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Now soon will come
The apple； pear； and plum
And hinds will sing； and autumn insects hum。
Again you will fare
To cider…makings rare；
And junketings； but I shall not be there。
Yet gaily sing
Until the pewter ring
Those songs we sang when we went gipsying。
And lightly dance
Some triple…timed romance
In coupled figures； and forget mischance；
And mourn not me
Beneath the yellowing tree；
For I shall mind not； slumbering peacefully。
THE RECALCITRANTS
Let us off and search； and find a place
Where yours and mine can be natural lives；
Where no one comes who dissects and dives
And proclaims that ours is a curious case；
That its touch of romance can scarcely grace。
You would think it strange at first； but then
Everything has been strange in its time。
When some one said on a day of the prime
He would bow to no brazen god again
He doubtless dazed the mass of men。
None will recognize us as a pair whose claims
To righteous judgment we care not making；
Who have doubted if breath be worth the taking；
And have no respect for the current fames
Whence the savour has flown while abide the names。
We have found us already shunned； disdained；
And for re…acceptance have not once striven；
Whatever offence our course has given
The brunt thereof we have long sustained。
Well； let us away； scorned unexplained。
STARLINGS ON THE ROOF
〃No smoke spreads out of this chimney…pot；
The people who lived here have left the spot；
And others are coming who knew them not。
If you listen anon； with an ear intent；
The voices； you'll find； will be different
From the well…known ones of those who went。〃
〃Why did they go？ Their tones so bland
Were quite familiar to our band；
The comers we shall not understand。〃
〃They look for a new life； rich and strange；
They do not know that； let them range
Wherever they may； they will get no change。
〃They will drag their house…gear ever so far
In their search for a home no miseries mar；
They will find that as they were they are；
〃That every hearth has a ghost； alack；
And can be but the scene of a bivouac
Till they move perforceno time to pack！〃
THE MOON LOOKS IN
I
I have risen again；
And awhile survey
By my chilly ray
Through your window…pane
Your upturned face；
As you think； 〃Ah…she
Now dreams of me
In her distant place！〃
II
I pierce her blind
In her far…off home：
She fixes a comb；
And says in her mind；
〃I start in an hour；
Whom shall I meet？
Won't the men be sweet；
And the women sour！〃
THE SWEET HUSSY
In his early days he was quite surprised
When she told him she was compromised
By meetings and lingerings at his whim；
And thinking not of herself but him；
While she lifted orbs aggrieved and round
That scandal should so soon abound；
（As she had raised them to nine or ten
Of antecedent nice young men）
And in remorse he thought with a sigh；
How good she is； and how bad am I！ …
It was years before he understood
That she was the wicked onehe the good。
THE TELEGRAM
〃O he's sufferingmaybe dyingand I not there to aid；
And smooth his bed and whisper to him！ Can I nohow go？
Only the nurse's brief twelve words thus hurriedly conveyed；
As by stealth； to let me know。
〃He was the best and brightest！candour shone upon his brow；
And I shall never meet again a soldier such as he；
And I loved him ere I knew it； and perhaps he's sinking now；
Far； far removed from me！〃
… The yachts ride mute at anchor and the fulling moon is fair；
And the giddy folk are strutting up and down the smooth parade；
And in her wild distraction she seems not to be aware
That she lives no more a maid；
But has vowed and wived herself to one who blessed the ground she
trod
To and from his scene of ministry； and thought her history known
In its last particular to himaye； almost as to God；
And believed her quite his own。
So great her absentmindedness she droops as in a swoon；
And a movement of aversion mars her recent spousal grace；
And in silence we two sit here in our waning honeymoon
At this idle watering…place 。 。 。
What now I see before me is a long lane overhung
With lovelessness； and stretching from the present to the grave。
And I would I were away from this； with friends I knew when young；
Ere a woman held me slave。
THE MOTH…SIGNAL
（On Egdon Heath）
〃What are you still； still thinking；〃
He asked in vague surmise；
〃That stare at the wick unblinking
With those great lost luminous eyes？〃
〃O； I see a poor moth burning
In the candle…flame；〃 said she；
Its wings and legs are turning
To a cinder rapidly。〃
〃Moths fly in from the heather；〃
He said； 〃now the days decline。〃
〃I know；〃 said she。 〃The weather；
I hope； will at last be fine。
〃I think；〃 she added lightly；
〃I'll look out at the door。
The ring the moon wears nightly
May be visible now no more。〃
She rose； and； little heeding；
Her husband then went on
With his attentive reading
In the annals of ages gone。
Outside the house a figure
Came from the tumulus near；
And speedily waxed bigger；
And clasped and called her Dear。
〃I saw the pale…winged token
You sent through the crack；〃 sighed she。
〃That moth is burnt and broken
With which you lured out me。
〃And were I as the moth is
It might be better far
For one whose marriage troth is
Shattered as potsherds are！〃
Then grinned the Ancient Briton
From the tumulus treed with pine：
〃So； hearts are thwartly smitten
In these days as in mine！〃
SEEN BY THE WAITS
Through snowy woods and shady
We went to play a tune
To the lonely manor…lady
By the light of the Christmas moon。
We violed till； upward glancing
To where a mirror leaned；
We saw her airily dancing；
Deeming her movements screened；
Dancing alone in the room there；
Thin…draped in her robe of night；
Her postures； glassed in the gloom there；
Were a strange phantasmal sight。
She had learnt （we heard when homing）
That her roving spouse was dead；
Why she had danced in the gloaming
We thought； but never said。
THE TWO SOLDIERS
Just at the corner of the wall
We metyes； he and I …
Who had not faced in camp or hall
Since we bade home good…bye；
And what once happened came backall …
Out of those years gone by。
And that strange woman whom we knew
And lovedlong dead and gone；
Whose poor half…perished residue；
Tombless and trod； lay yon！
But at this moment to our view
Rose like a phantom wan。
And in his fixed face I could see；
Lit by a lurid shine；
The drama re…enact which she
Had dyed incarnadine
For us； and more。 And doubtless he
Beheld it too in mine。
A start； as at one slightly known；
And with an indifferent air
We passed； without a sign being shown
That； as it real were；
A memory…acted scene had thrown
Its tragic shadow there。
THE DEATH OF REGRET
I opened my shutter at sunrise；
And looked at the hill hard by；
And I heartily grieved for the comrade
Who wandered up there to die。
I let in the morn on the mor