Broken vow and slighted trust—­
  Hope’s white garments soiled and torn—­
Passion trampled in the dust
  By the iron heel of scorn.

Thou art dead, to me, as those
  Folded safe from mortal strife;
Dead! as tho’ the grave-mould froze
  The red rivers of thy life!

Oh!  My Sweet!  My Light!  My Love! 
  With my grief co-heir sublime! 
Storms and sorrows ever prove
  True inheritors of Time.

Hush!  An Angel holds my heart
  From its breaking—­tho’ I stand,
From the happy world apart,
  On a broad and barren sand.

I will love thee tho’ I die! 
  Love thee, with my ancient faith! 
For immortal voices cry: 
  Love is mightier than Death!

CHICK-A-DEE’S SONG.

Sweet, sweet, sweet! 
  High up in the budding vine
I’ve woven and hidden a dainty retreat
  For this little brown darling of mine! 
Along the garden borders,
  Out of the rich dark mold,
The daffodils and jonquils
  Are pushing their heads of gold;
And high in her bower-chamber
  The little brown mother sits,
While to and fro, as the west winds blow,
  Her pretty shadow flits.

Weet, weet, weet! 
  Safe in the branching vine,
Pillowed on woven grasses sweet,
  Our pearly treasures shine;
And all day long in the sunlight,
  By vernal breezes fanned,
The daffodil and the jonquil
  Their jeweled discs expand;
And two and fro, as the west winds blow,
  In the airy house a-swing,
The feeble life in the pearly eggs
  She warms with brooding wing!

Sweet, sweet, sweet! 
  Under a flowery spray
Downy heads and little pink feet
  Are cunningly tucked away! 
Along the shining furrows,
  The rows of sprouting corn
Flash in the sun, and the orchards
  Are blushing red as morn;
And the time o’ the year for toil is here,
  And idle song and play
With the jonquils, and the daffodils,
  Must wait for another May.

LATER POEMS.

TO MY SISTER.

M.A.  KENNON.

    “God’s dear love is over all.”

Dear, the random words you said
  Once, as we two walked apart,
Still keep ringing in my head,
  Still keep singing in my heart: 
Like the lone pipe of a bird,
  Like a tuneful waterfall
Far in desert places heard—­
  “God’s dear love is over all!”

Thro’ the ceaseless toil and strife
  They have taught me to be strong! 
Fashioned all my narrow life
  To the measure of a song! 
They have kept me brave and true—­
  Saved my feet from many a fall,
Since, what ever fate may do,
  God’s dear love is over all!

Lying in your chamber low,
  Neath the daisies and the dew,
Can you hear me?  Can you know
  All the good I owe to you? 
You, whose spirit dwells alway
  Free from earthly taint and thrall! 
You who taught me that sweet day
  God’s dear love is over all!