THE GHOST-FLOWEK, AND CHILD. 341 



Somebody comes and cometh in might ; 

 Ah winter ! winter ! there cometh in chase 

 A Power more strong than thou canst embrace, 

 For beauty and violets bloom in the race ! 



Gentle Bird ! gentle Bird, come from the sun, 



The blue on your back and sky are as one ! 



Gentle Bird ! gentle Bird, come ye to day 



To tell me of pardon then go away ! 



Gentle Bird ! gentle Bird ! why is it so 



You and I struggle through such a dark woe ? 



Dreary, ah dreary the front of the Earth, 



Gentle Bird tell me why pity is dearth ? 



Gentle Bird ! gentle Bird ! know they thy song ? 



Gentle Bird ! say is it they that are wrong ? 



Gentle Bird tell me then tell me how long 



The good God lets us go scorning the wrong ? 



Gentle Bird ! gentle Bird ! tell me how long 



"Will sad things be humble and bad things be strong ? 



Will virtue be poor, yet go yearning ? 



Will vice have great store yet go earning 

 Earning of weak ones still more ? 

 Tell it me, gentle bird, I so yearn for thy lore. 



Must greatest strength, then, crush the meekest ? 



Must greatest length, then, bend the more ? 

 The greatest height, be all the bleakest 



And the greatest hearts be they most sore ? 

 Must the brightest flowers God gave the hours, 

 Eeach our sad eyes through evil powers ? 

 Tell me, then, gentle bird, why is it so ? 



You twitter, and twitter, and twitter a song, 



Art thou never cold is the day never long ? 



Do never Hawks haunt thee and Eagles scream loud ? 



Croak Ravens no Portent see ye no leaf shroud ? 



Doth thy bright eye quail or thy little heart fail 



When rustling by thee, they heavily sail ? 



