Must　not　I　even　warm　my　hands　but　I　am　charged　with　blasphemies？〃　。
  。　。
  …　His　face　convulses　as　the　morning　cock　that　moment　crows；
  And　he　stops；　and　turns；　and　goes。
  THE　OBLITERATE　TOMB
  〃More　than　half　my　life　long
  Did　they　weigh　me　falsely；　to　my　bitter　wrong；
  But　they　all　have　shrunk　away　into　the　silence
  Like　a　lost　song。
  〃And　the　day　has　dawned　and　come
  For　forgiveness；　when　the　past　may　hold　it　dumb
  On　the　once　reverberate　words　of　hatred　uttered
  Half　in　delirium　。　。　。
  〃With　folded　lips　and　hands
  They　lie　and　wait　what　next　the　Will　commands；
  And　doubtless　think；　if　think　they　can：　　'Let　discord
  Sink　with　Life's　sands！'
  〃By　these　late　years　their　names；
  Their　virtues；　their　hereditary　claims；
  May　be　as　near　defacement　at　their　grave…place
  As　are　their　fames。〃
  Such　thoughts　bechanced　to　seize
  A　traveller's　minda　man　of　memories　…
  As　he　set　foot　within　the　western　city
  Where　had　died　these
  Who　in　their　lifetime　deemed
  Him　their　chief　enemyone　whose　brain　had　schemed
  To　get　their　dingy　greatness　deeplier　dingied
  And　disesteemed。
  So；　sojourning　in　their　town；
  He　mused　on　them　and　on　their　once　renown；
  And　said；　〃I'll　seek　their　resting…place　to…morrow
  Ere　I　lie　down；
  〃And　end；　lest　I　forget；
  Those　ires　of　many　years　that　I　regret；
  Renew　their　names；　that　men　may　see　some　liegeness
  Is　left　them　yet。〃
  Duly　next　day　he　went
  And　sought　the　church　he　had　known　them　to　frequent；
  And　wandered　in　the　precincts；　set　on　eyeing
  Where　they　lay　pent；
  Till　by　remembrance　led
  He　stood　at　length　beside　their　slighted　bed；
  Above　which；　truly；　scarce　a　line　or　letter
  Could　now　be　read。
  〃Thus　years　obliterate
  Their　graven　worth；　their　chronicle；　their　date！
  At　once　I'll　garnish　and　revive　the　record
  Of　their　past　state；
  〃That　still　the　sage　may　say
  In　pensive　progress　here　where　they　decay；
  'This　stone　records　a　luminous　line　whose　talents
  Told　in　their　day。'〃
  While　speaking　thus　he　turned；
  For　a　form　shadowed　where　they　lay　inurned；
  And　he　beheld　a　stranger　in　foreign　vesture；
  And　tropic…burned。
  〃Sir；　I　am　right　pleased　to　view
  That　ancestors　of　mine　should　interest　you；
  For　I　have　come　of　purpose　here　to　trace　them　。　。　。
  They　are　time…worn；　true；
  〃But　that's　a　fault；　at　most；
  Sculptors　can　cure。　　On　the　Pacific　coast
  I　have　vowed　for　long　that　relics　of　my　forbears
  I'd　trace　ere　lost；
  〃And　hitherward　I　come；
  Before　this　same　old　Time　shall　strike　me　numb；
  To　carry　it　out。〃〃Strange；　this　is！〃　said　the　other；
  〃What　mind　shall　plumb
  〃Coincident　design！
  Though　these　my　father's　enemies　were　and　mine；
  I　nourished　a　like　purposeto　restore　them
  Each　letter　and　line。〃
  〃Such　magnanimity
  Is　now　not　needed；　sir；　for　you　will　see
  That　since　I　am　here；　a　thing　like　this　is；　plainly；
  Best　done　by　me。〃
  The　other　bowed；　and　left；
  Crestfallen　in　sentiment；　as　one　bereft
  Of　some　fair　object　he　had　been　moved　to　cherish；
  By　hands　more　deft。
