools;
Thus she gained a loving heart,
And a hospitable mind,
Which itself became a throbbing part
Of each mortal wave and wind;
Like the foam her feelings tost,
At the suffering sadly met,
Though when maiden pities she is lost,
Even ere the eyes are wet;
For the rashness in her race,
Better made to fight than fence.
While it poured the passion in her face,
Was not one for scraping pence;
And her ancestors, who served
Well their country and their God,
Could not help themselves, as those who swerved
From the path that honour trod;
But she knew not, headlong strain
Thrilling to the finger tip
Must bequeath its heritage of pain,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
Innocence her life, as yet
None had tampered with the bloom
Of its virgin freshness, humbly set
Now within a cottage room;
Like a diamond for kings,
That has fallen from its place,
And is lowly laid with meaner things,
Meant to fill a larger space;
Poverty had seized the Hall,
Where for centuries they spread
Kindly branch and root, that shared with all
Shelter and the bounteous bread;
Unlet farms and lack of heed,
Drove them from the friendly door
Ever open to the orphan's need,
Welcoming the widowed poor;
Shut them with a remnant, saved
From the sad and bitter wreck,
In a nook which for old comforts craved,
As in sorrow they looked back;
Still the spirit in her strong,
Made a staff of penalwhip,
And forchoded not the stroke of wrong.
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
None had tampered with the bloom
Of its virgin freshness, humbly set
Now within a cottage room;
Like a diamond for kings,
That has fallen from its place,
And is lowly laid with meaner things,
Meant to fill a larger space;
Poverty had seized the Hall,
Where for centuries they spread
Kindly branch and root, that shared with all
Shelter and the bounteous bread;
Unlet farms and lack of heed,
Drove them from the friendly door
Ever open to the orphan's need,
Welcoming the widowed poor;
Shut them with a remnant, saved
From the sad and bitter wreck,
In a nook which for old comforts craved,
As in sorrow they looked back;
Still the spirit in her strong,
Made a staff of penalwhip,
And forchoded not the stroke of wrong.
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
5
Innocence her heart, went out
Unto every sufferer near,
To the baby that could only pout,
Not disclose its pain or fear;
To the beggar, whom her help
Rescued from the deed of sin,
And the straying dog whose starving yelp
Made her feel her wants akin;
She had injured none, and pure
In the purpose of her love
Faced a wicked world, that strove to lure
Her from aim that reached above;
Who could wish her ruin, plot
Once against that lofty life,
Cast upon her snowy fame a blot,
For her whet the murderer's knife?
Never, for a moment, thought,
Of a hidden danger, crost
Her unsullied threshold, as she wrought,
With its icy touch of frost;
Though she skirted deadly ground,
On which firmest feet may slip,
Where disaster stouter souls have found,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
Unto every sufferer near,
To the baby that could only pout,
Not disclose its pain or fear;
To the beggar, whom her help
Rescued from the deed of sin,
And the straying dog whose starving yelp
Made her feel her wants akin;
She had injured none, and pure
In the purpose of her love
Faced a wicked world, that strove to lure
Her from aim that reached above;
Who could wish her ruin, plot
Once against that lofty life,
Cast upon her snowy fame a blot,
For her whet the murderer's knife?
