She leaned out into the soft June weather,
With her long loose tresses the night breeze played;
Her eyes were as blue as the bells on the heather:
Oh, what is so fair as a fair young maid!
She folded her hands, like the leaves of a lily,
"My life," she said, "is a night in June,
Fair and quiet, and calm and stilly;
Bring me a change, oh changeful moon!
"Who would drift on a lake forever?
Young hearts weary--it is not strange,
And sigh for the beautiful bounding river;
New moon, true moon, bring me a change!"
The rose that rivaled her maiden blushes
Dropped from her breast, at a stranger's feet;
Only a glance; but the hot blood rushes
To mantle a fair face, shy and sweet.
To and fro, while the moon is waning,
They walk, and the stars shine on above;
And one is in earnest, and one is feigning
Oh, what is so sweet, as a sweet young love f
A young life crushed, and a young heart broken,
A bleak wind blows through the lovely bower,
And all that remains of the love vows spoken--
Is the trampled leaf of a faded flower.
The night is dark, for the moon is failing--
And what is so pale, as a pale old moon!
Cold is the wind through the tree tops wailing
Woe that the change should come so soon.
[OLD.]
They stood together at the garden gate;
They heard the night bird calling to his mate;
The sun had set,
And all the vines upon the summer bowers,
The long green grasses, and the blooming flowers
Were dewy wet.
The sun's last rays had lit the Western skies
And dipped the mass of clouds in golden dyes
Brilliant and grand.
They stood in silence for a little while,
And then he turned, and with a tender smile
He took her hand.