  And　as　he　slept　that　night
  The　phantoms　of　the　ensepulchred　stood　up…right
  Before　him；　trembling　that　he　had　set　him　seeking
  Their　charnel…site。
  And；　as　unknowing　his　ruth；
  Asked　as　with　terrors　founded　not　on　truth
  Why　he　should　want　them。　　〃Ha；〃　they　hollowly　hackered；
  〃You　come；　forsooth；
  〃By　stealth　to　obliterate
  Our　graven　worth；　our　chronicle；　our　date；
  That　our　descendant　may　not　gild　the　record
  Of　our　past　state；
  〃And　that　no　sage　may　say
  In　pensive　progress　near　where　we　decay：
  'This　stone　records　a　luminous　line　whose　talents
  Told　in　their　day。'〃
  Upon　the　morrow　he　went
  And　to　that　town　and　churchyard　never　bent
  His　ageing　footsteps　till；　some　twelvemonths　onward；
  An　accident
  Once　more　detained　him　there；
  And；　stirred　by　hauntings；　he　must　needs　repair
  To　where　the　tomb　was。　　Lo；　it　stood　still　wasting
  In　no　man's　care。
  〃The　travelled　man　you　met
  The　last　time；〃　said　the　sexton；　〃has　not　yet
  Appeared　again；　though　wealth　he　had　in　plenty。
  Can　he　forget？
  〃The　architect　was　hired
  And　came　here　on　smart　summons　as　desired；
  But　never　the　descendant　came　to　tell　him
  What　he　required。〃
  And　so　the　tomb　remained
  Untouched；　untended；　crumbling；　weather…stained；
  And　though　the　one…time　foe　was　fain　to　right　it
  He　still　refrained。
  〃I'll　set　about　it　when
  I　am　sure　he'll　come　no　more。　　Best　wait　till　then。〃
  But　so　it　was　that　never　the　stranger　entered
  That　city　again。
  And　the　well…meaner　died
  While　waiting　tremulously　unsatisfied
  That　no　return　of　the　family's　foreign　scion
  Would　still　betide。
  And　many　years　slid　by；
  And　active　church…restorers　cast　their　eye
  Upon　the　ancient　garth　and　hoary　building
  The　tomb　stood　nigh。
  And　when　they　had　scraped　each　wall；
  Pulled　out　the　stately　pews；　and　smartened　all；
  〃It　will　be　well；〃　declared　the　spruce　church…warden；
  〃To　overhaul
  〃And　broaden　this　path　where　shown；
  Nothing　prevents　it　but　an　old　tombstone
  Pertaining　to　a　family　forgotten；
  Of　deeds　unknown。
  〃Their　names　can　scarce　be　read；
  Depend　on't；　all　who　care　for　them　are　dead。〃
  So　went　the　tomb；　whose　shards　were　as　path…paving
  Distributed。
  Over　it　and　about
  Men's　footsteps　beat；　and　wind　and　water…spout；
  Until　the　names；　aforetime　gnawed　by　weathers；
  Were　quite　worn　out。
  So　that　no　sage　can　say
  In　pensive　progress　near　where　they　decay；
  〃This　stone　records　a　luminous　line　whose　talents
  Told　in　their　day。〃
  〃REGRET　NOT　ME〃
  Regret　not　me；
  Beneath　the　sunny　tree
  I　lie　uncaring；　slumbering　peacefully。
  Swift　as　the　light
  I　flew　my　faery　flight；
  Ecstatically　I　moved；　and　feared　no　night。
  I　did　not　know
  That　heydays　fade　and　go；
  But　deemed　that　what　was　would　be　always　so。
  I　skipped　at　morn
  Between　the　yellowing　corn；
  Thinking　it　good　and　glorious　to　be　born。
  I　ran　at　eves
  Among　the　piled…up　sheaves；
  Dreaming；　〃I　grieve　not；　therefore　nothing　grieves。〃
  Now　soon　will　come
  The　apple；　pear；　and　plum
