Matin Bells and Scarlet and Gold By "F. Harald Williams"[i.e. F. W. O. Ward]. First Edition |
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ENGLISH MARY. |
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 | Matin Bells and Scarlet and Gold |  |
ENGLISH MARY.
O I love a maiden nice and neat
And she is my English Mary,
And should others charm and also cheat
She is earthly too if airy;
And if one is fickle as a flame,
Or if one is never still,
She has no deceit and is the same
In her deeds as in her will;
She has not the fancies of a prude
Nor the mischief of an elf,
She could never be a romp or rude,
She must always be herself.
And she shows her nature frank and nude—
She must always be herself.
For her eyes are English gray,
And she has the English way
Of just knowing
What is owing
And about her duties going,
As if working were to pray—
As if working were to pray.
O she is a maiden neat and nice
And without caprices airy,
If I kiss her once I kiss her twice,
For she is my English Mary.
And she is my English Mary,
And should others charm and also cheat
She is earthly too if airy;
And if one is fickle as a flame,
Or if one is never still,
She has no deceit and is the same
In her deeds as in her will;
She has not the fancies of a prude
Nor the mischief of an elf,
She could never be a romp or rude,
She must always be herself.
And she shows her nature frank and nude—
She must always be herself.
435
And she has the English way
Of just knowing
What is owing
And about her duties going,
As if working were to pray—
As if working were to pray.
O she is a maiden neat and nice
And without caprices airy,
If I kiss her once I kiss her twice,
For she is my English Mary.
O I love a maiden tried and true
And she is my English Mary,
Like a rosebud with a touch of rue
And with thorns that make one wary.
For she is too modest to be cheap
And too prudent to be caught,
While she looks before she takes her leap
And she never could be bought.
When her busy hands from morn to night
Are with useful tasks employed,
With the luring song, with swallow flight,
She is not to be decoyed—
With the golden cage and perch of light,
She is not to be decoyed.
For her eyes are English gray,
And she has the English way
Of just doing
Without wooing
Tasks, as doves perform their cooing,
As if working were to play—
As if working were to play.
O she is a maiden true and tried
And in wiser aspects wary,
But the kiss I ask is not denied,
For she is my English Mary.
And she is my English Mary,
Like a rosebud with a touch of rue
And with thorns that make one wary.
For she is too modest to be cheap
And too prudent to be caught,
While she looks before she takes her leap
And she never could be bought.
When her busy hands from morn to night
Are with useful tasks employed,
With the luring song, with swallow flight,
She is not to be decoyed—
With the golden cage and perch of light,
She is not to be decoyed.
For her eyes are English gray,
And she has the English way
Of just doing
Without wooing
Tasks, as doves perform their cooing,
As if working were to play—
As if working were to play.
O she is a maiden true and tried
And in wiser aspects wary,
But the kiss I ask is not denied,
For she is my English Mary.
O I love a maiden pure and strong
And she is my English Mary,
And her voice is as a summer song
Which the moods of April vary.
And she has the grace of common things
Like the blesséd air and light,
With a sweet suspicion as of wings
And a gift of second sight.
And her pleasures have a sadness blent
With the beauty of their tone
And the glory of their gay intent,
Like the shadow on a throne—
But it only crowns her brave consent,
Like the shadow on a throne.
For her eyes are English gray,
And she has the English way
Of just lightly
Bearing brightly
All that comes and acting rightly,
As if working were to pray—
As if working were to pray.
O she is a maiden strong and pure
And her likings do not vary,
When I kiss her cheek she looks demure,
For she is my English Mary.
And she is my English Mary,
And her voice is as a summer song
436
And she has the grace of common things
Like the blesséd air and light,
With a sweet suspicion as of wings
And a gift of second sight.
And her pleasures have a sadness blent
With the beauty of their tone
And the glory of their gay intent,
Like the shadow on a throne—
But it only crowns her brave consent,
Like the shadow on a throne.
For her eyes are English gray,
And she has the English way
Of just lightly
Bearing brightly
All that comes and acting rightly,
As if working were to pray—
As if working were to pray.
O she is a maiden strong and pure
And her likings do not vary,
When I kiss her cheek she looks demure,
For she is my English Mary.
O I love a maiden free and bright
And she is my English Mary,
And her nut-brown hair is my delight
Though its charms are often chary.
She is sober, serious, she is glad,
As if January and June
Here a merry meeting somehow had
And been married to one tune.
And she always says the proper word
In the only proper style,
And is sweetly felt if yet unheard
When you cannot see her smile,
With the precious fragrance she has stirred—
When you cannot see her smile.
For her eyes are English gray,
And she has the English way
Of just rolling
And controlling
All the world, to pay her tolling;
As if working were to play,
As if working were to play.
O she is a maiden bright and free
If her kindness can be chary,
Though she never keeps a kiss from me,
For she is my English Mary.
And she is my English Mary,
And her nut-brown hair is my delight
Though its charms are often chary.
She is sober, serious, she is glad,
As if January and June
Here a merry meeting somehow had
And been married to one tune.
And she always says the proper word
In the only proper style,
And is sweetly felt if yet unheard
When you cannot see her smile,
With the precious fragrance she has stirred—
When you cannot see her smile.
For her eyes are English gray,
And she has the English way
Of just rolling
And controlling
437
As if working were to play,
As if working were to play.
O she is a maiden bright and free
If her kindness can be chary,
Though she never keeps a kiss from me,
For she is my English Mary.
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