SONGS OF LOVE AND EMPIRE SONGS OF LOVE AND EMPIRE By E. NESBIT AUTHOR OF “LAYS AND LEGENDS,” “A POMANDER OF VERSE,” ETC WESTMINSTER ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE & CO 1898 “After Sixty Years” appeared on June 22, 1897, in the _Daily News_; “To the Queen of England” and many other verses in the _Pall Mall Gazette_; “A Song of Peace and Honour” and “A Song of Trafalgar” in the _Daily Chronicle_, and certain other verses in the _Athenæum_. To the Editors of these papers my thanks are due. _TO HUBERT BLAND_ _To you the harvest of my toil has come,_ _ause of all that lies its sheaves between;_ _ taught me first what Love and Empire mean,_ _ to your hands I bring my harvest home._ CONTENTS PAGE ABSOLUTION 167 ADVENTURER, THE 58 AFTER SIXTY YEARS 11 APPEAL, THE 93 “AT EVENING TIME THERE SHALL BE LIGHT” 150 AT THE SOUND OF THE DRUM 67 BALLAD OF THE WHITE LADY, THE 43 BETRAYED 109 BY FAITH WITH THANKSGIVING 91 CHAINS INVISIBLE 147 CHRISTMAS HYMN 164 CROWN OF LIFE, THE 157 DIRGE 125 DISCRETION 86 EBB-TIDE 132 ENTREATY 83 EVENING PRAYER 162 EVENING SONG 129 FAITH 62 FAUTE DE MIEUX 99 FEBRUARY 139 FOREST POOL, THE 84 GHOST BEREFT, THE 50 GOOSE GIRL, THE 69 GUARDIAN ANGEL, THE 74 HAUNTED 123