DAYS 169 



said at length, turning her face away, 

 " and you never saw her for a long, long 

 time, for years, perhaps, would you 

 learn to be fond of the little sedge-bird, 

 too, until she came back to you ?" 



He saw that her eyes dimmed for a 

 moment, and she shyly put her hand into 

 his. Again there was silence, and he 

 gave her the one response which only 

 loving hearts can ever understand. 



And we know that he did learn to love 

 the little gray-brown bird, although it 

 was a long time before he really knew 

 why he did so. But now, when the song 

 is no longer heard in the rustling reeds, 

 and Yarrow's sleeping sighs are for 

 ever hushed, we may believe that the 

 boy and the girl will meet again in the 

 old familiar fields of their childhood, 



" And she to him will reach her hand, 

 And gazing in his eyes will stand, 

 And know her friend, and weep for glee, 

 And cry: * Long, long, I've looked for thee.' r ' 



