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Interludes and Undertones, or, Music at Twilight

By Charles Mackay
Mackay, Charles (1814-1889)
  
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 I. 
I. UNWRITTEN BOOKS.
 II. 
II GONE!
 III. 
III. POOR LIZZIE!
 IV. 
IV. THE HARP UNSTRUNG.
 V. 
V. CLOUDS.
 VI. 
VI. GREAT AND SMALL.
 VII. 
VII. FOR EVER!
 VIII. 
VIII. A WORM IN THE SUNSHINE.
 IX. 
IX. FOUNDERED.
 X. 
X. THE DREADFUL MINUTES.
 XI. 
XI. HEAVEN AND HELL.
 XII. 
XII. THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES.
 XIII. 
XIII. MAN OVERBOARD.
 XIV. 
XIV. AN ADIEU.
 XV. 
XV. LIVING MEN.
 XVI. 
XVI. EUTHANASIA.
 XVII. 
XVII. IN THE CENTRE.
 XVIII. 
XVIII. TO NELLIE.
 XIX. 
XIX. BEAUTY AND GRIEF.
 XX. 
XX. A QUESTION AND A REPLY.
 XXI. 
XXI. MY FELLOW-CREATURES.
 XXII. 
XXII. OUTSIDE AND IN.
 XXIII. 
XXIII. THE POET.
 XXIV. 
XXIV. THE ETERNAL PENDULUM.
 XXV. 
XXV. YESTERDAY.
 XXVI. 
XXVI. WEAPONS.
 XXVII. 
XXVII. A GREAT WARRIOR.
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII. DIAMOND SCRATCHES.
 XXIX.. 
XXIX. COMPETITIVE CRAM.
 XXX. 
XXX. BOOKS.
 XXXI. 
XXXI. MIDGES IN THE SUNSHINE.
 XXXII. 
XXXII. FANCIES.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. PRICES.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV. SMALL, BUT GREAT.
 XXXV. 
XXXV. GIFTS.
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI. DEFIANT AND SELF-RELIANT.
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII. VANITY OF VANITIES.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII. IN THE LIBRARY.
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX. THE DEVIL AND I.
 XL. 
XL. THE TWO SLEEPS.
 XLI. 
XLI. THE MILESTONES.
 XLII. 
XLII. GHOSTS.
 XLIII. 
XLIII. THE GREATEST OF LUXURIES.
 XLIV. 
XLIV. GOD GIVETH HIS BELOVED SLEEP.
 XLV. 
XLV. OWNERSHIP.
 XLVI. 
XLVI. OCCULT SYMPATHIES.
 XLVII. 
XLVII. THE PHILOSOPHIC SMOKER.
 XLVIII. 
XLVIII. FRIENDS.
 XLIX. 
XLIX. THE DEBTOR AND CREDITOR AND THE FRIEND WHO PAYS.
 L. 
L. THE DEMI-SEMI LUNATIC.
 LI. 
LI. A BURIAL-PLACE.
 LII. 
LII. THE QUID PRO QUO.
 LIII. 
LIII. BEAUTIFUL OLD AGE.
 LIV. 
LIV. NUT-CRACKING.
 LV. 
LV. PROGRESS.
 LVI. 
LVI. CYNICAL ODE TO AN ULTRA CYNICAL PUBLIC.
 LVII. 
LVII. IN A DROP OF WATER.
 LVIII. 
LVIII. SEVEN.
 LIX. 
LIX. IN THE STRAND AFTER LONG ABSENCE—1875.
 LX. 
LX. HARMONIES.
 LXI. 
LXI. THE VERY LAST SMOKE.
 LXII. 
LXII. A LOVE EXTRAVAGANZA.
 LXIII. 
LXIII. VERY VIRTUOUS AND RESPECTABLE.
 LXIV. 
LXIV. MY WIFE'S PORTRAIT.
 LXV. 
LXV. THE ACTOR.
 LXVI. 
LXVI. QUITS.
 LXVII. 
LXVII. THREE FASHIONABLE SISTERS.
 LXVIII. 
LXVIII. SILENTLY AND SLOWLY.
 LXIX. 
LXIX. “SANS SOUCI” VILLA.
 LXX. 
LXX. BROKEN.
 LXXI. 
