"NOW THAT THE PAIN IS GONE, I TOO CAN SMILE." Now that the pain is gone, I too can smile At such a foolish picture; you and me Together in that moonlit summer night, Within the shadow of an aspen-tree. My hand was on your shoulder: I grew wild: The blood seethed furiously through my heart! But you--Oh, you were saintly calm, and cold; You moved my hand, and said, "'T is best we part!" My face fell on the bands of your fair hair, A moonbeam struck across my hungry eye, And struck across your balmy crimson mouth: I longed to kiss you, and I longed to die! Die in the shadow of the trembling tree, Trembling my soul away upon your breast. You smiled, and drifted both your snowy hands Against my forehead, and your fingers pressed Faintly and slow adown my burning face; A keen sense of the woman touched you then, The nice dramatic sense you women have, Playing upon the feelings of us men! Long years have passed since that midsummer night, But still I feel the creeping of your hand Along my face. If I return once more, And in the shadow of that tree should stand With you there--Answer! Would you kiss me back? Would you reject me if I sued again?-- How strange this is! I think my madness lasts, Although I'm sure I have forgot the pain! THE COLONEL'S SHIELD. Your picture, slung about my neck The day we went afield, Swung out before the trench; It caught the eye of rank and file, Who knew "The Colonel's Shield." I thrust it back, and with my men (Our General rode ahead) We stormed the great redoubt, As if it were an easy thing, But rows of us fell dead! Your picture hanging on my neck, Up with my men I rushed; We made an awful charge: And then my horse, "The Lady Bess," Dropped, and--my leg was crushed! The blood of battle in my veins (A blue-coat dragged me out),-- But I remembered you; I kissed your picture--did you know? And yelled, "For the redoubt!" The Twenty-fourth, my scarred old dogs, Growled back, "He'll put us through; We'll take him in our arms: Our picture there--the girl he loves, Shall see what we can do." The foe was silenced--so were we. I lay upon the field, Among the Twenty-fourth; Your picture, shattered on my breast, Had proved "The Colonel's Shield." A FEW IDLE WORDS. So, I must believe that I loved you once! These letters say so; And here is your picture--how you have changed! It was long ago. The gloss is worn from this lock of black hair-- You can have them all, And with these treasures a few idle words, That I will not recall. What a child I was when you met me first! Was I handsome then? I think you remember the very night, It was half-past ten, When you came upstairs, so tired of the men, And tired of the wine; You said you loved lilies (my dress was white), And hated to dine.