COURTSHIP. To love thou blamest me not; for love thou say'st Leads up to heaven-is both the way and guide. MILTON. She is a woman, therefore may be woo'd; SHAKESPEARE. The man of sense, who acts a prudent part, Not flattering steals, but forms himself the heart. THOMSON. She heard him with a soothing smile. MOORE. A HEART'S HOME AND HAVEN OF THE SPIRIT. Face of her, and grace of her, whose gleaming Soothes his gentle spirit into dreamingGentle eyes that shine and seem to love him! Tender touch, the touch of her quick fingers, Touch that reach'd his soul, and burns and lingers; Breath of her, and scent of her, and bliss of her, Dream of her, and smile of her, and kiss of her! Soul beyond his soul, yet ever near it, WITCHERY OF A LAUGH. A woman has no natural gift more bewitching than a sweet laugh. It is like the sound of flutes on the water. It leaps from her like a clear sparkling rill, and the heart that hears it seems as if bathed in the cool, exhilarating spring. Have you ever pursued an unseen fugitive through trees-led on by a fairy laugh-now here, now lost, now found? We have, and we are pursuing that wandering voice this day. Sometimes it comes to us in the midst of care or sorrow or irksome business, and then we turn away and listen, and hear it ringing in the room like a silver bell, with power to scare away the evil spirit of the mind. How much we owe to that sweet laugh! It turns the prose to poetry. It flings flowers of sunshine over the darkness of the wood in which we are travelling. It touches with light even our sleep, which is no more than the image of death; but it is consumed with dreams that are the shadows of immortality. Prentice. STOLEN TREASURES. Before the urchin well could go, Earl of Egremont. THOU ART MINE, I THINE. If, should times grow harder, Then, whatever weather Come, or shine or shade, You at sixty charming As at sweet sixteen; Let's pray, nothing loth, dear, Make one date serve both, dear, Thou art mine,-I thine. Miss Muloch. A HEAVEN ON EARTH. Yester evening she twice spake my name, Meaning another's. Hence am I most proud, Hence potent; hence, such bliss it is to love With smallest thought of being loved again, That though I know not how this heaven on earth Can change to one still heavenlier, nor less holy, I am caught up, like sain's in ecstasies, Above the ground; tread air; see not the streets Through which I pass, for swiftness of delight, And, hugging to my secret heart one bosom, A LOVE-DISTRACTED MAID. Her mind, as in a dream, bewilder'd ran, No prince she deem'd with such perfections crown'd; His tuneful voice, still, still she seems to hear, Still the sweet accents charm her listening Fawkes. ear. SHE SLEEPS! Stars of the summer night! Hide, hide your golden light! Moon of the summer night! She sleeps, my lady sleeps! Wind of the summer night! Dreams of the summer night! Longfellow. INTUITIVE LOVE. She knew For quickly comes such knowledge that his heart Was darken'd with her shadow. Byron. Why, she would hang on him, As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on. Shakespeare. Thou must begin again, and love renew. If fondly thou dost not mistake, If when thou appear'st to be within If when thy stomach calls to eat If by this thou dost discover Thou dost begin to love anew; Thou lov'st amiss : And to love true Thou must begin again, and love anew! Sir John Suckling. |