(O my love, O my love); Yet a woman's words are weak: You should speak, not I.

You took my heart in your hand
With a friendly smile,

With a critical eye you scanned,

Then set it down,

And said: It is still unripe,

Better wait awhile;

Wait while the skylarks pipe,

Till the corn grows brown.

Broke, but I did not wince; I smiled at the speech you spoke, At your judgment that I heard. But I have not often smiled

Since then, nor questioned since, Nor cared for corn-flowers wild,

Nor sung with the singing bird.

Thou hast seen, judge Thou. My hope was written on sand, O my God, O my God; Now let Thy judgment stand, — Yea, judge me now.

This contemned of a man,

This marred one heedless day,

This heart take Thou to scan

Both within and without :

Refine with fire its gold,

Purge Thou its dross away,

Yea, hold it in Thy hold,

Whence none can pluck it out.

SONGS IN A CORNFIELD.

A

SONG in a cornfield

Where corn begins to fall,

Where reapers are reaping,
Reaping one, reaping all.
Sing pretty Lettice,

Sing Rachel, sing May;

Only Marian cannot sing

While her sweetheart's away.

Where is he gone to

And why does he stay?

He came across the green sea

But for a day,

Across the deep green sea
To help with the hay.
His hair was curly yellow

And his eyes were gray,
He laughed a merry laugh
And said a sweet say.
Where is he gone to

That he comes not home?

To-day or to-morrow

He surely will come.

Let him haste to joy

Lest he lag for sorrow,

For one weeps to-day

Who'll not weep to-morrow :

To-day she must weep

For gnawing sorrow, To-night she may sleep

And not wake to-morrow.

May sang with Rachel

In the waxing warm weather, Lettice sang with them,

They sang all together :

"Take the wheat in your arm
Whilst day is broad above,
Take the wheat to your bosom,
But not a false false love.
Out in the fields

Summer heat gloweth,

Out in the fields

Summer wind bloweth,

Out in the fields

Summer friend showeth,

Out in the fields

Summer wheat groweth :

But in the winter

When summer heat is dead And summer wind has veered

And summer friend has fled, Only summer wheat remaineth, White cakes and bread.

Take the wheat, clasp the wheat

That's food for maid and dove;

Take the wheat to your bosom,
But not a false false love."

A silence of full noontide heat

Grew on them at their toil:

The farmer's dog woke up from sleep,
The green snake hid her coil

Where grass stood thickest; bird and beast
Sought shadows as they could,

The reaping men and women paused
And sat down where they stood;
They ate and drank and were refreshed,
For rest from toil is good.

While the reapers took their ease,

Their sickles lying by,

Rachel sang a second strain,

And singing seemed to sigh:

"There goes the swallow,

Could we but follow!

Hasty swallow stay,

Point us out the way;

Look back swallow, turn back swallow, stop swallow.

Good by swallow, sunny swallow, wise swallow.