Throughout the sunny day he whistled on his way;—
Oh, high and low, and gay and sweet,
The melody rang down the street,
Till all the weary, old and grey,
Smiled at their work, or stopped to say,
"Now God be thanked that youth is fair,—
And light of heart, and free from care."
What time the wind blew high, he whistled and went by;—
Then clarion clear on every side
The song was scattered far and wide!
Like birds above a storm that fly,
The silver notes soared to the sky;
"O soul, whose courage does not fail
But with a song can meet the gale."
And when the rain fell fast, he whistled as he passed;—
A little tune the whole world knew,—
A song of love, of love most true;
On through the mist it came at last
To one by sorrow overcast;
"Dear Christ," she said, "by night and day
They serve who praise, as well as pray."
Though the great world was white, he whistled in the night;—
The sky was spangled all with gold,
The bitter wind was keen and cold,
Yet, dear musician, out of sight,
You still put wintry thoughts to flight,
For summer follows where you fare,
O Whistler, so debonair!
And when the fog hung grey, he whistled on his way;—
The little children in his train
With rosy lips caught up the strain.
Then I, to hear what he might say,
Followed with them, that sombre day.
"Is it for joy of life," quoth I,
"Good sir, you go awhistling by?"
He smiled, and sighed, and shook his head,
"I cheer my own sad heart," he said.
MARCH
Windy March weather, with a lone crow flying,
A little ebony airship careening down the blue,
And high, high above him a wild goose crying,
The leading cry, the clarion cry, that guides his grey lines through!
Windy March weather, with the pine trees singing,
Silver-red the brambles show and silver-green the birch,
And silver-grey a squirrel on a top branch swinging,—
A friendly elf who nods to me from his far perilous perch.
Windy March weather, with the tawny brook that hurries
Eager for the outward rush of rivers to the sea;
A tiny brook sun-dappled, that frets and sings and worries,
A rough adventurous little brook that calls and calls to me!