For Harry came in, an' I flung him the letter that drove
An' he told it me all at once, as simple as any child;
What can it matter my lass, what I did wi' my single life?
I ha' been as true to you as ever a man to his wife;
An' she wasn't one of the worst."
An' he smiled at me, "Ain't you, my love? Come, come, little wife, let it rest!
The man isn't like the woman, no need to make such a
But he anger'd me all the more, an' I said, "You were keeping with her,
When I was a-loving you all along an' the same as before."
An' he didn't speak for awhile, an' he anger'd me more and more.
Then he patted my hand in his gentle way, "Let bygones be!"
"Bygones! you kept yours hush'd," I said, "when you married me!
Bygones ma' be come-agains! I hate her-an' I hate you!"
Ah, Harry, my man, you had better ha' beaten me black an' blue
Than ha' spoken as kind as you did, when I were so crazy wi' spite,
"Wait a little, my lass, I am sure it'll all come right."
An' he took three turns in the rain, an' I watch'd him, an' when he came in
1 felt that my heart was hard; he was all wet thro' to the skin,
An' I never said "off wi' the wet," I never said "on wi
So I knew my heart was hard, when he came to bid me
"You said that you hated me, Ellen, but that isn't true, you know;
I am going to leave you a bit-you'll kiss me before I go?"
"I had sooner be cursed than kissed!"-I didn't know well what I meant.
But I turn'd my face from him, an' he turned his face an' he went.
And then he sent me a letter, "I've gotten my work to
You wouldn't kiss me, my lass, an' I never loved any
I am sorry for all the quarrel, an' sorry for what she
I ha' six weeks' work in Jersey, an' go to-night by the
An' the wind began to rise, an' I thought of him out
An' I felt I had been to blame; he was always kind to
Wait a little, my lass, I am sure it'll all come right"An' the boat went down that night-the boat went down
AHASUERUS reigned. Kinglier king
Never did poet praise or minstrel sing!
He had no peers. Crownèd queen,
Clasping the sceptre my small hands between,
I might have reigned, yet kept a heart as free
As this light breeze that sweeps the Persian Sea!
But, ah! I loved my king-O, woeful day of days!
Whose hours I number now in sad amaze,
That day Ahasuerus smiled and said,
"Since first I wore this crown upon my head,
Thrice have the emerald cluster of the vine
Changed to translucent globes of ruby wine:
And thrice the peaches on the loaded walls
Have rounded into gold and crimson balls.
The riches of my kingdom shall be shown,
And all my glorious majesty made known!"
Then came from far and near a hurrying throng
Of skilled and cunning workmen. All day long
And far into the silent night, they wrought;
Giving form to their great master's thought-
Till Shushan grew a marvel! Never yet
Yon rolling sun on fairer scene has set :
The palace windows were ablaze with light;
And Persia's lords were there, most richly dight
In broidered silks, or costliest cloth of gold,
That kept the sunshine in each lustrous fold:
Up from the gardens floated the perfume
Of rose and myrtle, pomegranate and orange bloom;
Softest music swept
Through the vast arches, till men smiled and wept
For very joy. Then slowly keeping time
To the gay cymbal's clearly ringing chime,
Stole down the long arcades the dancing girls;
Some with dark-braided tresses, some with sunny curls.
Wild waxed the revel.
Inlaid with ebony and gems that shone
With a surpassing lustre, sat my lord,
The king Ahasuerus. His great sword
Blazing with diamonds on hilt and blade-
The mighty sword that made his foes afraid,-
And the heavy crown his head refused to wear,
More fitly crowned by his own clustering hair,
Lay on a pearl-wrought cushion by his side,
Mute symbol of great Persia's power and pride.
Louder and louder grew the sounds of mirth;
Faster and faster flowed the red wine forth;
Till flushed with pride, and song, and wine,
The king rose up and said, "O nobles mine!
Princes of Persia, Media's hope and pride,
Stars of my kingdom, will ye aught beside?
Speak! and I swear your sovereign's will shall be,
On this fair night to please and honor ye!"
Then rose a shout from out the glittering throng,
Drowning the voice of merriment and song.
Out spoke at last a tongue that should have been
Palsied in foul dishonor there and then :
"Oh, great Ahasuerus! ne'er before
Reigned such a king so blest a people o'er!
What shall we ask? What great and wondrous boon
To crown the hours that fly away too soon?
There is but one. "Tis said that mortal eyes
Never yet gazed in strange, yet sweet surprise,
Upon a face like that of her who wears
Thy signet ring, and all thy glory shares,—
Our fair Queen Vashti. Naught beside
Can fill our cup of happiness and pride."
A murmur ran throughout the startled crowd,
Swelling at last to plaudits long and loud.
Maddened with wine they knew not what they said:
Ahasuerus bent his haughty head,
And for an instant o'er his face there swept
A look his courtiers in their memory kept
For many a day-a look of doubt and pain
They scarcely caught ere it had passed again.
"My kingly word is pledged." Then to the seven
Lord Chamberlains to whom the keys were given:
"Haste ye, and to this noble presence bring
Vashti, the queen, with royal crown and ring."
They did their errand, those old gray-haired men,
Who should have braved the lion in his den,
Or ere they bore such message to their queen,
Or took such words their aged lips between.
"What! I, the daughter of a kingly race,
Step down, unblushing, from my lofty place,
And stand unveiled before the curious eyes
Of the mad rabble that with drunken cries
Were shouting Vashti! Vashti!'"
In wonder and affright,
At the fearful omens of that wild, mad night,
My maidens hung around me as I told
These seven lord chamberlains, so gray and old,
To bear this answer back: "It may not be.
My lord, my king, I cannot come to thee.
It is not meet that Persia's queen, like one
Who treads the market place from sun to sun,
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