World-voices east, world-voices west,

They call thee, Heart, from thine early rest, 'Come hither, come hither and be our guest.' Heart, wilt thou go?

—'No, no!

'Good hearts are calmer so.'

III.

Who calleth thee, Heart? World's Strife,
With a golden heft to his knife;
World's Mirth, with a finger fine
That draws on a board in wine
Her blood-red plans of life;

World's Gain, with a brow knit down;
World's Fame, with a laurel crown

Which rustles most as the leaves turn brown:
Heart, wilt thou go?

—‘No, no!

'Calm hearts are wiser so

IV.

Hast heard that Proserpina
(Once fooling) was snatched away
To partake the dark king's seat,
And the tears ran fast on her feet

To think how the sun shone yesterday?
With her ankles sunken in asphodel
She wept for the roses of earth which fell

From her lap when the wild car drave to hell.
Heart, wilt thou go?
-'No, no!

Wise hearts are warmer so.'

V.

And what is this place not seen, Where Hearts may hide serene ? 'Tis a fair still house well-kept,

6

'Which humble thoughts have swept,
'And holy prayers made clean.
There, I sit with Love in the sun,
'And we two never have done

Singing sweeter songs than are guessed by one.'
Heart, wilt thou go?

—'No, no!

'Warm hearts are fuller so.'

VI.

O Heart, O Love,—I fear

That Love may be kept too near.
Hast heard, O Heart, that tale,
How Love may be false and frail

To a Heart once holden dear?

-"But this true Love of mine

Clings fast as the clinging vine,

'And mingles pure as the grapes in wine.'

Heart, wilt thou go?

—‘No, no!

'Full hearts beat higher so.'

VII.

O Heart, O Love, beware!

Look up, and boast not there,

For who has twirled at the pin ? 'Tis the World, between Death and Sin,The World and the world's Despair! And Death has quickened his pace To the hearth, with a mocking face, Familiar as Love, in Love's own place. Heart, wilt thou go?

The house is waste to-day,—

The leaf has dropt from the spray,

The thorn, prickt through to the song: If summer doeth no wrong

The winter will, they say

Sing, Heart! what heart replies ? In vain we were calm and wise, If the tears unkissed stand on in our eyes. Heart, wilt thou go?

-'Ah, no!

'Grieved hearts must break even so.'

IX.

Howbeit all is not lost.

The warm noon ends in frost,

And worldly tongues of promise,
Like sheep-bells die off from us

On the desert hills cloud-crossed:

Yet through the silence shall
Pierce the death-angel's call,

And Come up hither,' recover all.
Heart, wilt thou go?

-'I go!

'Broken hearts triumph so.'

WISDOM UNAPPLIED.

I.

IF I were thou, O butterfly,

And poised my purple wing to spy

The sweetest flowers that live and die,

II.

I would not waste my strength on those,
As thou,-for summer has a close,
And pansies bloom not in the snows.

III.

If I were thou, O working bee,
And all that honey-gold I see,
Could delve from roses easily,

IV.

I would not hive it at man's door,

As thou, that heirdom of my store

-

Should make him rich and leave me poor.