III

CLOSE OF THE ERA

(INTERMEDIARY PERIOD)

1875-1894

ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON, POET LAUREATE

Died OCTOBER 6, 1892

!

“Only till Sunday next, and then you 'll A reverent one. Though we to-day wait

Distrust beliefs and powers,
Behind the White-Thorn, by the broken The artless, ageless things you say
Stile-

Are fresh as May's own flowers,
We can go round and catch them at the
Gate,

Starring some pure primeval spring,
All to Ourselves, for nearly one long Ere Gold had grown despotic,-
Mile ;

Ere Life was yet a selfish thing, Dear Prue won't look, and Father he'll go Or Love a mere exotic !

on, And Sam's two Eyes are all for Cissy, I need not search too much to find John!

Whose lot it was to send it,

That feel upon me yet the kind, “ John, she's so smart, — with every ribbon Soft hand of her who penned it;

new,
Flame-colored Sack, and Crimson Pade- And see, through twoscore years of smoke,
soy ;

In by-gone, quaint apparel,
As proud as proud ; and has the Vapours Shine from yon time-black Norway oak

;
too,

The face of Patience Caryl, -
Just like My Lady ; - calls poor
Boy,

The pale, smooth forehead, silver-tressed;
And vows
no Sweet-heart's worth the

The gray gown, primly flowered ;
Thinking-on

The spotless, stately coif whose crest
Till he's past Thirty I know better, Like Hector's horse-plume towered ;
John !

And still the sweet half-solemn look “My Dear, I don't think that I thought of Where some past thought was clinging, much

As when one shuts a serious book Before we knew each other, I and To hear the thrushes singing.

you ; And now, why, John, your least, least Fin- | I kneel to you! Of those you were, ger-touch,

Whose kind old hearts grow mellow, – Gives me enough to think a Summer Whose fair old faces grow more fair through

As Point and Flanders yellow;
See, for I send you Something! There,
!

Whom some old store of garnered grief,
Look in this corner, — mind you find it, Their placid temples shading,
John !”

Crowns like a wreath of autumn leaf

With tender tints of fading.

Sam a

't is gone