Chapter I: Part III: The Leading of Sorrow 85

POEMS OF THE OPEN AIR.

THE SOWER 113
A SPRING SONG 116
APRIL RAIN 117
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 119
APPLE-BLOSSOM 120
THE MUSIC-LESSON 122
THE TEAMSTER 124
A HIGHLAND VILLAGE 136
ON A FORSAKEN LARK'S NEST 138
REAPERS 140
APPLE-GATHERING 142
THE SONGS OF SUMMER 145
AUTUMN TINTS 146
GREEN LEAVES AND SERE 148
THE HUNTER'S MOON 149
THE PASSING YEAR 151
THE ROBIN REDBREAST 152
THE RED SUNSETS, 1883 154
THE RED SUNSETS, 1883 155
ON THE LIGHTHOUSE AT ANTIBES 156
CAGNES 157
A WINTER LANDSCAPE 158

LOVE IN EXILE.

SONGS.

"THOU WALKEST WITH ME" 161
"I WAS AGAIN BESIDE MY LOVE" 162
"I AM ATHIRST, BUT NOT FOR WINE" 164
"I WOULD I WERE THE GLOW-WORM" 165
"DOST THOU REMEMBER?" 167
"O MOON, LARGE GOLDEN SUMMER MOON" 169
"WHY WILL YOU HAUNT ME UNAWARES?" 171
"WHEN YOU WAKE FROM TROUBLED SLUMBERS" 173
"IN A LONESOME BURIAL-PLACE" 175
"ON LIFE'S LONG ROUND" 177
"AH, YESTERDAY WAS DARK AND DREAR" 178
"YEA, THE ROSES ARE STILL ON FIRE" 179
"WE MET AS STRANGERS" 180
"YOU MAKE THE SUNSHINE OF MY HEART" 182
"DEAR, WHEN I LOOK INTO YOUR EYES" 184
"AH, IF YOU KNEW" 186
"YOUR LOOKS HAVE TOUCHED MY SOUL" 187
"OH, BROWN EYES WITH LONG BLACK LASHES" 188
"ONCE ON A GOLDEN DAY" 190
"WHAT MAGIC IS THERE IN THY MIEN?" 192

HEART'S-EASE 194
UNTIMELY LOVE 195
THE AFTER-GLOW 196
L'ENVOI 197

THE ASCENT OF MAN.

_PRELUDE._

WINGS.

Ascend, oh my Soul, with the wings of the lark ascend!
Soaring away and away far into the blue.
Or with the shrill seagull to the breakers bend,
Or with the bee, where the grasses and field-flowers blend,
Drink out of golden cups of the honey-dew.

Ascend, oh my Soul, on the wings of the wind as it blows,
Striking wild organ-blasts from the forest trees,
Or on the zephyr bear love of the rose to the rose,
Or with the hurricane sower cast seed as he goes
Limitless ploughing the leagues of the sibilant seas.

Ascend, oh my Soul, on the wings of the choral strain,
Invisible tier above tier upbuilding sublime;
Note as it scales after note in a rhythmical chain
Reaching from chaos and welter of struggle and pain,
Far into vistas empyreal receding from time.

Ascend! take wing on the thoughts of the Dead, my Soul,
Breathing in colour and stone, flashing through epic and song:
Thoughts that like avalanche snows gather force as they roll,
Mighty to fashion and knead the phenomenal throng
Of generations of men as they thunder along.

THE ASCENT OF MAN.