"Yet once more I would blow, and the music divine
Would bring me a third time an exquisite bliss
You would lay your fair cheek to this brown one of mine
And your lips, stealing past it, would give me a kiss."

The maiden laughed out in her innocent glee"What a fool of yourself with the whistle you'd make! For only consider how silly 'twould be

To sit there and whistle for what you might take."

Unknown.

THE CLOUD

AN IDYLL OF THE WESTERN FRONT

SCENE: A wayside shrine in France.
PERSONS: Celeste, Pierre, a Cloud.

CELESTE (gazing at the solitary white Cloud):
I wonder what your thoughts are, little Cloud,
Up in the sky, so lonely and so proud!
CLOUD: Not proud, dear maiden; lonely, if you will.
Long have I watched you, sitting there so still
Before that little shrine beside the way,

And wondered where your thoughts might be astray;
Your knitting lying idle on your knees,
And worse than idle-like Penelope's,
Working its own undoing!

CELESTE (picks up her knitting): Who was she?
Saints! What a knot!-Who was Penelope?

What happened to her knitting? Tell me, Cloud! CLOUD: She was a Queen; she wove her husband's shroud. CELESTE (drops the knitting).

His shroud!

CLOUD:

There, there! 'Twas only an excuse To put her lovers off, a wifely ruse, Bidding them bide till it was finished, she Each night the web unravelled secretly. CELESTE: He came home safe?

CLOUD:

The Cloud

135

If I remember right,

It was the lovers needed shrouds that night!

It is an old, old tale. I heard it through

A Wind whose ancestor it was that blew
Ulysses' ship across the purple sea

Back to his people and Penelope.

We Clouds pick up strange tales, as far and wide
And to and fro above the world we ride,
Across uncharted seas, upon the swell
Of viewless waves and tides invisible,

Freighted with friendly flood or forkèd flame,
Knowing not whither bound nor whence we came;
Now drifting lonely, now a company

Of pond'rous galleons

CELESTE:

Oft-times I see

A Cloud, as by some playful fancy stirred,
Take likeness of a monstrous beast or bird
Or some fantastic fish, as though 'twere clay
Moulded by unseen hands.

I should have said a camel; then your hump
Dissolved, and you became a gosling plump,
Downy and white and warm-

CLOUD:

What! Warm, up here?

Ten thousand feet above the earth!
CELESTE:

What am I thinking of! Of course I know
How cold it is. Pierre has told me so
A thousand times.

CLOUD:

Oh dear!

And who is this Pierre

That tells you all the secrets of the air?

How came he to such frigid heights to soar?
CELESTE: Pierre's my-He is in the Flying Corps.
CLOUD: Ah, now I understand! And he's away?
CELESTE: He left at dawn, where for he would not say,.
Telling me only 'twas a bombing raid
Somewhere-My God! What's that?

CLOUD:

What, little maid?

CELESTE (pointing): That-over there beyond the wooded

crest!

CLOUD: Only a skylark dropping to her nest;

Her mate is hov'ring somewhere near. I heard
His tremulous song of love-

CELESTE:

(Drops upon her knees.)

That was no bird!

O Mary! Blessed Mother! Hear my prayer!
That one that fell-grant it was not Pierre!
Here is the cross my mother gave me-I
Will burn the longest candle it will buy!

CLOUD Courage, my child! Your prayer will not be vain!

Who guards the lark, will guide your lover's plane.

The West Wind's calling. I must go!-Hark! There
He sings again! Le bon Dieu garde, ma chère!

II

PIERRE: I made a perfect landing over there
Behind the church-

CELESTE:

The Virgin heard my prayer!

Now I must burn the candle that I vowed

PIERRE: Then 'twas our Blessed Lady sent that Cloud
That saved me when the Boche came up behind.

I made a lightning turn, only to find

The Boche on top of me. It seemed a kind

Of miracle to see that Cloud-I swear

A moment past the sky was everywhere

As clear as clear; there was no Cloud in sight.
It looked to me, floating there calm and white.
Like a great mother hen, and I a chick.
She seemed to call me, and I scurried quick
Behind her wing. That spoiled the Boche's game,
And gave me time to turn and take good aim.

I emptied my last drum, and saw him drop

Ten thousand feet in flames

CELESTE (shuddering):

Maybe a girl is waiting for him too

PIERRE: 'Twas either him or me

Stop! Pierre, stop!

Ain't it Awful, Mabel?

137

CELESTE:
Thank God, not you!
PIERRE (pointing to the church): Come, let us burn the

"You gave me the key of your heart, my love;
Then why do you make me knock?"

"Oh, that was yesterday, Saints above!
And last night-I changed the lock!"

John Boyle O'Reilly.

AIN'T IT AWFUL, MABEL?

IT worries me to beat the band
To hear folks say our lives is grand;
Wish they'd try some one-night stand.
Ain't it awful, Mabel?

Nothin' ever seems to suit-
The manager's an awful brute;
Spend our lives jest lookin' cute.
Ain't it awful, Mabel?

Met a boy last Tuesday night,
Was spendin' money left and right-
Me, gee! I couldn't eat a bite!
Ain't it awful, Mabel?

Then I met another guy-
Hungry! well, I thought I'd die!
But I couldn't make him buy.

Ain't it awful, Mabel?

Lots of men has called me dear,
Said without me life was drear,
But men is all so unsincere!
Ain't it awful, Mabel?

I tell you, life is mighty hard,
I've had proposals by the yard-
Some of 'em would 'a had me starred.
Ain't it awful, Mabel?

Remember that sealskin sacque of mine?
When I got it, look'd awful fine-
I found out it was a shine.
Ain't it awful, Mabel?

Prima donna's sore on me;
My roses had her up a tree-
I jest told her to "twenty-three."
Ain't it awful, Mabel?

My dear, she went right out and wired
The New York office to have me "fired";
But say! 'twas the author had me hired.
Ain't it awful, Mabel?

I think hotels is awful mean,

Jim and me put out of room sixteen-
An' we was only readin' Laura Jean.
Ain't it awful, Mabel?

The way folks talk about us too;
For the smallest thing we do-
'Nuff to make a girl feel blue.
Ain't it awful, Mabel?

My Gawd! is that the overture?
I never will be on, I'm sure-
The things us actresses endure,
Ain't it awful, Mabel?

John Edward Hazzard.