The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Cup of Comus, by Madison J. Cawein

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Cup of Comus
Fact and Fancy

Author: Madison J. Cawein

Release Date: October 4, 2010 [EBook #34027]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CUP OF COMUS ***

Produced by David Garcia, Josephine Paolucci and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Kentuckiana Digital Library.)

THE CUP OF COMUS

by

Madison Cawein

THE CUP OF COMUS

FACT AND FANCY

BY

MADISON CAWEIN

MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND LETTERS

[Illustration]

THE CAMEO PRESS
NEW YORK
1915

Copyright, 1915, by
ROSE DE VAUX-ROYER

* * * * *

_This edition is limited to Five Hundred copies of which this is Number_

* * * * *

For permission to reprint most of the poems in this volume thanks are
made to the various magazines and periodicals in which they first
appeared.

VAIL-BALLOU COMPANY
BINGHAMTON AND NEW YORK

TO MY GOOD FRIEND

W. T. H. HOWE

Friend, for the sake of loves we hold in common,
The love of books, of paintings, rhyme and fiction;
And for the sake of that divine affliction,
The love of art, passing the love of woman;--
By which all life's made nobler, superhuman,
Lifting the soul above, and, without friction
Of Time, that puts failure in his prediction,--
Works to some end through hearts that dreams illumine:
To you I pour this Cup of Dreams--a striver,
And dreamer too in this sad world,--unwitting
Of that you do, the help that still assureth,--
Lifts up the heart, struck down by that dark driver,
Despair, who, on Life's pack-horse--effort--sitting,
Rides down Ambition through whom Art endureth.

THRENODY IN MAY

(In memory of Madison Cawein.)

Again the earth, miraculous with May,
Unfolds its vernal arras. Yesteryear
We strolled together 'neath the greening trees,
And heard the robin tune its flute note clear,
And