Once lovers murmured within that bower Where grew the gracefullest purple flower, And a trembling maiden’s soft answer stole Through somebody’s ear and thrilled his soul, And then with her dark eyes growing dim She solemnly plighted her troth with him, In the hush of night while the pale moonlight Shed a silver shower o’er this lovers’ bower. Once it fell on a summer day This handsome lover sailed away, And he had vowed he would faithful be To the maiden he loved when o’er the sea, So each day in the leafy arbor dim The maiden waited and dreamed of him, But no missive came, and she breathed his name In stress and tears for three long years. Once, in the witching gloaming hour, Soft murmurs were heard within that bower, For the lover, a knight, had come to take The lady who waited for his dear sake, And he told his tale, while her starry eyes Tenderly glowed with sweet surprise, And these lovers twain, reunited again, Loved each other more than in days of yore. And now, in that beautiful garden old, Where the jacaranda its buds unfold, They wander adown the paths so green, Where once as lovers they talked unseen, And the gracefullest flower that bloometh there Is somebody’s darling with golden hair, And still in the woof of the trellised roof, From sweet birds’ throats fall liquid notes. [Illustration: text decoration] WHERE ALL IS UNDERSTOOD. Divinity of heavenly breath which we call life; Which makes us sentient beings ’mid the strife Of earthly years: Oh! make us wise and good, E’en tho’ misunderstood; misunderstood. Divinity of fate; at thy cold, stern decree, Potent in power, cradled in mystery, Dauntless in courage, and with spirit set, We will not fret; we will not fret. Divinity of faith; there is one creed, To suffer and be strong; ’tis all we need, Then strengthen us to cling to thee, though should We be misunderstood; misunderstood. Divinity of love; oh! may we ever be All that thou art in angel purity, And make our lives--forgive the unbidden tear-- The endless song which only thou canst hear. Divinity of death; though cold, thou press The heavy eyelids with thy damp caress, Thy pinions bear us to the golden flood Of perfect life, where all is understood. REMEMBER. Remember when the velvet robe of night Falls softly, or when Luna’s mystic light Earth veils in dim, delusive beauty cold, And all her myriad secrets doth unfold. Remember when in rosy dawn or dewy eve Some vagrant thought a tender trace may leave Upon thy chastened spirit of a golden hour Which cast its spell with all its magic power.