Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Drought In time of drought a sweeping flood would do Less good than harm: who thought of thirst to die, Life beaten out ere they to quench it knew, Would perish rather of the remedy. And I, who faint for sight and sound of you, Find all the channels of my joy run dry ;— Yet, were they flooded, love might perish too, That lives so much on what the heavens deny. Contradiction Active, to love; and passive, to be loved? I only know it is not so with me;— To act is effort, and is far removed From my still heart's assured sufficiency. And to be loved, and passive ? When a breath That Love gives forth weighs down the un- steadied air With its demand, incentive even to death ! To love, we live; but, being loved, we dare. A Fancy As Indian women pause before they go To bathe, and, dallying at the water's rim, Asoka blossoms on its surface throw, Orange and red, from dusky hands and slim; So, pausing, do I deck with thoughts of thee The face of every joy that comes to me. Pity, from wastes of fruitless sighs, In act and word makes exodus, When open Grief upon her cries To hear and help him thus and thus: But for some private agonies That shoot and signal unto us Their secrets not to recognize, Their cure at our own risk discuss, Sick at our hearts, and helpless, lies Unpitied Pity, piteous. Parted Oh cruel that my voice should fail When I would call thee back; And bitter that the light should pale Upon thy lessening track. Through the light breeze thy passage wakes, Too far away to hear, Oh, listen for the heart that breaks To have had thee once so near! Presence Friend, in the little moment that we meet, Your lightest words I cannot pause to weigh, For I must write them in my heart, complet...