II

  ’T was in the radiant summer weather,
    When God looked, smiling, from the sky;
  And we went wand’ring much together
    By wood and lane, Ione and I,
    Attracted by the subtle tie
  Of common thoughts and common tastes,
    Of eyes whose vision saw the same,
    And freely granted beauty’s claim
  Where others found but worthless wastes.

  We paused to hear the far bells ringing
    Across the distance, sweet and clear. 
  We listened to the wild bird’s singing
    The song he meant for his mate’s ear,
    And deemed our chance to do so dear. 
  We loved to watch the warrior Sun,
    With flaming shield and flaunting crest,
    Go striding down the gory West,
  When Day’s long fight was fought and won.

  And life became a different story;
    Where’er I looked, I saw new light. 
  Earth’s self assumed a greater glory,
    Mine eyes were cleared to fuller sight. 
    Then first I saw the need and might
  Of that fair band, the singing throng,
    Who, gifted with the skill divine,
    Take up the threads of life, spun fine,
  And weave them into soulful song.

  They sung for me, whose passion pressing
    My soul, found vent in song nor line. 
  They bore the burden of expressing
    All that I felt, with art’s design,
    And every word of theirs was mine. 
  I read them to Ione, ofttimes,
    By hill and shore, beneath fair skies,
    And she looked deeply in mine eyes,
  And knew my love spoke through their rhymes.

  Her life was like the stream that floweth,
    And mine was like the waiting sea;
  Her love was like the flower that bloweth,
    And mine was like the searching bee—­
    I found her sweetness all for me. 
  God plied him in the mint of time,
    And coined for us a golden day,
    And rolled it ringing down life’s way
  With love’s sweet music in its chime.

  And God unclasped the Book of Ages,
    And laid it open to our sight;
  Upon the dimness of its pages,
    So long consigned to rayless night,
    He shed the glory of his light. 
  We read them well, we read them long,
    And ever thrilling did we see
    That love ruled all humanity,—­
  The master passion, pure and strong.

III

  To-day my skies are bare and ashen,
    And bend on me without a beam. 
  Since love is held the master-passion,
    Its loss must be the pain supreme—­
    And grinning Fate has wrecked my dream. 
  But pardon, dear departed Guest,
    I will not rant, I will not rail;
    For good the grain must feel the flail;
  There are whom love has never blessed.