THE PRINCE'S PROGRESS. TILL all sweet gums and juices flow, Till the blossom of blossoms blow, The long hours go and come and go, The bride she sleepeth, waketh, sleepeth, Waiting for one whose coming is slow:Hark! the bride weepeth. "How long shall I wait, come heat come rime ?"- (Her women say), "there's a mountain to climb, In his world-end palace the strong Prince sat, Close at hand lay his staff and his hat. "When wilt thou start? the bride waits, O youth." "Now the moon's at full; I tarried for that, Now I start in truth. "But tell me first, true voice of my doom, Of my veiled bride in her maiden bloom; Keeps she watch through glare and through gloom, Watch for me asleep and awake?"—— 'Spell-bound she watches in one white room, And is patient for thy sake. "By her head lilies and rosebuds grow; The lilies droop, will the rosebuds blow? The silver slim lilies hang the head low; Their stream is scanty, their sunshine rare : Let the sun blaze out, and let the stream flow, They will blossom and wax fair. "Red and white poppies grow at her feet, The blood-red wait for sweet summer heat, Wrapped in bud-coats, hairy and neat ; But the white buds swell, one day they will burst, Will open their death cups drowsy and sweetWhich will open the first?" Then a hundred sad voices lifted a wail, And a hundred glad voices piped on the gale: "Time is short, life is short," they took up the tale : 66 Life is sweet, love is sweet, use to-day while you may; Love is sweet, and to-morrow may fail; Love is sweet, use to-day." While the song swept by, beseeching and meek, Going forth in the joy of his strength; Forth he set in the breezy morn, So light his step, so merry his smile, A wave-haired milkmaid, rosy and white; The Prince, who had journeyed at least a mile, Grew athirst at the sight. "Will you give me a morning draught?""You're kindly welcome," she said, and laughed. He lifted the pail, new milk he quaffed; Then wiping his curly black beard like silk : "Whitest cow that ever was calved Surely gave you this milk.” Was it milk now, or was it cream? He would have gone, but he stayed instead ; Green they gleamed as he looked in them: "Give me my fee," she said. "I will give you a jewel of gold.""Not so; gold is heavy and cold.""I will give you a velvet fold Of foreign work your beauty to deck.". "Better I like my kerchief rolled Light and white round my neck." 'Nay," cried he, "but fix your own fee.” She laughed, "You may give the full moon to me; Or else sit under this apple-tree Here for one idle day by my side; After that I'll let you go free, And the world is wide." Loth to stay, yet to leave her slack, He half turned away, then he quite turned back: For courtesy's sake he could not lack To redeem his own royal pledge; Ahead too the windy heaven lowered black So he stretched his length in the apple-tree shade, At the death of night and the birth of day, |