The picture, smiling, stared her in the face Unmoved--e'en with the touch Of tear-drops--HERS--bejeweling the case-- 'Twas plain--she loved him much. And, thus she grew to think of him as gay And joyous all the while, And SHE was sorrowing--"Ah, welladay!" But pictures ALWAYS smile! And years--dull years--in dull monotony As ever went and came, Still weaving changes on unceasingly, And changing, changed her name. Was she untrue?--She oftentimes was glad And happy as a wife; But ONE remembrance oftentimes made sad Her matrimonial life.-- Though its few years were hardly noted, when Again her path was strown With thorns--the roses swept away again, And she again alone! And then--alas! ah THEN!--her lover came: "I come to claim you now-- My Darling, for I know you are the same, And I have kept my vow Through these long, long, long years, and now no more Shall we asundered be!" She staggered back and, sinking to the floor, Cried in her agony: "I have been false!" she moaned, "_I_ am not true-- I am not worthy now, Nor ever can I be a wife to YOU-- For I have broke my vow!" And as she kneeled there, sobbing at his feet, He calmly spoke--no sign Betrayed his inward agony--"I count you meet To be a wife of mine!" And raised her up forgiven, though untrue; As fond he gazed on her, She sighed,--"SO HAPPY!" And she never knew HE was a WIDOWER. A BALLAD WITH A SERIOUS CONCLUSION Crowd about me, little children-- Come and cluster 'round my knee While I tell a little story That happened once with me. My father he had gone away A-sailing on the foam, Leaving me--the merest infant-- And my mother dear at home; For my father was a sailor, And he sailed the ocean o'er For full five years ere yet again He reached his native shore. And I had grown up rugged And healthy day by day, Though I was but a puny babe When father went away. Poor mother she would kiss me And look at me and sigh So strangely, oft I wondered And would ask the reason why. And she would answer sadly, Between her sobs and tears,-- "You look so like your father, Far away so many years!" And then she would caress me And brush my hair away, And tell me not to question, But to run about my play. Thus I went playing thoughtfully-- For that my mother said,-- "YOU LOOK SO LIKE YOUR FATHER!" Kept ringing in my head. So, ranging once the golden sands That looked out on the sea, I called aloud, "My father dear, Come back to ma and me!" Then I saw a glancing shadow On the sand, and heard the shriek Of a sea-gull flying seaward, And I heard a gruff voice speak:-- "Ay, ay, my little shipmate, I thought I heard you hail; Were you trumpeting that sea-gull, Or do you see a sail?" And as rough and gruff a sailor As ever sailed the sea Was standing near grotesquely And leering dreadfully.