BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1366, 17 February 1912, Page 11

BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

VERSES OLD AND NEW. THE CHRISTMAS GUEST. (IRELAND.) If Marj-.came to tho door to-night, In tlie bitter wind anil soaking rain; If slib caino'.to mo in her sorry plight To plead as'one wouinn pleads -with another, ' 'As mothers oomo in their need to a mother, .. If Mn.ry ; .camein and rain. She should never door in vain.

If Mary came to tho' door to-night, Her Baby Weeping upon her breast, Saying,' "LotJ.ypu sharo' with me warmth

ami light, y l''or I bear in my arms tho World's Desire, . \ But cold are His' limbs and we have no

firo. 0 stranger woman,": may you bo blessed If you opon yoitr tloor and frivo us rest* —

If Mary stood nn<l knocked, at my door A thousand welcomes herself should find, And sho'd not.bo scorning a house so poor, With the homespun linen upon'the-table. No placo she found oiio tihie but a stable— With'thei poor dumb beasts, were good and k kind-' " \ And a thatch to shield her from rain and wind.

If Mary- came, the Mother of God, Tho Ros'o of the World, upon her breast, Oh! IM t'weep tho ashesiand stft the soil, And bring her ;now .bread and takes of my baking, ■ \ With tho freshost butter, this morning's making, Kneeling I'd give her best of my best; ' Mary the Mother, earth's Christmas guest. —W. M. Letts, in the "Spectator," SONG. What is the worth of singing? To what shall I liken song? A bird through the sunset. winging:— And the.night is dark and'long. Agleaui are tho golden pinions Glimpsed ere the sunset, fade, Then lost in the dark dominions Of the slowly-folding shade. What,is the worth of singing? Can I lighten tho wide world wrong With a leaf on tho night wind winging, Or tho sunset gleam of song? —Louis V. Ledoux, in "Harper's." . THE BROKEN REVEL. The Wind from her vindictive, fieshless hand I Hurls the wild rain in the wide eyes of Night. Now baffled gods in anger and affright, Balked of-their saraband, Wait for the lost peace of the rummer moon, Wail for their hour that passed away too ' ' soon. With lean, fierce Angers in the Night's dark hair, The Wind has twined it round her throat in vain! She may not still the long,' loir try ot ■ pain • ' Making all earth aware How once-again is waged the bitter, strife Ancient as Love and Time, as Love and Life. Sudden the fingers of the Wind are -caught, • ' Are held in .a great hush; the gods are .tired . Of wars, of tumult, peace their soul desired— " Peace, and tho change is wrought. The moon, a pearl,'shines on Night's brow onco more— , 'Again the' gods dance on their airy floor. —Helen Hay Whitney, in "Scribncr's." A SUNSET CHOICE. He saw tho fiery sun go down Beyond a gap in.Camden Town; Said he —if trees were all around. And bronzo^o.f'.|)nicken ..opptlio, .ground, And birches 'in'their purple ho'oas Like regal children of the woods, And oaks as giants stalking slow And-sad across tho dying .glow; I'd stand in awe, to see it so! And he upon an ocean vast Beheld.tho sunset's golden blast 0 the western .firmament, Tho distant waves that seemed content In one red leap of life, to die Saluting to tho sunset sky; If I were king, I'd givo my crown, baid he, to see the sun go down Beyond a gap in Camden Town! ■Thus ever shall the choice be made— A sullen street; a forest glade; So love herself be there, to hold Her magic to the sunset's .'gold. —Jag. Blackball, in the "Daily News."