Never, for a moment, thought,
Of a hidden danger, crost
Her unsullied threshold, as she wrought,
With its icy touch of frost;
Though she skirted deadly ground,
On which firmest feet may slip,
Where disaster stouter souls have found,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
Innocence her words, replied
To the Tempter when he came
Kind, with form that blackest ends belied,
By the fairness of its frame;
Answered him with ready speech,
Doubting not the pretty mask
Of the mouth, that would regard beseech,
Eyes that did more plainly ask;
Listened to the tender tone
Murmured softly in her ear,
Flattery that melts a breast of stone,
While disarming it of fear;
Turned to greet the offering paid,
Ever to expectant heart,
Bait of honey delicately laid
On the hook, assuaging smart;
Hearkened to the fluent oath,
Sworn a thousand perjured times—
Boundless love and everlasting troth,
Wedding ring and wedding chimes;
Gazed upon the fruitage sweet,
Glowing rind, not poison pip,
Did not mark how feast and funeral meet
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
To the Tempter when he came
Kind, with form that blackest ends belied,
By the fairness of its frame;
Answered him with ready speech,
Doubting not the pretty mask
Of the mouth, that would regard beseech,
Eyes that did more plainly ask;
Listened to the tender tone
Murmured softly in her ear,
Flattery that melts a breast of stone,
While disarming it of fear;
Turned to greet the offering paid,
Ever to expectant heart,
Bait of honey delicately laid
On the hook, assuaging smart;
Hearkened to the fluent oath,
Sworn a thousand perjured times—
Boundless love and everlasting troth,
Wedding ring and wedding chimes;
Gazed upon the fruitage sweet,
Glowing rind, not poison pip,
Did not mark how feast and funeral meet
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
6
Innocence her looks, returned
Falsehood foul with glance of trust,
Maidenly confiding, that discerned
Not infernal fire of lust;
Shone the fruitage ripe for food,
Pleasant to the eyes that saw,
Fraught with wisdom for her womanhood,
Glimpses of a higher law;
Thus she daily onward drew,
Daily sucked the venom in,
Love that seemed to open regions new,
Never dreamed as worlds of sin;
Thus the Tempter grimly wove,
Fatal coils around her breast,
And upon the taint her spirit throve,
In response that was not rest;
While he humoured all her will,
Grew more helpful in the strife
And the burden, that prest heavier still,
Necessary seemed to life;
Till she welcomed him, as one
To befriend her, should she trip,
And surrender now was nearly done,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
Falsehood foul with glance of trust,
Maidenly confiding, that discerned
Not infernal fire of lust;
Shone the fruitage ripe for food,
Pleasant to the eyes that saw,
Fraught with wisdom for her womanhood,
Glimpses of a higher law;
Thus she daily onward drew,
Daily sucked the venom in,
Love that seemed to open regions new,
Never dreamed as worlds of sin;
Thus the Tempter grimly wove,
Fatal coils around her breast,
And upon the taint her spirit throve,
In response that was not rest;
While he humoured all her will,
Grew more helpful in the strife
And the burden, that prest heavier still,
Necessary seemed to life;
Till she welcomed him, as one
To befriend her, should she trip,
And surrender now was nearly done,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
Innocence her wishes, longed
For some proved and sacred tie,
Not suspecting her true faith was wronged,
Or would word of honour lie;
Craved for a more solemn seal,
Ere she gave herself to him,
Ere she dared her passion to reveal,
Was not but an idle whim;
Begged, ere she threw freedom up,
To his clasp her beauty spread,
They should kneel and share the holy cup,
Kneel and share the holy bread;
Ere her virgin lips received
Homage, none had fondly set,
They should blessing pray, as they believed,
From the God she worshipped yet;
This she asked, as maiden's right,
Who would grant herself and all,
And in utter sacrifice delight,
If the Saviour heard their call;
Asked, and saw the Tempter's hand
Turned into the Serpent's grip,
Just in time to break the deadly band,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
For some proved and sacred tie,
Not suspecting her true faith was wronged,
Or would word of honour lie;
Craved for a more solemn seal,
Ere she gave herself to him,
Ere she dared her passion to reveal,
Was not but an idle whim;
Begged, ere she threw freedom up,
To his clasp her beauty spread,
They should kneel and share the holy cup,
Kneel and share the holy bread;
Ere her virgin lips received
Homage, none had fondly set,
They should blessing pray, as they believed,
From the God she worshipped yet;
This she asked, as maiden's right,
Who would grant herself and all,
And in utter sacrifice delight,
If the Saviour heard their call;
Asked, and saw the Tempter's hand
Turned into the Serpent's grip,
Just in time to break the deadly band,
'Twixt the kiss and lip.
| 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition | |