BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 97 



A loiterer from the city's whirl 

 Stands viewing scene and men. 

 A flowing tide with rushing flood 

 And lapping swish and swirl, 

 A swinging barge, a fisher's craft 

 Drives in with reef unfurled. 



Afar, the busy smoke-born haze, 

 Outshoot from factory depths, 

 The ferry, town, and dusky wharfs 

 The terraced tower o'erlooks. 

 Afar, the haunts of toil-worn forms, 

 Afar, the shimmering sea, 

 Afar, speed thoughts from sun-lit crests 

 To thoughts illumed by thee. 



Interesting also is " A Fragment, " which is found in her notes 

 in several variants; this is the second: 



" I stood and looked into the night 

 A fir tree sombre rose to sight, 

 A full-limbed evergreen tree. 

 I stood and looked beyond the night 

 Upon a distant star, 

 Whose emerald light 

 Shone dim from heaven's vault afar. 

 What thoughts of earth or sky hold you, 

 Sole watchers of night's sleep 

 Are life problems veiled to you 

 As the night in leaden mist? 

 What know yon star and tree 

 Of passion, death, or bliss ? 

 What use were science' teachings 

 To answer dreams like this ! " 



In a criticism occasioned by reading Thomas Davidson's 

 "Prolegomena to In Memoriam" she says: 



"As I look backward I see the spark of faith or religious 

 feeling early developed perhaps at nine years. I can recall 

 hours spent in meditation and silent prayer at afternoon ser- 

 vice. This mood deepened until all the joys from a firm be- 

 lief in Catholic doctrine and practice were mine. At last came 



