am.
She vanished ... Life awhile endowed
The darkness with a dream.

GOD RETURNS

Dear God, before Thee many weep
And bow the solemn knee;
But I who have thy joy to keep
Will sing and dance for Thee.

Come, lilt ye, lilt ye, lightsome birds,
For ye are glad as I;
Come frisk, ye sunlit flocks and herds
And cherubs of the sky;

Sweet elfin mischief of the hill,
We'll share a laugh together--
Oh half the world is hoyden still,
And waits for whistling weather!

The God of age is staid and old,
And asks a sober tongue;
But till the heart of youth is cold
The God of youth is young!

Then kiss, blithe lass and happy lad!
The rainbow passes over,
And love and life, the leal and glad,
Must step with time the rover.

Trip buds and bells in spangled ways!
Leap, leaves in every tree!
Ye winds and waters, nights and days,
Dance, dance for Deity.

On every hand is elfin land,
And faery gifts are falling;
Across the world, a twinkling band,
The elves are calling--calling.

In welcome smile the witching skies,
And with a jocund train,
With dancing joy-light in His eyes,
God, God comes home again!

ALICE MEYNELL

TO THE BODY

Thou inmost, ultimate
Council of judgment, palace of decrees,
Where the high senses hold their spiritual state,
Sued by earth's embassies,
And sign, approve, accept, conceive, create;

Create--thy senses close
With the world's pleas. The random odours reach
Their sweetness in the place of thy repose,
Upon thy tongue the peach,
And in thy nostrils breathes the breathing rose.

To thee, secluded one,
The dark vibrations of the sightless skies,
The lovely inexplicit colours run;
The light gropes for those eyes.
O thou august! thou dost command the sun.

Music, all dumb, hath trod
Into thine ear her one effectual way;
And fire and cold approach to gain thy nod,
Where thou call'st up the day,
Where thou await'st the appeal of God.

CHRIST IN THE UNIVERSE

With this ambiguous earth
His dealings have been told us. These abide:
The signal to a maid, the human birth,
The lesson, and the young Man crucified.

But not a star of all
The innumerable host of stars has heard
How He administered this terrestrial ball.
Our race have kept their Lord's entrusted Word.

Of His earth-visiting feet
None knows the secret, cherished, perilous,
The terrible, shamefast, frightened, whispered, sweet,
Heart-shatter