University of Virginia Library

91.

[And now the house dog stretched once more]

And now the house dog stretched once more
His limbs upon the glowing floor
The children half resumed their play
Though from the warm hearth scared away
The goodwife left her spinning wheel
And spread with smiles the evening meal
The Shepherd placed a seat and pressed
To their poor fare his unknown guest
And he unclasped his mantle now
And raised the covering from his brow
Said ‘Voyagers by land and sea
Were seldom feasted daintily’
And checked his host by adding stern
He'd no refinement to unlearn
A silence settled on the room
The cheerful welcome sank to gloom
But not those words though cold and high
So froze their hospitable joy
No—there was something in his face
Some nameless thing they could not trace
And something in his voice's tone
Which turned their blood as chill as stone
The ringlets of his long black hair
Fell o'er a cheek most ghastly fair
Youthful he seemed—but worn as they
Who spend too soon their youthful day
When his glance drooped 'twas hard to quell
Unbidden feelings sudden swell
And pity scarce her tears could hide
So sweet that brow with all its pride
But when upraised his eye would dart
An icy shudder through the heart
Compassion changed to horror then
And fear to meet that gaze again
It was not hatred's tiger glare
Nor the wild anguish of despair
It was not useless misery
Which mocks at friendship's sympathy
No—lightning all unearthly shone
Deep in that dark eye's circling zone
Such withering lightning as we deem
None but a spectre's look may beam
And glad they were when he turned away
And wrapped him in his mantle grey
Leant down his head upon his arm
And veiled from view their basilisk charm