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when i hear the waters fretting when i see the chestnut letting all her lovely blossom falter down i think alas the day
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once with magical sweet singing blackbirds set the woodland ringing that awakes no more while april hours wear themselves away
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what idless graced the twittering things luxurious paddlings in the spray and delicate lifting up of wings
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he knew she did not love him but so long as rivals were unknown to him he dwelt at ease and did not find his love a pain
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she said i shall not live to see it but she did little sickly face a wan thin face
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with that they parted from their boy and lived longing between his holidays and time sped he grew on till he had eighteen years
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i do not care that my one son should sleep merely for keeping him in breath and wake only to ride to cover
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do laddie quoth she faltering half in tears are you not happy with us not content
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but his arms folding he sat and twisted up his mouth with comical discomfiture
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no do ye laddie quoth the dame and laughed
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what then he dwelt among them as of old and taught his mouth to smile
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she cared no whit if laurance went or stayed but answered when he spoke and dropped her cheek in her fair hand
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madam and muriel lifted up her face and looked they looked into each other's eyes
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all's done you hear it muriel if you can o sweet forgive me
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but what was that to muriel though her peace he would have purchased for her with all prayers and costly passionate despairing tears
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ay he was gone and she whom he had wed as muriel learned was sick was poor was sad
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but when that other heard it is the end his heart was sick and he as by a power far stronger than himself was driven to her
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reason rebelled against it but his will required it of him with a craving strong as life and passionate though hopeless pain
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she when she saw his face considered him full quietly let all excuses pass not answered and considered yet again
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remain she said for there is something to be told some words that you must hear
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but were it best to weep for a dead wife and let the sorrow spend and satisfy itself with all expression and so end
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how shall i do the rest and he who felt her inmost thought was silent even as she
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the wife considering it with deep and strange delight forgot for once her babe and looked and learned
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mercy muriel cried but laurance does not wish it
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he knows you love him but he will not speak no never some men are such gentlemen
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the dropping thorn makes white the grass o sweetest lass and sweetest lass come out and smell the ricks of hay adown the croft with me o
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and thou my lass by morning's light wast all in white wast all in white and parson stood within the rails a-marrying me and thee o
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yes and i saw thee start upon thy way so sure that we should meet upon our trysting-day
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and even absence then to me was sweet because it brought me time to brood upon thy dearness in the solitude
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i only saw the stars i could not see the river and they seemed to lie as far below as the other stars were high
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i look on you trembling and think in the dark with my soul how small is our place 'mid the kingdoms and nations of god these are greater than we every one
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and there falls a great fear and a dread cometh over that cries o my hope is there any mistake
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did he speak did i hear did i listen aright if he spake
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did i answer him duly for surely i now am awake if never i woke until now
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for this is a world full of sorrow keep watch o'er its dust else thy children for aye are undone for this is a world where we die
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i have felt it go on while the world is asleep golden islands fast moored in god's infinite deep
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far she sought o'er wood and wold but found not aught to say mounting lark nor mantling cloud would any counsel render though sweetly she had carolled upon that morn of may
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shy she sought the wooer's face and deemed the wooing mended proper man he was good sooth and one would have his way so the lass was made a wife and so the song was ended
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and dove with the white breast let me alone the dream is my own and my heart is full of rest
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my love with the true heart to think i have come to this your home and yet we are apart
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my love he stood at my right hand his eyes were grave and sweet
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till night rose over the bourne the dove on the mast as we sailed fast did mourn and mourn and mourn
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and stirred the dens beneath to see us eat of death with all the scoffing heavens toward us bending
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and the winged armies twain their awful watch maintain they mark the earth at rest with her great dead
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peace lo he lifts a priestly hand and blesseth all the sons of men in every land
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silence o i had my day margaret margaret
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i stoop: within 'tis dark and still but shadowy paths methinks there be and lead they far into the hill
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through foaming gulfs of yeasty spray to yield it on a grassy hill at the noon of day
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and behold there was music within and a song and echoes did feed on the sweetness repeating it long
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i opened the door of my heart and behold there was music within and a song
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o the song it came and went went and came
