When evening came, and the moon was bright,
And the forest dreamed in a glory white,
The fairy flew
Where the lily grew,
And opened it wide, as she’d planned to do;
One moment she poised, on airy wing,
And then in a rapture began to sing:
“O, wonderful sight in the lily cup!
How glad I am that I gathered up
A whisper, a shadow, a lullaby,
A glint of gold from the evening sky,
The wind that blows
Where the poppy grows
And the drowsy song that the river knows,
For my prisoners, down in the whiteness deep,
Have made, ah, wonder! the thing called Sleep.”
THE TWO GOWNS
My mother has a pretty dress
Of silk that’s rich and fine.
She wears it when there’s company
And when she’s out to dine;
The collar has a velvet bow
Below my mother’s face;
The skirt trails softly on the floor,
The sleeves are trimmed with lace;
It shines and shimmers in the light
All changing, gold and green,
I smile at her, and whisper low,
“My mother is a queen!”
My mother has another dress
Of cloth that’s soft and red.
She wears it when the light is low,
When I am going to bed;
And after I have said my prayers
And when I say good-night,
I’m not afraid of hurting it—
I hug up to it tight,
And say, with arms ’round mother’s neck,
“Oh, have you ever guessed
That though your silken gown is fine
I like this dress the best?”
