Matin Bells and Scarlet and Gold By "F. Harald Williams"[i.e. F. W. O. Ward]. First Edition |
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DOLLY. |
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 | Matin Bells and Scarlet and Gold |  |
DOLLY.
Do you know my Dolly darling,
Dolly darling,
Like a birdie on her way
Through the day,
Good for nothing but to play;
Like a noisy little starling,
Now upon the gabled roof
Quite aloof,
Now a shadow
On the meadow,
Always busy on the wing,
Always ripe to romp and sing?
O she patters,
And she chatters
Up and down the oaken stair,
Like a bird
Or wingèd word
With the sunshine in her hair;
And I fear, when she gets bolder
Plumes will bud ere she is older
From each dainty little shoulder—
As they may,
And she then will fly away,
Like a starling,
For she is my Dolly darling,
Dolly darling.
Dolly darling,
Like a birdie on her way
Through the day,
Good for nothing but to play;
Like a noisy little starling,
Now upon the gabled roof
Quite aloof,
Now a shadow
On the meadow,
Always busy on the wing,
Always ripe to romp and sing?
O she patters,
And she chatters
Up and down the oaken stair,
Like a bird
Or wingèd word
With the sunshine in her hair;
And I fear, when she gets bolder
Plumes will bud ere she is older
From each dainty little shoulder—
As they may,
And she then will fly away,
Like a starling,
For she is my Dolly darling,
Dolly darling.
423
Don't you know my darling Dolly,
Darling Dolly
With her big eyes opened wide
In their pride,
Which the golden tangles hide,
Dear as innocence and folly
Can make baby girly things
Without wings,
Who have beauty
For their duty,
Whereto girly things are born
As its blushes for the morn?
O she rustles
And she bustles
In and out my study door,
With her hands'
Pink soft commands
Tracing figures on the floor;
Wooing me with her wee stature
Back to the pure founts of Nature,
Mirth and life's young legislature,
Where the sweet
And the bitter mix, and meet
Love and folly;
For she is my darling Dolly
Darling Dolly.
Darling Dolly
With her big eyes opened wide
In their pride,
Which the golden tangles hide,
Dear as innocence and folly
Can make baby girly things
Without wings,
Who have beauty
For their duty,
Whereto girly things are born
As its blushes for the morn?
O she rustles
And she bustles
In and out my study door,
With her hands'
Pink soft commands
Tracing figures on the floor;
Wooing me with her wee stature
Back to the pure founts of Nature,
Mirth and life's young legislature,
Where the sweet
And the bitter mix, and meet
Love and folly;
For she is my darling Dolly
Darling Dolly.
Do you know my Dolly darling,
Dolly darling,
Playmate of the birds and bees
And the trees,
And the flowers that kiss her knees,
And the wind of winter snarling
Idly at her tiny toes,
As she goes?
Never college
Gave such knowledge
As a woman child of seven
Wrought of earth and bathed in Heaven.
O the graces
Of her paces
In a music more than art,
Past the years
And true as tears
Echo on and through my heart;
When the red rose hangs its jewel
On the rose bush, when the fuel
Fights the bitter frost and cruel
Tender snow,
When the winds to battle blow
And keep snarling;
For she is my Dolly darling,
Dolly darling.
Dolly darling,
Playmate of the birds and bees
And the trees,
And the flowers that kiss her knees,
And the wind of winter snarling
Idly at her tiny toes,
As she goes?
Never college
Gave such knowledge
As a woman child of seven
Wrought of earth and bathed in Heaven.
O the graces
Of her paces
424
Past the years
And true as tears
Echo on and through my heart;
When the red rose hangs its jewel
On the rose bush, when the fuel
Fights the bitter frost and cruel
Tender snow,
When the winds to battle blow
And keep snarling;
For she is my Dolly darling,
Dolly darling.
Don't you know my darling Dolly,
Darling Dolly,
With her wise and serious looks
As of books,
And with babble like a brook's—
Lips like berries of the holly
Blushing, while she metes with laws
Stars and straws;
Lightly making,
Lightly breaking
Worlds or trifles at her will,
Calm in her omniscient skill?
Still untiring,
Still desiring
Moons and mushrooms of a night,
Ruling all
Who come at call
With a sceptre more than might,
As a nun who wears a wimple,
She can look as sad and simple
Though the cheeks do laugh and dimple,
And the pout
Of the lips that crimson out,
Flame like holly;
For she is my darling Dolly,
Darling Dolly.
Darling Dolly,
With her wise and serious looks
As of books,
And with babble like a brook's—
Lips like berries of the holly
Blushing, while she metes with laws
Stars and straws;
Lightly making,
Lightly breaking
Worlds or trifles at her will,
Calm in her omniscient skill?
Still untiring,
Still desiring
Moons and mushrooms of a night,
Ruling all
Who come at call
With a sceptre more than might,
As a nun who wears a wimple,
She can look as sad and simple
Though the cheeks do laugh and dimple,
And the pout
Of the lips that crimson out,
Flame like holly;
For she is my darling Dolly,
Darling Dolly.
| Matin Bells and Scarlet and Gold | |