VERSES NEW AND OLD.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 490, 24 April 1909, Page 9

VERSES NEW AND OLD.

GILLY. ' , • ' ■ ■ .("Tho Liberty Not to Fight for One's . Country.") ■: .' : Whero have you been, Gilly, jwhoTe have you Shooting at .a mark• with the lads upon tho ■:• - Or nut on the moor-where the yeomen do rally? ■; • ■"0 I ;played at tho bowls all in yonder green i , alley. v.v.; If the Spanish ship's should come, Gilly, how would it be? "How should they come, and our good ships at sea?" ".:If a mist wrapped tho waters, or a great wind ' . blew, . ; . And so they crept in, Gilly, what would you y^'do?l-'.*'"-!-' -. What should we do if.it fell: upon a day, . , Our sailors.all at sea, our yeomen all away, Tho foomen :. all. streaming - from ■: barrack. and; galley, ; And you playing bowls all in yonder green . . allps? "I would up and fight," says Gilly, "I would • ■ up and die!" ' ■ •What better were you, then,'what better were I? What worse were the foemon for .all your brave ending, . • : -i -V : Who cannot lift a sword for your own home's defending? Take the old sword, Gilly, rusting on the wall, And lead out tho horse, too, that frets in ,the /' stall: '}'■ V-^'o■■-Go out to tho moor, where the yeomen do rally, And let: the bowls moulder in yonder green V;. alloy! y vV-v .■;■ v :H- ~k': " '■ —C. For Smith, :in tho i "Spectator." , : 1 THE GOLDEN APPLE. Bho saw on the far bank a golden apple, A glowing applo; poor, little Eve,- ■■■... v Between ran the ritfer so darkly dapple, By sunshine land she was loth to leave. ■ Sh6 looked and sho longod, till the fruit for- , .■ 'bidden : : \ i: - ■■. Bccame tho quest of Her heart':! desire, So she sought at-last for the knowledge hidden Within the red.of its secret fire. ■■ Then hei came/hbr Move,' bank forsaken,:. Called hor thrice; by tho. river-ot' ; fear, "Since jrou'for my : wish from the branch, have 'o. v : taken ' y-;;"'- r ' : y.- ;/ y The fruit forbiddeD, I hold you dear." , And 'he oried, "Come back ■from the fatal water. I'll give you a robe of silver sh-scn." But she-smiled full wan: as-hevain besought -. yyy ■■■■■;. :;.hery:v r :y::y : :^'' ! :.. ; :''- , ?■ ■ The/twisting river ran cold bct'veen. "I will givo you a ring for your hand so slender, ' , ' So tears no longer your shame shall be." Now her weak voice came to him low and tender, i '• "Bo kind to all maids for thought of me." ' : ' i, -; All quick to'his feet came, a dark wave throwing . The apple red'with its secret fire, ;■ . I'That-held deep hid. in its gold hiiart glowing -• ' .;y The fruit-of:' evil and good desire. " Then he held it safe from the ohill tide's •' y : ' i 'y4y yt i::,' 1 ;-' ; And no drew it closo in his arm full fair. : yAsiniling-.babe'was his; lost-Move's treasure, ::,' With gloss of gold on his ruddy hair. , ■■ —Dora Sigerson Shorter, in the "Westminster "'.y.yGaiiette." • ::,' : y BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF YEARS. - y : > y Before the beginning of years. : ' ; y : v . ■ There came to the making of man - . " Time, with a gift of tears; .: Grief, with a glass that ran; - : Pleasure, with .pain for' leaven; -'y . Summer, with flowers.that fell;, j .:• Remembrance fallen from heaven, - And madness risen from hell; Slrifflgth withdut hands to smite; , Love that endures foria..breath;" Kislit, tho.shadow of light, '. ' \ And life, the shadow'of death. V 'in-lliaadf' r ;i i]ire, ; and .tli'e, falling;of;tears, Anil a. measure of sliding sand • ' From under the feat.of tho years; . Ant: froth and drift of ;tho sea;; ..i And-dust of the labouring earth; .; And bodies of things to be ■ • • In tho.houses of death and of birth; . And: wrought : v/ith\ weeping and laughter; ■ V : . , And:: fashioned with loathing and love,- - • With life before and after : v And death beneath and above, For a day and a night and a morrow,'. That his strength might enduro for a span • V/ith travail and heavy sorrow, •• ' The holy-..spirit of man. .. a- , From tho wmds oi tho .north and the south i - They gathered!as;unto 'strife; V Thoy breathed upbn; his mouth, , . > They filled.'his,'body with' life;' Eyesight and speech ■ they wrought- :■ / For the veils of- the'.soul, (herein, A time for labour and thouglit, . A time to servo and to sin; - They, gave him light.in his ways, ■~ > And love, and a-spaco for delight,'. And beauty and' length', of! days, : . : And night, find sleep in the night. Eis speech' is a. burning-.fire;-With his lips he travaileth; In his heart .is a blind desire, In. his eyes-foreknowledge of death; He weaves, and is clothed with derision; ■ • Sows, and ho shall not reap; ■ . His life is a watch or a vision . . Between a sleep and a sleep. •' ': —From "Atlanta in : Calydon."