The Argosy — page 345: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

324 IN THE SUNSET. ‘THE day is fading, the west is glowing With tints, whose glory brings back to me A far, fair haven with white sails going Over and over a sapphire sea ; Oh! far, fair haven—oh ! sea bird flying, I fain would borrow your bold, brave wing, ‘lo mount and soar while the day is dying, And follow the red sun westering. Oh! sapphire sea, set with gem-like islands— Mine eyes with longing will weary sore, Ere again I see the corn-crowned highlands Which guard and girdle that shining shore ! In coigns and clefts that the woodbine covers, Are fairy places I knew of old, Where lips—ah, haply the lips of lovers— Have told the story that once I told ! Fair and quiet, and brightly tender, The low hight gilded the wood and lea, For day was dying in royal splendour As we two stood by that western sea ; The soft wind scattered bright, tiny pieces From beds of cloud where the sun reposed, And sent them sailing like golden fleeces In amber skies ere the twilight closed. The lovely day was so long a-dying, But came at last the enchanting hour When gentle Zephyr, with long-drawn sighing, Shook the scent from the woodbine flower. Then o’er the dusk of the oaks and beeches The young moon mounted her throne afar, And lit with silver the grey sea-reaches Lying beyond the harbour bar. Ah, Love’s sweet words will again be spoken, Like those we breathed on the fragrant air, And Love’s sweet vows will be lightly broken, As those have been that we uttered there ; And still the boats will be, wing-like, flitting About the islands that gem the bay— Oh! human hearts are so long forgetting The bliss and pain of a bygone day ! HELEN MARION BURNSIDE. COMIC OO© cS (E(0) m