LXXI. LOST REVERENCE.
 LXXII. 
LXXII. SHADOWS IN THE STREETS.
 LXXIII. 
LXXIII. TO MY DAUGHTER SINGING.
 LXXIV. 
LXXIV. PEBBLES.
 LXXV. 
LXXV. PEARLS BEFORE A HOG.
 LXXVI. 
LXXVI. THE REASON WHY.
 LXXVII. 
LXXVII. CANDID FRIENDS.
 LXXVIII. 
LXXVIII. A GREAT DOCTOR.
 LXXIX. 
LXXIX. GOOD OUT OF EVIL.
 LXXX. 
LXXX. IN THE WILD WOOD.
 LXXXI. 
LXXXI. CARELESS—NOT VACANT MINDED.
 LXXXII. 
LXXXII. POPULARITY: A DIALOGUE.
 LXXXIII. 
LXXXIII. IN THE VILLA.
 LXXIV. 
LXXIV. A TRIAD OF LOVE LYRICS.
 LXXXV. 
LXXXV. A SECTARIAN PHILOSOPHER.
 LXXXVI. 
LXXXVI. THE OLD PHILOSOPHER.
 LXXXVII. 
LXXXVII. THE WIND AND THE WIRES.
 LXXXVIII. 
LXXXVIII. THE LONG, LONG, LONG AGO.
 LXXXIX. 
LXXXIX. AN OLD FRIEND.
 XC. 
XC. THE HAMMER.
 XCI. 
XCI. WILD SUPPOSITIONS.
 XCII. 
XCII. THE BRAVE STRUGGLE
 XCIII. 
XCIII. NEVER GROW OLD.
 XCIV. 
XCIV. A ROYAL GRIEVANCE.
 XCV. 
XCV. NO! NOT FOR GOLD!
 XCVI. 
XCVI. ALL FOR MYSELF.
 XCVII. 
XCVII. EHEU! MISERRIMI!
 XCVIII. 
XCVIII. HAMLET.
 XCIX. 
XCIX. CHILDLESS.
 C. 
C. ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
 CI. 
CI. HENRY DE BOURBON
 CII. 
CII. THE OLD POET'S LAST RESOURCE.
 CIII. 
CIII. TRUE RICHES.
 CIV. 
CIV. EUTHANASIA.
 CV. 
CV. OLD EIGHTY-EIGHT.
 CVI. 
CVI. WORK.
 CVII. 
CVII. THOU ART NOT FAIR.
 CVIII. 
CVIII. VERSE AND POETRY.
 CIX. 
CIX. PARDON.
 CX. 
CX. THE DAISY CHORUS.
 CXI. 
CXI. A BACHELOR'S MONO-RHYME.
 CXII. 
CXII. KISSING THE THIMBLE.
 CXIII. 
CXIII. DOGS.
 CXIV. 
CXIV. UNDER THE OLD OAK TREE.
 CXV. 
CXV. HAPPY, THOUGH UNHEEDED.
 CXVI. 
CXVI. MY OWN JEWELS
 CXVII. 
CXVII. IN A WARM BATH.
 CXVIII. 
CXVIII. TOBACCO.
 CXIX. 
CXIX. UNAPPRECIATED.
 CXX. 
CXX. ONCE ON A TIME.
 CXXI. 
CXXI. NO ENEMIES.
 CXXII. 
CXXII. EDUCATION.
 CXXIII. 
CXXIII. TO A VERY HARD SECTARIAN.
 CXXIV. 
CXXIV. A GRAVE.
 CXXV. 
CXXV. THE HIGHEST PLACE.
 CXXVI. 
CXXVI. A SONG WITHOUT AN “S.”
expand sectionCXXVII. 
CXXVII. CRITIQUES OR CRITICS.
 CXXVIII. 
CXXVIII. THE GOURD AND THE PALM.
 CXXIX. 
CXXIX. TO ONE WHO BOASTED THAT HE “KNEW THE WORLD.”
 CXXX. 
CXXX. A DREAM OF DEATH.
 CXXXI. 
CXXXI. MILTON IN THE PORCH.
 CXXXII. 
CXXXII. A DREAM OF MY POEMS.

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140

CVI. WORK.

You say I overload my brain
By stress of work, that works in vain.
You may be right. I think you're wrong.
Work is a pleasure to the strong.
Weary of walking, I can run,
And make good end of well-begun;
Can leave false history for romance,
That's just as false, or true, perchance;
And then I dive in the deep deep sea
And float on the billows of Poesy,—
Changing the work, and working ever,
But worn and weary, never! never!
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