The weary wheel to a spinnet turned,
The tallow candle an astral burned,

And for him who sat by the chimney lug,
Dozing and grumbling o'er pipe and mug,

A manly form at her side she saw,
And joy was duty and love was law.

Then she took up her burden of life again,
Saying only, "It might have been.”

Alas for maiden, alas for Judge,

For rich repiner and household drudge!

God pity them both! and pity us all,
Who vainly the dreams of youth recall.

For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these: "It might have been!”

Ah, well! for us all some sweet hope lies
Deeply buried from human eyes;

And, in the hereafter, angels may
Roll the stone from its grave away!

COVENTRY PATMORE.

["The Angel in the House." 1856.]

THE ESPOUSALS.

BY THE SEA.

I, WHILE the shop-girl fitted on

The sand-shoes, looked where, down the bay,

The sea glowed with a shrouded sun.

"I'm ready, Felix; will you pay?”

That was my first expense for this

Sweet stranger whom I called my Wife:

How light the touches are that kiss

The music from the chords of life!

Her feet, by half a mile of sea,

In spotless sand, left shapely prints;

Then, from the beach, she loaded me

With agate-stones, which turned out flints;

And, after that, we took a boat:

She wished to see the ships-of-war,

At anchor, each a lazy mote

Dotting the brilliance, miles from shore.

A vigorous breeze the canvas filled,

Lifting us o'er the bright-ridged gulf,

And every lurch my darling thrilled
With light fear smiling at itself:

And, dashing past the Arrogant,
Asleep upon the restless wave
After its cruise in the Levant,

We reached the Wolf; and signal gave
For help to board: with caution meet,

My bride was placed within the chair, The red flag wrapped about her feet,

And so swung laughing through the air.

"Look, Love," she said, "there's Frederick Graham, My Cousin, whom you met, you know." And, seeing us, the brave man came,

And made his frank and courteous bow, And gave my hand a sailor's shake,

And said, "You asked me to the Hurst: I never thought my luck would make

You and your wife my guests the first." And Honor, cruel, "Nor did we:

Have you not lately changed your ship?" "Yes: I'm commander, now," said he,

With a slight quiver of the lip.

We saw the vessel, shown with pride;

Took luncheon; I must eat his salt! Parting he said, (I think my bride.

Found him unselfish to a fault,) His wish he saw had come to pass,

(And so, indeed, her face expressed,) That that should be, whate'er it was, Which made his Cousin happiest.

We left him looking from above,

Rich bankrupt! for he could afford

To say most proudly that his love

Was virtue and its own reward.

But others loved as well as he,

(Thought I, half-angered,) and, if fate,

Unfair, had only fashioned me

As hapless, I had been as great.

As souls, ambitious, but low-born,

If greatly raised by luck or wit, All pride of place will proudly scorn,

And live as they'd been used to it,
So we two wore our strange estate:
Familiar, unaffected, free,

We talked, until the dusk grew late,
Of this and that; but, after tea,

As doubtful if a lot so sweet

As our's was our's in very sooth,

Like children, to promote conceit,

We feigned that it was not the truth;

And she assumed the maiden coy,

And I adored remorseless charms,

And then we clapped our hands for joy, And ran into each other's arms.

THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH.

1836.

"The Ballad of Babie Bell." 1859.]

PALABRAS CARIÑOSAS.

GOOD night! I have to say good night
To such a host of peerless things!
Good night unto that snowy hand,
All queenly with its weight of rings!
Good night to fond delicious eyes,
Good night to chestnut braids of hair,
Good night unto the perfect mouth,
And all the sweetness nestled there !

The snowy hand detains me, then
I'll have to say good night again!

But there will come a time, my love,
When, if I read our stars aright,
I shall not linger by this porch

With my adieus. Till then, good night!
You wish the time were now? and I.

You do not blush to wish it so?

You would have blushed yourself to death
To own so much a year ago!

What, both these snowy hands! ah, then
I'll have to say good night again!