So passed the glad years on, and o'er her home-- Its woods and mountains, its clear streams--to roam, She loved. The inmost throb of Nature's heart She felt amid the grass. Each daintiest part Of Nature's work she knew; each gain, each loss. And reverent watched on high the starry cross Gleaming, mute symbol in that southern dome Of One--the Promised One--of days to come.
The rifted sea-shell on the shingly beach She scanned, pitying each inmate gone. Each Named. 'Mong beetling crags, the sea-bird's home, Light-footed, went. Or, idly, in the foam Under the cocoa-palms, her fingers dipped, Much marveling to see where featly slipped Beneath the waves scaled creatures, crimson-dyed Or luminous: Barred-yellow, purple pied, Rose-tinted, opaline, or dight with stain, Rich as the rainbow streaks, when through the rain The Sun's kiss falls. Much wondered she when bright By sedgy pools, flamingoes stalked. And light The startled ostrich bent his headlong flight O'er desert bare. And on the woody height Trooped zebras, velvet-brown. The date's green crest Beneath, the peaceful camels lay at rest. And slender-straight camelopards the boughs Down-drew, the lush-green leaves thereon to browse. Or oft 'mong oozy bogs, or through the fens, Fearless she went, when low, 'mong reedy dens The water-courses by, huge creatures slept, Or in the jungles spotted panthers crept, And in the thickets deadly serpents wound Like blossomed wreaths, their coils upon the ground. All forms of life she saw; with tenderest care Uplifting humblest sprays, or blooms most rare. Pierced the deep heart of Nature's subtlest lore, Touched highest knowledge, probed the inmost core Of hidden things. She tracked each circling world And the wide sweep of billows lightly curled. Each page the Master writ she read, close furled In lotus blooms, or, 'mong the storm-clouds whirled; Or traced, star-lettered, on the flaming scroll The night unwinds toward the southern pole. And sometimes wiling idle days, she wove In quaint device, gems from her treasure-trove, Rare garlanded, or set in flashing zone Soft emerald, sapphire pale, and many a stone Out-gleaming amethyst. Her yellow hair Among, the glinting diamonds shone. And there The sultry topaz burned. And laughing, twined She round her bare white throat red rubies shrined In pearls. Or she among the haunts would rove That sheltered island birds; or in the grove, Or 'mong the rocky cliffs, where dainty nests They fashioned swift. She scaled the seaward crests, And on the sands piled turtle eggs, when all About hoarse-shrieked the water-fowl, or call Of plovers fell among the tangled glens, Or lonely bitterns' boom came o'er the fens. So traversed she her realm, when mangoes green Baobabs by, showed freshest hues; and sheen Of silver touched acacias slight; and lone The solitary aloes, dreamed. The moan Of that far sea against the shore brake soft. And through that blossom-burdened land as oft She roamed and far, sweet sped the passing days. Till one dawned fairest, in whose noon-tide haze Sweet slumbering she lay; and dreamed-steeped still, Half conscious, caught the tinkle of a rill In far-off Paradise. More silver clear Across her thoughts, as once she loved to hear, Rippled the waters, low against the stones Where poised gemmed dragon-flies; and sudden moans Shook 'mong blue flags. Waked, vague unrest And tender yearning rose within her breast, And longing love, that she ne'er more might still. When late upon her parting day smiled chill, Pensive she gazed upon the darkling land, With lingering feet o'er-passed the shining strand, And silent sat on an o'erhanging ledge, The sea o'erlooking. Far the horizon's edge Athwart her gaze a rim of blue hills cleft, Whereat she sighed. "So rose, ere I them left, So smiled, the dim hills round my Eden home. But I--wherefore recall, when far I roam, Dreams vanished--gone? And now since long time dead Is that fair past, I fain would lay it low Where soft about it memories sweet may blow As summer winds the fallen leaves among." Then passed her tender thoughts, and loud and glad As our morn wakens, strong that yesternight slept sad, She sang. The song triumphant upward swelled, Unsorrowed by soft dreams or thoughts of eld-- As fresh the full, free, mellow notes did rise As the blithe skylark's strain, anear the skies: