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Title: The Adventures of Seumas Beg
       The Rocky Road to Dublin

Author: James Stephens

Release Date: August 25, 2011 [EBook #37214]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ADVENTURES OF SEUMAS BEG ***




Produced by Al Haines










THE ADVENTURES OF SEUMAS BEG


THE ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN


BY

JAMES STEPHENS



AUTHOR OF

'THE CHARWOMAN'S DAUGHTER,' 'THE HILL OF VISION,'
  'THE CROCK OF GOLD,' ETC.




MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED

ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON

1915




COPYRIGHT




CONTENTS


THE ADVENTURES OF SEUMAS BEG

  The Cherry Tree
  Breakfast Time
  In the Orchard
  Day and Night
  The Devil's Bag
  A Visit from Abroad
  The Wood of Flowers
  The White Window
  Midnight
  Behind the Hill
  The Secret
  April Showers
  The Turn of the Road
  The Coral Island
  The Cow
  The Old Man
  What the Snake saw
  The Horse
  The Apple Tree
  The Appointment
  Check
  When I was Young


THE ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN

  The Patriot's Bed
  Grafton Street
  Portobello Bridge
  York Street
  The Fifteen Acres
  College Green
  Mount Street
  Westland Row
  The College of Science
  The Canal Bank
  By Ana Liffey
  From Hawk and Kite
  The Gombeen-man
  Beresford Place
  At the Fair
  The Fur Coat
  Dublin Men
  O'Connell Bridge
  Charlotte Street
  George's Street
  Holles Street
  Katty Gollagher
  Cork Hill
  The Piper
  The Shadow
  Custom House Quay
  Stephen's Green
  The College of Surgeons
  Merrion Square
  The Bare Trees
  Dunphy's Corner
  The Dodder Bank
  White Fields
  The Paps of Dana
  Donnelly's Orchard
  Donnybrook




  THE ADVENTURES OF SEUMAS BEG



  THE CHERRY TREE

  _Come from your bed my drowsy gentleman!
    And you, fair lady, rise and braid your hair,
  And let the children wash, if wash they can;
    If not, assist you them, and make them fair
  As is the morning and the morning sky,
    And every tree and bush and bird in air._

  _The sun climbed on the heights three hours ago,
    He laughed above the hills and they were glad;
  With bubbled pearl he made the rivers flow
    And laced their mists in silver, and he clad
  The meads in fragrant pomp of green and gold,
    And bade the world forget it had been sad._

  _So lift yourself, good sir! and you, sweet dame,
    Unlash your evening eyes of pious grey;
  Call on the children by each loved name,
    And set them on the grass and let them play;
  And play with them a while, and sing with them
    Beneath the cherry bush a roundelay._




  BREAKFAST TIME

  The sun is always in the sky
    Whenever I get out of bed,
  And I often wonder why
    It's never late.--My sister said
  She did not know who did the trick,
    And that she did not care a bit,
  And I should eat my porridge quick.
    ... I think it's mother wakens it.




  IN THE ORCHARD

  There was a giant by the Orchard Wall
    Peeping about on this side and on that,
  And feeling in the trees: he was as tall
    As the big apple tree, and twice as fat:
  His beard was long, and bristly-black, and there
  Were leaves and bits of grass stuck in his hair.

  He held a great big club in his right hand,
    And with the other felt in every tree
  For something that he wanted.  You could stand
    Beside him and not reach up to his knee
  So mighty big he was--I feared he would
  Turn round, and trample down to where I stood.

  I tried to get away, but, as I slid
    Under a bush, he saw me, and he bent
  Far down and said, "_Where is the Princess hid?_"
    I pointed to a place, and off he went--
  But while he searched I turned and simply flew
  Round by the lilac bushes back to you.




  DAY AND NIGHT

  When the bright eyes of the day
    Open on the dusk, to see
  Mist and shadow fade away
    And the sun shine merrily,
  Then I leave my bed and run
  Out to frolic in the sun.

  Through the sunny hours I play
    Where the stream is wandering,
  Plucking daisies by the way;
    And I laugh and dance and sing,
  While the birds fly here and there
  Singing on the sunny air.

  When the night comes, cold and slow,
    And the sad moon walks the sky,
  When the whispering wind says "_Boh,
    Little boy!_" and makes me cry,
  By my mother I am led
  Home again and put to bed.




  THE DEVIL'S BAG

  I saw the Devil walking down the lane
  Behind our house.--There was a heavy bag
  Strapped tightly on his shoulders, and the rain
  Sizzled when it hit him.  He picked a rag
  Up from the ground and put it in his sack,
  And grinned and rubbed his hands.
  There was a thing
  Moving inside the bag upon his back--
  It must have been a soul!  I saw it fling
  And twist about inside, and not a hole
  Or cranny for escape!  Oh, it was sad!
  I cried, and shouted out, "_Let out that soul!_"
  But he turned round, and, sure, his face went mad,
  And twisted up and down, and he said "_Hell!_"
  And ran away....  Oh, mammy! I'm not well.




  A VISIT FROM ABROAD

  A speck went blowing up against the sky
    As little as a leaf: then it drew near
  And broadened.--"It's a bird," said I,
    And fetched my bow and arrows.  It was queer!
  It grew up from a speck into a blot,
  And squattered past a cloud; then it flew down
  All crumply, and waggled such a lot
    I thought the thing would fall.--It was a brown
  Old carpet where a man was sitting snug
    Who, when he reached the ground, began to sew
  A big hole in the middle of the rug,
    And kept on peeping everywhere to know
  Who might be coming--then he gave a twist
    And flew away....  I fired at him but missed.




  THE WOOD OF FLOWERS

  I went to the Wood of Flowers
    (No one was with me);
  I was there alone for hours.
    I was happy as could be
  In the Wood of Flowers.

  There was grass on the ground,
    There were buds on the tree,
  And the wind had a sound
    Of such gaiety,
  That I was as happy
    As happy could be,
  In the Wood of Flowers.




  THE WHITE WINDOW

  The moon comes every night to peep
    Through the window where I lie,
  And I pretend to be asleep;
    But I watch the moon as it goes by,
  And it never makes a sound.

  It stands and stares, and then it goes
    To the house that's next to me,
  Stealing on its tippy-toes,
    To peep at folk asleep maybe;
  And it never makes a sound.




  MIDNIGHT

  And then I wakened up in such a fright;
    I thought I heard a movement in the room
  But did not dare to look; I snuggled right
    Down underneath the bedclothes--then the boom
  Of a tremendous voice said, "_Sit up, lad,
    And let me see your face._"  So up I sat,
  Although I didn't want to.  I was glad
    I did though, for it was an angel that
  Had called me, and he said, he'd come to know
    Was I the boy who wouldn't say his prayers
  Nor do his sums, and that I'd have to go
    Straight down to hell because of such affairs.
  ... I said I'd be converted and do good
    If he would let me off--he said he would.




  BEHIND THE HILL

  Behind the hill I met a man in green
    Who asked me if my mother had gone out?
  I said she had.  He asked me had I seen
    His castle where the people sing and shout
  From dawn to dark, and told me that he had
    A crock of gold inside a hollow tree,
  And I could have it.--I wanted money bad
    To buy a sword with, and I thought that he
  Would keep his solemn word; so, off we went.
    He said he had a pound hid in the crock,
  And owned the castle too, and paid no rent
    To any one, and that you had to knock
  Five hundred times.  I asked, "_Who reckoned up?_"
  And he said, "_You insulting little pup!_"




  THE SECRET

  I was frightened, for a wind
    Crept along the grass to say
  Something that was in my mind
    Yesterday--

  Something that I did not know
    Could be found out by the wind,
  I had buried it so low
    In my mind.




  APRIL SHOWERS

  The leaves are fresh after the rain,
    The air is cool and clear,
  The sun is shining warm again,
    The sparrows hopping in the lane
  Are brisk and full of cheer.

  And that is why we dance and play,
    And that is why we sing,
  Calling out in voices gay,
    We will not go to school to-day
  Or learn anything:

  It is a happy thing, I say,
  To be alive on such a day.




  THE TURN OF THE ROAD

  I was playing with my hoop along the road
    Just where the bushes are, when, suddenly,
  There came a shout.--I ran away and stowed
    Myself beneath a bush, and watched to see
  What made the noise, and then, around the bend,
    I saw a woman running.  She was old
  And wrinkle-faced, and had big teeth.--The end
    Of her red shawl caught on a bush and rolled
  Right off her, and her hair fell down.--Her face
    Was awful white, and both her eyes looked sick,
  And she was talking queer.  "_O God of Grace!_"
    Said she, "_where is the child?_" and flew back quick
  The way she came, and screamed, and shook her hands;
    ... Maybe she was a witch from foreign lands.




  THE CORAL ISLAND

  His arms were round a chest of oaken wood,
    It was clamped with brass and iron studs, and seemed
  An awful weight.  After a while he stood
    And I stole near to him.--His white eyes gleamed
  As he peeped secretly about; he laid
    The oaken chest upon the ground, then drew
  A great knife from his belt, and stuck the blade
    Into the ground and dug.  The clay soon flew
  In all directions underneath a tree,
    And when the hole was deep he put the box
  Down there, and threw the clay back cunningly,
    Stamping the ground quite flat; then like a fox
  He crept among the trees....  I went next day
  To dig the treasure up, but I lost my way.




  THE COW

        Cow, Cow!
        I and thou
  Are looking at each other's eyes
  You are lying on the grass
  Eating every time I pass,
  And you do not seem to be
  Ever in perplexity:
  You are good I'm sure, and not
  Fit for nothing but the pot:
  For your bearing is so kind,
  And your quietness so wise:
        Cow, Cow!
        I and thou
  Are looking at each other's eyes.




  THE OLD MAN

  An old man sat beneath a tree
    Alone;
  So still was he
    That, if he had been carved in stone,
  He could not be
    More quiet or more cold:
  He was an ancient man
    More than
  A thousand ages old.




  WHAT THE SNAKE SAW

  A little girl and a big ugly man
    Went down the road.  The girl was crying
  And asking to go home, but when she ran
    He hit her on the head and sent her flying,
  And called her a young imp, and said he'd break
    Her neck unless she went with him, and then
  He smacked her on the cheek.--I was a snake
    At that time crawling through a robber's den,
  And diamonds were sticking to my tongue--
    (That's the best dodge), but when I saw the way
  He beat the little girl I up and flung
    A stone at him.  My aim was bad that day
  Because I hit the girl ... and she did sing!
  But he jumped round and cursed like anything.




  THE HORSE

  A sparrow hopped about the street,
    And he was not a bit afraid;
  He flew between a horse's feet,
    And ate his supper undismayed:
  I think myself the horse knew well
  The bird came for the grains that fell.

  For his eye was looking down,
    And he danced the corn about
  In his nose-bag, till the brown
    Grains of corn were tumbled out;
  And I fancy that he said,
  "Eat it up, young Speckle-Head!"

  The driver then came back again,
    He climbed into the heavy dray;
  And he tightened up the rein,
    Cracked his whip and drove away.
  But when the horse's ribs were hit,
  The sparrow did not care a bit.




  THE APPLE TREE

  I was hiding in the crooked apple tree,
    Scouting for Indians, when a man came;
  I thought it was an Indian, for he
    Was running like the wind.--There was a flame
  Of sunlight on his hand as he drew near,
    And then I saw a knife gripped in his fist.
  He panted like a horse; his eyes were queer,
    Wide-open, staring frightfully, and, hist!
  His mouth stared open like another eye,
    And all his hair was matted down with sweat.
  I crouched among the leaves for fear he'd spy
    Where I was hiding, so he did not get
  His awful eyes on me, but like the wind
  He fled as if he heard something behind.




  THE APPOINTMENT

  Tree! you are years standing there,
    Gripping tight to the side of the hill,
  And your branches are spread on the air,
    While you stand so sad and so still,
      And you do not complain
      When you're wet with the rain,
    Though I think you have often been ill.

  I would like (but it could not be done,
    So you must not keep me to my word)
  To take you away when the sun
    Goes down, and the breezes are stirred,
      And hug you in bed
      With myself, till you said
  That to sleep on a hill was absurd.

  O beautiful tree! when the night
    Is dark, and the winds come and scold,
  I would love then to cuddle you tight,
    For I fear you will die of the cold;
      But you are so tall,
      And my bed is so small,
  That it could not be done, I am told.

  My mother is calling for me,
    And the baby is wanting to play,
  I shall have to go home now, you see,
    But I'll give you a kiss if I may:
      I would stay if I could,
      But a child must be good,
  So I must, darling tree, go away.

  I will leave you my pencil and slate,
    And this little pin from my frock;
  But now I must go, for it's late,
    And my mother is rattling the lock:
      So good-bye, darling dear,
      I'll come back, never fear,
  In the morning at seven o'clock.




  CHECK

  The night was creeping on the ground;
  She crept and did not make a sound
  Until she reached the tree, and then
  She covered it, and stole again
  Along the grass beside the wall.

  I heard the rustle of her shawl
  As she threw blackness everywhere
  Upon the sky and ground and air,
  And in the room where I was hid:
  But no matter what she did
  To everything that was without,
  She could not put my candle out.

  So I stared at the night, and she
  Stared back solemnly at me.




  WHEN I WAS YOUNG

  I will not know when I am dead
  If sun or moon is overhead;
  I'll stretch out flat without a sound
  Inside a box beneath the ground,
  And never rise again to see
  Branches lifting on a tree,
  Nor hear the song the finches sing
  In the spring.

  I'll not, while sunny ages go,
  Lift a hand or wag a toe;
  But in a wooden box will be
  Hidden for eternity
  From sea and sun, from sight and sound,
  From touch of people, voice of friend,
  From all that makes my heart to bound,
  Denying such an end:
  It is so strange--I wonder why
  People die!




  THE ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN



  THE PATRIOT'S BED

  When a son you shall desire,
  Pray to water and to fire;
  But when you would have a daughter,
  Pray to fire and then to water.




  GRAFTON STREET

  At four o'clock, in dainty talk,
  Lords and lovely ladies walk,
  With a gentle dignity,
  From the Green to Trinity.

  And at five o'clock they take,
  In a Cafe, tea and cake,
  Then they call a carriage, and
  Drive back into fairyland.




  PORTOBELLO BRIDGE

  Silver stars shine peacefully,
  The Canal is silver, the
  Poplars bear with modest grace
  Gossamers of silver lace,
  And the turf bank wears with glee
  Black and silver filigree.




  YORK STREET

  If in winter you shall drive
  Birds from crumbs, you shall not thrive;
  But if you feed them, they will fly
  To sing it sweetly on the sky.

  So throw up the window, and
  Scatter with a lavish hand,
  Taking care you do not spill
  Flower-pots from the window-sill,

  Singing, "Ireland shall be free
  From the centre to the sea";
  Singing bravely once again,
  "We are Dan O'Connell's Men."




  THE FIFTEEN ACRES

    I cling and swing
    On a branch, or sing
  Through the cool, clear hush of Morning, O:
    Or fling my wing
    On the air, and bring
  To sleepier birds a warning, O:
    That the night's in flight,
    And the sun's in sight,
  And the dew is the grass adorning, O:
    And the green leaves swing
    As I sing, sing, sing,
      Up by the river,
        Down the dell,
      To the little wee nest,
        Where the big tree fell,
      So early in the morning, O.

    I flit and twit
    In the sun for a bit
  When his light so bright is shining, O:
    Or sit and fit
    My plumes, or knit
  Straw plaits for the nest's nice lining, O:
    And she with glee
    Shows unto me
  Underneath her wings reclining, O:
    And I sing that Peg
    Has an egg, egg, egg,
      Up by the oat-field,
        Round the mill,
      Past the meadow,
        Down the hill,
      So early in the morning, O.

    I stoop and swoop
    On the air, or loop
  Through the trees, and then go soaring, O
    To group with a troop
    On the gusty poop
  While the wind behind is roaring, O:
    I skim and swim
    By a cloud's red rim
  And up to the azure flooring, O:
    And my wide wings drip
    As I slip, slip, slip
      Down through the rain-drops,
        Back where Peg
      Broods in the nest
        On the little white egg,
      So early in the morning, O.




  COLLEGE GREEN

  When you meet an ancient man,
  Be as silent as you can;
  So when old age comes to you,
  Courtesies shall gather too.

  And King Billy's horse will start
  From our street and from our heart,
  When each Irishman shall be
  Perfected in courtesy.




  MOUNT STREET

  Here and there on the wings of night
  A fleck of blue and purple light,
  A scrap of cloud, a bird, a star,
  A comet hurrying afar
  On the abyss, and the moon
  Standing in her silver shoon.

  On the summit of the sky,
  Delicate and proud and high,
  The silver moon on a silver sea
  Spins her silver broidery
  While the stars send down a light
  Here and there on the wings of night.




  WESTLAND ROW

  Every Sunday there's a throng
  Of pretty girls, who trot along
  In a pious, breathless state
  (They are nearly always late)
  To the Chapel, where they pray
  For the sins of Saturday.

  They have frocks of white and blue,
  Yellow sashes they have too,
  And red ribbons show each head
  Tenderly is ringleted;
  And the bell rings loud, and the
  Railway whistles urgently.

  After Chapel they will go,
  Walking delicately slow,
  Telling still how Father John
  Is so good to look upon,
  And such other grave affairs
  As they thought of during prayers.




  THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

  Who knows a thing and will not tell
  Shall spend eternity in hell;
  But he who learns and teaches free
  In heaven spends eternity.

  Around the Leinster Lawn we go
  Into Molesworth Street, and so
  To Saint Stephen's Green, where we
  Hang a banner on a tree.




  THE CANAL BANK

  I know a girl,
    And a girl knows me,
      And the owl says, what?
      And the owl says, who?
  But what we know
    We both agree
  That nobody else
    Shall hear or see,
  It's all between
    Herself and me:
      To wit? said the owl,
      To woo, said I,
    To-what, to-wit, to-woo!




  BY ANA LIFFEY

  If you come to live with me,
  I will sing so heartily
  In your honour that you will
  Stay to wonder at my skill.

  In your honour I will fill
  The world with songs of triumph, till
  You and I and Time are old
  Pipers of the Age of Gold.

  Time and you and I will hold,
  Everywhere by field and fold,
  Concerts of content, and be
  Known afar for jollity.

  Everywhere by fold and field
  We will wander well-agreed;
  So I sing right heartily,
  Come along and live with me.




  FROM HAWK AND KITE

  Poor, frightened, fluttered, silent one!
    If we had seen your nest of clay
  We would have passed it by, and gone,
    Nor frightened you away.

  For there are others guard a nest
    From hawk and kite and lurking foe,
  And more despair is in their breast
    Than you can ever know.

  Shield the nests where'er they be,
  On the ground or on the tree;
  Guard the poor from treachery.




  THE GOMBEEN-MAN

  I put the sky into my pocket,
  And the sea into my locket,
  And into my breeches-band
  I put the land.

  So I was trotting off to share,
  Among my comrades in the lair,
  Our profits, when a peeler came
  And took my name.

  And now I'm in the County Gaol!
  Will anybody be my bail?
  Will anybody be my bail
  And take me from the County Gaol?




  BERESFORD PLACE

  The man who has and does not give
  Shall break his neck, and cease to live;
  But he who gives without a care
  Shall gather rubies from the air.




  AT THE FAIR

  The lark shall never come to say
  To a gombeen-man, "Good day,"
  And the lark shall never cry
  To a kindly man, "Good-bye."

  See the greedy gombeen-man
  Taking everything he can
  From man and woman, dog and cat--
  And the lark does not like that.




  THE FUR COAT

  I walked out in my Coat of Pride,
  I looked about on every side,
  And said the mountains should not be
  Just where they were, and that the sea
  Was badly placed, and that the beech
  Should be an oak--and then from each
  I turned in dignity as if
  They were not there: I sniffed a sniff,
  And climbed upon my sunny shelf,
  And sneezed a while, and scratched myself.




  DUBLIN MEN

  A Dublin man will frown when he
  Hears a tale of villainy;
  But when a kindness you relate,
  He swings and whistles on the gate.




  O'CONNELL BRIDGE

  In Dublin town the people see
  Gorgeous clouds sail gorgeously,
  They are finer, I declare,
  Than the clouds of anywhere.

  A swirl of blue and red and green,
  A stream of blinding gold, a sheen
  From silver hill and pearly ridge
  Comes each evening on the bridge.

  So when you walk in a field, look down,
  Lest you tramp on a daisy's crown,
  But in a city look always high
  And watch the beautiful clouds go by.




  CHARLOTTE STREET

  Inside a soap shop, down a lane,
  A big bee buzzed on a window-pane,

  Climbing the cold glass up and down;
  Bee, what brought you into town?

