When the child's forehead, full of torments red, Cries out for sleep and its pale host of dreams, His two big sisters come unto his bed, Having long fingers, tipped with silvery gleams. They set him at a casement, open wide On seas of flowers that stir in the blue airs, And through his curls, all wet with dew, they slide Those terrible searching finger-tips of theirs. He hears them breathing, softly, fearfully, Honey-sweet ruminations, slow respired: Then a sharp hiss breaks time and melody-- Spittle indrawn, old kisses new-desired. Down through the perfumed silences he hears Their eyelids fluttering: long fingers thrill, Probing a lassitude bedimmed with tears, While the nails crunch at every louse they kill. He is drunk with Languor--soft accordion-sigh, Delirious wine of Love in Idleness; Longings for tears come welling up and die, As slow or swift he feels their magical caress. B. H. Blackwell, Oxford. THIS THIRD OF THE INITIATES SERIES OF POETRY BY PROVED HANDS, WAS PRINTED IN OXFORD AT THE VINCENT WORKS, AND FINISHED IN JUNE, MCMXVIII. PUBLISHED BY B. H. BLACKWELL, BROAD STREET, OXFORD, AND SOLD IN AMERICA BY LONGMANS, GREEN & CO., NEW YORK. INITIATES A SERIES OF POETRY BY PROVED HANDS UNIFORM VOLUMES IN DOLPHIN OLD STYLE TYPE ART, BOARDS, THREE SHILLINGS NET. _NOW READY_ I. IN THE VALLEY OF VISION BY GEOFFREY FABER, AUTHOR OF "INTERFLOW." II. SONNETS AND POEMS BY ELEANOR FARJEON, AUTHOR OF "NURSERY RHYMES OF LONDON TOWN." III. THE DEFEAT OF YOUTH, AND OTHER POEMS BY ALDOUS HUXLEY, AUTHOR OF "THE BURNING WHEEL." _IN PREPARATION_ IV. SONGS FOR SALE AN ANTHOLOGY OF VERSE, EDITED BY E. B. C. JONES FROM BOOKS ISSUED RECENTLY BY B. H. BLACKWELL. V. CLOWNS' HOUSES BY EDITH SITWELL, EDITOR OF "WHEELS." THE SHELDONIAN SERIES OF REPRINTS AND RENDERINGS OF MASTERPIECES IN ALL LANGUAGES EDITED BY REGINALD HEWITT, M.A. _FIRST THREE BOOKS_ I. SONGS AND SAYINGS OF WALTHER VON DER VOGELWEIDE, MINNESAENGER ENGLISHED BY FRANK BETTS. II. THE FUNERAL ORATION OF PERICLES ENGLISHED BY THOMAS HOBBES OF MALMESBURY. III. BALLADES OF FRANCOIS VILLON INTERPRETED INTO ENGLISH VERSE BY PAUL HOOKHAM. ¶ The series is limited in the case of each volume to an edition of five hundred copies on hand-made paper, printed in two colours in Dolphin old style type, and published at two shillings and sixpence net. OXFORD B. H. BLACKWELL, BROAD ST. ADVENTURERS ALL A SERIES OF YOUNG POETS UNKNOWN TO FAME UNIFORM VOLUMES IN DOLPHIN OLD STYLE TYPE IN ART WRAPPERS TWO SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE NET EACH.