THE QUARREL.

COULD I divine how her gray eyes

Gat such cold haughtiness of skies;

How, some wood-flower's shadow brown,

Dimmed her fair forehead's wrath a frown;

How, rippled sunshine blown thro' air,

Tossed scorn her eloquence of hair;

How to a folded bud again

She drew her blossomed lips' disdain;

Naught deigning save eyes' utterance,

Star-words, which quicker reach the sense;

Then, afterwards, how melted there

The austere woman to one tear;

Then were I wise to know how grew

This star-stained miracle of blue,

How God makes wild flowers out of dew.