to catch His radiant smile;
His sunbeams lurked the while
About her lips; with care He chose
Her hair and glory, and her round white throat,
The pillared keeper of her woman's note.
God filled her eyes with innocence and love,
And glimpsing lights from out His skies above.
The Father knew that she was beautiful.
And yet, to make her nobly dutiful
To Him, within her breast
He set a shrine, all holy and possessed
In shining mystery. And few who know
To enter in. The evading flame aglow
That fills the shrine, is white as unshed snow.
And deep within that casket of her breast
Are secret joys, to God alone confessed.

Christmas

White the weather, white the weather!
Stars and ice at one together,
Shining frost on cracking branches,
Snow in pale smooth avalanches.
White the weather, wintry weather.

Wan the way, where once the heather
Bloomed in radiant summer weather,
Sparkling icicles moon-lustred
Droop, where once the green leaves clustered.
Life is sleeping, held in tether.

Once a Babe was born this weather,
Three Wise Men set forth together;
Once a Star of wondrous glory
Told the Christ's triumphant story.
Wintry weather!--God's own weather!
All the world washed white together!

February

I do not sing for youth and love,
For passion and desire,
I only sing because the sun
Is gold like shining fire;
I only sing because the day
Is blue, the grass is green,
The birds are singing out their hearts,
The waking twigs between!

Because the chestnut branch is tipped
With buds of folded brown,
Because the snowdrops look so white,
The catkins feather down,
Because the naked elms have bent
To whisper me this thing--
The sap is stirring in their limbs--
How can I choose, but sing!

Oh! 'Tis May

Come and idle in the sun,
Come and idle, everyone,
Flowering May
Is wholly gay,
Come and idle in the sun.

Come and smell the new-mown lawn,
Fragrant grass, and dew-wet dawn.
Buds unfold,
And leaves grown bold
Spread great shadows on the lawn.

Come and hear the chaffinch trill,
Hear the lark and thrushes thrill!
Come along,
_Such_ a song,
Such a chorus bright and shrill.

_Won't_ you come?
Hear the hum,