“Or will marvel why, without her seeking,
Suddenly the thought of me recurs;
Or, while listening to another speaking,
Fancy that my hand is holding hers.”

So I dreamed, and watched the stars’ far splendour
Glimmering on the azure darkness, start,—­
While the star of trust rose bright and tender,
Through the twilight shadows of my heart.

VERSE:  A COMFORTER

I.

Will she come to me, little Effie,
Will she come in my arms to rest,
And nestle her head on my shoulder,
While the sun goes down in the west?

II.

“I and Effie will sit together,
All alone, in this great arm-chair:-
Is it silly to mind it, darling,
When Life is so hard to bear?

III.

“No one comforts me like my Effie,
Just I think that she does not try,—­
Only looks with a wistful wonder
Why grown people should ever cry;

IV.

“While her little soft arms close tighter
Round my neck in their clinging hold:-
Well, I must not cry on your hair, dear,
For my tears might tarnish the gold.

V.

“I am tired of trying to read, dear;
It is worse to talk and seem gay: 
There are some kinds of sorrow, Effie,
It is useless to thrust away.

VI.

“Ah, advice may be wise, my darling,
But one always knows it before;
And the reasoning down one’s sorrow
Seems to make one suffer the more.

VII.

“But my Effie won’t reason, will she? 
Or endeavour to understand;
Only holds up her mouth to kiss me,
As she strokes my face with her hand.

VIII.

“If you break your plaything yourself, dear,
Don’t you cry for it all the same? 
I don’t think it is such a comfort,
One has only oneself to blame.

IX.

“People say things cannot be helped, dear,
But then that is the reason why;
For if things could be helped or altered,
One would never sit down to cry: 

X.

“They say, too, that tears are quite useless
To undo, amend, or restore,—­
When I think how useless, my Effie,
Then my tears only fall the more.

XI.

“All to-day I struggled against it;
But that does not make sorrow cease;
And now, dear, it is such a comfort
To be able to cry in peace.