And wrote in joyous ecstasy;
The letter mailed, each moment seemed
An age; but days and weeks passed by—
With visions dread my fancy teemed—
But came he not, nor made reply.
One day, when hope had almost fled,
The post-man thrust it in my hand:
“This is from Washington,”[20] he said,
“Dead-letter office, understand?”
With throbbing heart I broke the seal,