  You are tired and hungry and scarce alive,
  Poor old Shaggy-Tail! where's your hive?




  GEORGE'S STREET

  Listen! if but women were
  Half as kind as they are fair,
  There would be an end to all
  Miseries that do befall.

  Cloud and wind would run together
  In a dance of sunny weather,
  And the happy trees would throw
  Gifts to travellers below.

  Then the lion, meek and mild,
  With the lamb would, side by side,
  Couch him friendly, and would be
  Innocent of enmity.

  Then the Frozen Pole would go,
  Tossing off his fields of snow,
  And would shake delighted feet
  With the girls of George's Street.

  These, if women only were
  Half as kind as they are fair.




  HOLLES STREET

  Through the air,
  Everywhere, the rain is falling;
  Brawling on house and tree:
  On every place that you can see
  The rain drops go;
  The roofs are wet, the walls, the ground below.

  Midnight has come;
  Now all the people stretch them blind and dumb
  Each in a bed
  Save I, who sit and listen overhead
  Unto the rain
  Splashing upon the roof and window-pane.

  Midnight! and I
  Can get no sleep, nor can the sky.




  KATTY GOLLAGHER

  The hill is bare: I only find
    The grass, the sky, and one small tree
  Tossing wildly on the wind;
    And that is all there is to see:
  A tree, a hill, a wind, a sky
  Where nothing ever passes by.




  CORK HILL

  Come all ye happy children, and
  Gather round me hand in hand,
  Dancing to the merry cry,
  "See the Robbers Passing By."

  Past the Castle we will dance
  To the Mansion House, and prance
  Back by George's Street and cry,
  "See the Robbers Passing By."

  Gather then ye children all
  Into ranks processional,
  Marching to the merry cry,
  "See the Robbers Passing By."




  THE PIPER

  Shepherd! while the lambs do feed,
    And you rest beneath a tree,
  Pipe upon an oaten reed
    Merrily and merrily.

  Should it rain do not forbear--
    Rain comes from the happy sky--
  Tune us now a quiet air
    Till the shower passes by.

  Back the sun will come in gold!
    Pipe away, my dear, until
  Evening brings the lambs to fold--
    You may weep then if you will.




  THE SHADOW

  Silence comes upon the night,
    Gone is all the cheerful day,
  The moon has disappeared from sight,
    Every star has gone away.

  Sinking through the void, and thence
    Disappearing, star and sky,
  In the stern and black immense
    That has blinded every eye.

  Silence crouches on the land,
    In the street a shadow lies
  Cloaked in velvet wrappings, and
    With a mask upon her eyes.

  Anonymous and terrible
    Mother of the primal ray,
  Only night because thou art
    In thyself excess of day.




  CUSTOM HOUSE QUAY

  When a Dublin man shall say,
  "Give me a little bread, I pray,"
  If you do not give him bread
  You will be hungry when he is fed.

  And let no priest or magistrate
  Scowl upon the poor man's plate,
  Asking him the question sly
  To which no one can reply.




  STEPHEN'S GREEN

  The wind stood up and gave a shout;
    He whistled on his fingers, and
  Kicked the withered leaves about
    And thumped the branches with his hand,
  And said he'd kill, and kill, and kill,
  And so he will, and so he will.




  THE COLLEGE OF SURGEONS

  As I stood at the door
    Sheltered out of the wind,
  Something flew in
    Which I hardly could find.

  In the dim, gloomy doorway
    I searched till I found
  A dry withered leaf
    Lying down on the ground.

  With thin, pointed claws
    And a dry dusty skin,--
  Sure a hall is no place
    For a leaf to be in!

  Oh where is your tree,
    And your summer and all,
  Poor dusty leaf
    Whistled into a hall?




  MERRION SQUARE

  Grey clouds on the tinted sky,
  A drifting moon, a quiet breeze
  Drooping mournfully to cry
  In the branches of the trees.

  The crying wind, the sighing trees,
  The ruffled stars, the darkness falling
  Down the sky, and on the breeze
  A belated linnet calling.




  THE BARE TREES

  Unfortunates, on the bare tree!
  I mourn for ye
  That have no place to house,
  But on those winter-white cold boughs
    To sit,
    (How far apart ye sit)
  And brood
  In this wide, wintry solitude
    That has no song at all to hearten it.