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i have not learned half the lore whereto it yearned half the magic that it meant
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where's the danger where's the cold slippery danger up the steep
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chirping bird and tumbling spray light work laughter scent of hay peace and echo where are they
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o happy gladys i rejoice with her for gladys saw the island
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but it was said we think it were not well that little gladys should acquire a taste for pleasure going about and needless change
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and how my heart hushed down and shaded lies just like the sea when low convenient clouds come over and drink all its sparkles up
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why gladys is a child she has not skill to shut herself within her own small cell and build the door up and to say 'poor me
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quoth gladys cogitating they were kind the words that woman spoke she does not know
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why did i envy them that was not good yet it began with my humility
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child what art doing here the woman said what wilt thou of dame isis and her bairn
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(ay ay we see thee breathing in thy shroud pretty shroud all frilled and furbelowed the air is dim with dust of spiced bones
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but o good lord ' saith he 'when these are sick i fear me lord this excellent workmanship of thine is counted for a cumbrance then
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so gladys set her feet upon the sand while in the sunset glory died away the peaks of that blest island
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we always read when any fable ends hence we may learn a moral must be found
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she moves atween the almond boughs and bends one thick with bloom to look on it o love
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preserve to me my wealth i do not say for that is wasted away and much of it was cankered ere it went
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no but i pray if it be not too late open to me the gate that i may find my babe when i am dead
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hangs thick as a swarm of bees or a clustering village street foundationless built on the seas
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for rain came down in the night and thunder muttered full oft but now the azure is bright
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many times since we have met for i hold the years in my heart and all that was is yet
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beautiful eyes and shall i see no more the living thought when it would leap from them and play in all its sweetness 'neath their lids
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_quoth the cedar to the reeds and rushes water-grass you know not what i do know not of my storms nor of my hushes
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breathe o wind and set our answer free for we have no voice of you forsaken for the cedar-tree
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the lovely ladies flocked within and still would each one say good mercer be the ships come up
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and they flocked to the shore amain all over the hoe that livelong night many stood out in the rain
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now farther on in womanhood she gently stands where once she stood and sings from out her deeper heart
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i will not think upon it yet she was o she was dear my dutiful dear child
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one soweth nay but i will tell this out the first fyte was the best i call it such for now as some old song men think on it
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i dwell where england narrows running north and while our hay was cut came rumours up humming and swarming round our heads like bees
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let be ' and pushing past 'beshrew thy heart bargain nay
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beside them scorched smoke-blackened weary leaned men that had fed them dropped their tired arms and dozed
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then to our hearts valour crept home again alva who did convert from our old faith with many a black deed done for a white cause
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o such a sight o such a sight mine eyes never shall you see more
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all grey the sea and ghostly grey the ships and after in the offing rocked our fleet having lain quiet in the summer dark
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let spain within a pike's length hear them bleat delivering of their pretty talk in a tongue whose meaning cries not for interpreter
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and while i spoke their topsails friend and foe glittered and there was noise of guns pale smoke lagged after curdling on the sun-fleck'd main
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who ever saw weakling white butterflies chasing of gallant swans and charging them and spitting at them long red streaks of flame
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'two of their caravels we sank and one took ere she could catch the wind when she rode free
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some did tow others that we had plagued disabled rent many full heavily damaged made their berths
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blood-red pillars of reek they looked on that vast host and troubled it as on th' egyptian host one looked of old
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it failed and in regard of that same want they thought it not convenient to pursue their vessels farther
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all being ready speed i home and lo my rosamund that by the spaniard sat upon a cushion'd settle book in hand
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she held her psalter and he his and slowly read till he would stop her at the needed word
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thy wife ' and there he stopped her and he took and kissed her hand and show'd in 's own a ring taking no heed of me no heed at all
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and slowly slowly she betook herself down the long hall in lowly wise she went and made her moans
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but when my girl was gone i stood at fault th' occasion master'd me belike it master'd him for both felt mute
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for i bethought me i was yet an host and he bethought him on the worthiness of my first deeds
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i will be brief the days drag on my soul forebodes her death my lonely age
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the pear-trees looked on in their white and blue birds flash'd about and they too were angry as oliver were they eleven
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