  And　hinds　will　sing；　and　autumn　insects　hum。
  Again　you　will　fare
  To　cider…makings　rare；
  And　junketings；　but　I　shall　not　be　there。
  Yet　gaily　sing
  Until　the　pewter　ring
  Those　songs　we　sang　when　we　went　gipsying。
  And　lightly　dance
  Some　triple…timed　romance
  In　coupled　figures；　and　forget　mischance；
  And　mourn　not　me
  Beneath　the　yellowing　tree；
  For　I　shall　mind　not；　slumbering　peacefully。
  THE　RECALCITRANTS
  Let　us　off　and　search；　and　find　a　place
  Where　yours　and　mine　can　be　natural　lives；
  Where　no　one　comes　who　dissects　and　dives
  And　proclaims　that　ours　is　a　curious　case；
  That　its　touch　of　romance　can　scarcely　grace。
  You　would　think　it　strange　at　first；　but　then
  Everything　has　been　strange　in　its　time。
  When　some　one　said　on　a　day　of　the　prime
  He　would　bow　to　no　brazen　god　again
  He　doubtless　dazed　the　mass　of　men。
  None　will　recognize　us　as　a　pair　whose　claims
  To　righteous　judgment　we　care　not　making；
  Who　have　doubted　if　breath　be　worth　the　taking；
  And　have　no　respect　for　the　current　fames
  Whence　the　savour　has　flown　while　abide　the　names。
  We　have　found　us　already　shunned；　disdained；
  And　for　re…acceptance　have　not　once　striven；
  Whatever　offence　our　course　has　given
  The　brunt　thereof　we　have　long　sustained。
  Well；　let　us　away；　scorned　unexplained。
  STARLINGS　ON　THE　ROOF
  〃No　smoke　spreads　out　of　this　chimney…pot；
  The　people　who　lived　here　have　left　the　spot；
  And　others　are　coming　who　knew　them　not。
  If　you　listen　anon；　with　an　ear　intent；
  The　voices；　you'll　find；　will　be　different
  From　the　well…known　ones　of　those　who　went。〃
  〃Why　did　they　go？　　Their　tones　so　bland
  Were　quite　familiar　to　our　band；
  The　comers　we　shall　not　understand。〃
  〃They　look　for　a　new　life；　rich　and　strange；
  They　do　not　know　that；　let　them　range
  Wherever　they　may；　they　will　get　no　change。
  〃They　will　drag　their　house…gear　ever　so　far
  In　their　search　for　a　home　no　miseries　mar；
  They　will　find　that　as　they　were　they　are；
  〃That　every　hearth　has　a　ghost；　alack；
  And　can　be　but　the　scene　of　a　bivouac
  Till　they　move　perforceno　time　to　pack！〃
  THE　MOON　LOOKS　IN
  I
  I　have　risen　again；
  And　awhile　survey
  By　my　chilly　ray
  Through　your　window…pane
  Your　upturned　face；
  As　you　think；　〃Ah…she
  Now　dreams　of　me
  In　her　distant　place！〃
  II
  I　pierce　her　blind
  In　her　far…off　home：
  She　fixes　a　comb；
  And　says　in　her　mind；
  〃I　start　in　an　hour；
  Whom　shall　I　meet？
  Won't　the　men　be　sweet；
  And　the　women　sour！〃
  THE　SWEET　HUSSY
  In　his　early　days　he　was　quite　surprised
  When　she　told　him　she　was　compromised
  By　meetings　and　lingerings　at　his　whim；
  And　thinking　not　of　herself　but　him；
  While　she　lifted　orbs　aggrieved　and　round
  That　scandal　should　so　soon　abound；
  （As　she　had　raised　them　to　nine　or　ten
  Of　antecedent　nice　young　men）
  And　in　remorse　he　thought　with　a　sigh；
  How　good　she　is；　and　how　bad　am　I！　…
  It　was　years　before　he　understood
  That　she　was　the　wicked　onehe　the　good。
  THE　TELEGRAM
  〃O　he's　suf