Produced by David Garcia, KarenD, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Kentuckiana Digital Library.) THE LOOM OF LIFE COTTON NOE _Author of "The Blood of Rachel and Other Poems"_ [Illustration] RICHARD G. BADGER THE GORHAM PRESS BOSTON Copyright, 1917, by Richard G. Badger All Rights Reserved THE GORHAM PRESS, BOSTON, U. S. A. TO SIDNEY STANFILL NOE Like her who wrought at the Old-fashioned Loom, And toiled at Distaff and Wheel,-- The grace of the Lily, the breath of its bloom,-- The flame of the Martyr's zeal,-- She has woven the Web of a beautiful Life-- Oh, consecrate LOVE, my WIFE, my WIFE! NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION The Loom of Life was published late in 1912. It has had an unusual sale for a first volume of poetry, and there is still a steady demand for the book, which has been out of print for some months. This Second Edition is issued to meet that demand. THE PUBLISHER CONTENTS Proem 11 A SKEIN OF SILVER The Old-Fashioned Loom 15 The Old Old Clock 17 The Old Spinning Wheel 18 The Old Water Mill 20 Waterloo 22 In the Happy Long Ago 24 The Old Drinking Gourd 25 A SPOOL OF SILK Solitude 29 Love's Triumph 30 My Guiding Star 31 Rhymes and Roses 32 There's Nothing Dark About Her But Her Hair 33 Blind Tom 34 A Sonnet of the Season 35 Euterpe 36 Scarlet Days 37 Her Eyes Are Brown 38 The Naturalist 39 Dedication 40 Nearing the Meridian 41 Our Pilgrimage 42 Ante Nuptial 43 Dr. Miles Saunders 44 Worship 45