BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1503, 27 July 1912, Page 9

BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

VERSES OLD AND NEW.

IN .AN OLD N.UI{SERT. ■ A prim olil room'.whero" memories stir Through.faded chintz.and wall-paper, , Like bees :nlong ; thc lavender v Of soriie dim border; ' ■* Bay-wiiidotved,:,whence at "close of day *•< You see the rqosty. starlings sway High on! the"'.elm-tree's topmost spray •, In' gossip 'order. ■' '"'. ';' ■ • In its,quaint; realnv.how'.eqon one slips Back'to "an'age!;of.'treasure-ships,'-An.- atmosphere''of; cowboy-trips , And 4,ouiidl6ss-pi'aings; ' ■. : ■-- And: when^hq-red'logs'.fret ami ftimo (They're ■lit;t6-night' ! ro ; airf. the room) .• Here c6mo a-tip-tdonit.''the.gloom' Old nursery!.fairies'/','''. ■''■ •■ •■' :, . Here cqmo.dear ghosts to him who sees—■ I'at- ghosts of long'digested teas, •'..■ Thin 'little 'ghosts of -"saying please," : .Biff ghosts of birthdays, •'. ■ .' : And sundry honourable sprites- > V . To whisper those foredone delights Of hallqwe'nns and stockihgjinights And other mirth-days. • Its walls are.full of musics drawn 'ijtoin twitterings in the ewes at dawn, I'rom click of scythe on summer lawn, Trom v Shetlands pawing The gravel by the front-door yew, And, win?l-tossed'from the avenue, '. I'ug'iies of first February blue And rooks a-cawing. p Old room, the years have galloped on, ' The days that danced, the hours that : shjne ■■'.-• ■ Have turhe:l their backs on you and gone .'by 'ways that harden; * x But you—in yon their 'gold and myrrli 'And frankincense of dreams still stir Like bees that, haunt the lavender ' Of some walled garden! •• ' . ■ ~ -"Punch." : . THE COMMON. . There are glades of gold .on the. Common, Hie Common now, 'i .;.-,.■.: ; Pillars and arches of the shining gold, i-'-fiere's a peace, v a''fbrgettiiig; - foi , tired ' man and woman now, ." Fires'to warm tlio heart at: and the senses cold. Tve something to say of this Common— 0 wild and dear! She'hath so many beauties as I could not tell, . ■•■:'.■ She hath a tricksy spirit,- listen' and incline your ear '■...''.' She lays all her lovers under fairy spell. ...■•" . .' . ,

She has hills,' she has hollows, she has igorse ami bracken too, . Wild winding pathways, , and secret . .grove's. Honey of the. pinewood, and sweets un- ' . .taken, too, l■' .Whispers and sighings for the heart .- that loves. ...' -■.■'.'"■'. She's a fairy, a witch,.oh gamesome,,the * ..-• shining one! . ',••'■ , , •She changes her face- still 'tayixt the ■■■ night nnd day; . : . ' "Why Jiere's. a now," I'cry; . .'.the. designing one. ./ ' ■;. ; '■'. ; Laughs.'twixt.theitree-trunks in-tho old, ■ wild way. .. ' . . , Over the Cojnmon I'm roaming and ■ roaniiisfthen'" ■ ... .'..."' By the secret pathway through bowers r r " \ ofMeavesv^-'-v^—v-- ■;'':;; ;;- Know nll-.her -sweets by heart;,',the. sweet ;• '•'■■ .that's :cohii'n<f'then,';' : ■'■■;■;■';'■:■'... ■ " -.Think I.know it-iEurely',' butthe' witch deceives/ : . . ' V ■ ■-..:. ~' ■ ' ■•■.."•.'•..:■ .;:. .. ;S ' ■. Icry to her face then: "You shall not de- ' • ceivo me, > ■~ ..-. .■: ;Wearing a new wilei''twist : day and • : gloam. .' . ■ .■,'■•:■''■ '■•. . .For all the disguises your 'fairy,' webs ,'; - ■ ■ ,j^'--.-i,-.■,*.:•;,•/■ '-'k-'/".;. ■ » ' 'I''know,-the. eye's -under,-fiie;'''jH,oddi>' ,Oh, Up hill, down hollow, she , flies and'eludcs v • ■■'_'■ me,-..■■■"■'• ,; ■ -.: ;;--r\ir-: -/'C>! ;i-v '•. ■' •' $till ■• from. ,the .shadow, : of :'-\ trees '.'■. her; ' -."' lfl ugTiter-rings. .'■'"'" ;:v..,, ~&;', ;; ttith' Hie' old. dear ■ grdces' sf.e :hbl(ls :^a'nd : : , , ; ; .' deludes- '~ .-v'. ■ ■ 'V-; : iV- ; '< ■''" --V ■ But she's'a witch, too,' and, pri. wing§. " " -- : .'■■■'. '■'-•■:'-;:->-^.--. I will say nevermore, where she mocke to hear it. ■'"Here are new heavens: : I was ne,ver ■ •'.' here." ■ ■-•'• '■• •■■ ' - ■- . She lays Hie spell on my eyes, the tricksy . '.spirit '.' . j : ; Lays the spell' on my heart, this Dryad dear. '■'.._ '•; ... . : : ~ ' ■ • ■' —Kathnrine Tynan.