  Fly away, little birds!
    Fly away to Spain,
  Stay there all the winter
    Then come back again;
  Come back in the summer
    When the leaves are thick;
  Little weeny cold birds
    Fly away quick.




  DUNPHY'S CORNER

  Pacing slowly down the road
  Black horses go, with load on load
  Of Dublin people dead, and they
  Will be covered up in clay.

  Ere their friends go home, each man
  Will shake his head, and drain a can
  To Dublin people we will meet
  Not again in Grafton Street.




  THE DODDER BANK

  When no flower is nigh, you might
  Spy a weed with deep delight;
  So, when far from saints and bliss,
  God might give a sin a kiss.




  WHITE FIELDS

  In the winter children go
  Walking in the fields of snow
  Where there is no grass at all,
  And the top of every wall,
  Every fence, and every tree
  Is as white as white can be.

  Pointing out the way they came,
  (Every one of them the same)
  All across the fields there be
  Prints in silver filigree;
  And their mothers find them so
  By the footprints in the snow.




  THE PAPS OF DANA

  The mountains stand and stare around,
    They are far too proud to speak;
  Altho' they're rooted in the ground,
    Up they go, peak after peak,
  Beyond the tallest tree, and still
    Soaring over house and hill
  Until you'd think they'd never stop
    Going up, top over top,
  Into the clouds--
                Still I mark
    That a sparrow or a lark
  Flying just as high, can sing
    As if he'd not done anything.

  I think the mountains ought to be
  Taught a little modesty.




  DONNELLY'S ORCHARD

  He who locks a gate doth close
  Pity's heart against his woes;
  But who opens one shall find
  God is standing just behind.




  DONNYBROOK

  I saw the moon so broad and bright
  Sailing high on a frosty night:

  And the air swung far and far between
  The silver disc and the orb of green:

  While here and there a wisp of white
  Cloud-film swam on the misty light:

  And crusted thickly on the sky,
  High and higher and yet more high,

  Were golden star-points dusted through
  The great, wide, silent vault of blue:

  Then I said to me--God is good
  And the world is fair--and where I stood

  I knelt me down and bent my head,
  And said my prayers, and went to bed.




  THE END




  _Printed by_ R. & R. CLARK, LIMITED, _Edinburgh._




_BY THE SAME AUTHOR._


THE CROCK OF GOLD.  Crown 8vo.  5s. net.

_THE PALL MALL GAZETTE_.--"A wise, beautiful, and humorous book....  If
you could have given Sterne a soul and made him a poet he might have
produced _The Crock of Gold_."


THE DEMI-GODS.  Crown 8vo.  5s.  net.

_STANDARD_.--"The book is full of fine knowledge and fantasies in every
shade of gaiety and gravity, and we would call its author a magician
did we not feel that everything he writes is perfectly natural to
him....  This book would prove, if proof were needed, that Mr.
Stephens's _Crock of Gold_ was not a mere _tour de force_, but a real
ebullition of genius and a token of all the good work that was to come."


HERE ARE LADIES.  Crown 8vo.  5s. net.

_THE TIMES_.--"A story may have many and diverse effects upon its
reader.  It may leave him smiling, laughing, frowning (perhaps
weeping), angry, perplexed, exalted, afraid.  The bits of stories in
_Here are Ladies_, the sketches, essays, snapshots, call them what you
will, will leave him for the most part happy and hungry--for more."


THE CHARWOMAN'S DAUGHTER.  Crown 8vo.  3s. 6d. net.

_PUNCH_.--"A little gem....  It is a very long time indeed since we
read such a human, satisfying book.  Every page contains some happy
phrase or illuminating piece of character drawing."


SONGS FROM THE CLAY.  Crown 8vo.  3s. 6d. net.

_EVENING STANDARD_.--"They have the sense of elfin mischief and keen
spiritual sympathy with inarticulate nature which is so recognisable a
feature of all Mr. Stephens's writings, prose and verse.  Many of the
poems are models of that simplicity which is the supreme art of poesy,
and in all may be found an underlying verity, masked may be with smiles
or tears."


MACMILLAN AND CO., LTD., LONDON.











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