MOTHERLESS baby and babyless While the birds are silence keeping,

LIE a-bed,
Sleepy head,

Shut up eyes, bo-peep;
Till day-break
Never wake :-

Baby, sleep.

AN ALPHABET

A is the Alphabet, A at its head;

A is an Antelope, agile to run.

B is the Baker Boy bringing the bread,

K is a King, or a Kaiser still higher;
K is a Kitten, or quaint Kangaroo.
L is a Lute or a lovely-toned Lyre;

L is a Lily all laden with dew..

M is a Meadow where Meadowsweet blows;

M is a Mountain made dim by a mist.

N is a nut-in a nutshell it growsOr a Nest full of Nightingales singing-oh list!

O is an Opal, with only one spark;
O is an Olive, with oil on its skin.

Or black Bear and brown Bear, P is a Pony, a pet in a park ;

both begging for bun.

C is a Cornflower come with the

corn;

C is a Cat with a comical look.
D is a dinner which Dahlias adorn;
D is a Duchess who dines with a

Duke.

E is an elegant eloquent Earl ;

P is the Point of a Pen or a Pin.

Q is a Quail, quick-chirping at

morn;

Q is a Quince quite ripe and near
dropping.

R is a Rose, rosy red on a thorn;
R is a red-breasted Robin come
hopping.

E is an Egg whence an Eaglet S is a Snow-storm that sweeps o'er

Come safe ashore from foaming Is predilect still, now promoted to

Yet he's a brave man who abjures The impartial ploughshare of ex

For conscience' sake: let bye- Annulled them all without distinction. gones be byegones :

Not this among the makers of our laws

The least and last of Johns.

If all our bygones could be piled
on shelves

High out of reach of penny-line
Tyrtæus !

If only all of us could see ourselves
As others see us!

21 July 1882.

MOLE AND EARTHWORM

Before 1886.

TO MARY ROSSETTI

You were born in the Spring
When the pretty birds sing

In sunbeamy bowers :
Then dress like a Fairy,
Dear dumpling my Mary,
In green and in flowers.
Circa 1887.

WHAT WILL IT BE?

WHAT will it be, O my soul, what will it be,

A HANDY Mole, who plied no shovel To touch the long-raced-for goal, to To excavate his vaulted hovel,

handle and see,

While hard at work met in mid- To rest in the joy of joys, in the joy

furrow

of the blest,

rest and revive and rejoice, to rejoice and to rest?

Before 1893.

SPEECHLESS

LORD, Thou art fullness, I am emptiness:

Yet hear my heart speak in its
speechlessness,

Extolling Thine unuttered loveliness.
Before 1893.

PLEADING

O LORD, I cannot plead my love of
Thee :

I plead Thy Love of me :The shallow conduit hails the unfathomed sea.

Before 1893.