THE TOWN DOWN THE RIVER THE TOWN DOWN THE RIVER A BOOK OF POEMS BY EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS 1910 COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS Published September, 1910 [Illustration] TO THEODORE ROOSEVELT CONTENTS PAGE THE MASTER 1 THE TOWN DOWN THE RIVER 9 AN ISLAND 23 CALVERLY’S-- CALVERLY’S 41 LEFFINGWELL-- I. THE LURE 44 II. THE QUICKSTEP 46 III. REQUIESCAT 48 CLAVERING 50 LINGARD AND THE STARS 54 MISCELLANEOUS-- PASA THALASSA THALASSA 59 MOMUS 64 UNCLE ANANIAS 66 THE WHIP 68 THE WHITE LIGHTS 71 EXIT 73 NORMANDY 74 LEONORA 76 THE WISE BROTHERS 78 BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD 80 AU REVOIR 83 FOR ARVIA 85 THE SUNKEN CROWN 87 DOCTOR OF BILLIARDS 89 SHADRACH O’LEARY 91 HOW ANNANDALE WENT OUT 93 ALMA MATER 95 MINIVER CHEEVY 97 THE PILOT 100 VICKERY’S MOUNTAIN 102 BON VOYAGE 106 THE COMPANION 109 ATHERTON’S GAMBIT 111 FOR A DEAD LADY 114 TWO GARDENS IN LINNDALE 116 THE REVEALER 123 THE MASTER[1] (LINCOLN) A flying word from here and there Had sown the name at which we sneered, But soon the name was everywhere, To be reviled and then revered: A presence to be loved and feared, We cannot hide it, or deny That we, the gentlemen who jeered, May be forgotten by and by. He came when days were perilous And hearts of men were sore beguiled; And having made his note of us, He pondered and was reconciled. Was ever master yet so mild As he, and so untamable? We doubted, even when he smiled, Not knowing what he knew so well. He knew that undeceiving fate Would shame us whom he served unsought; He knew that he must wince and wait-- The jest of those for whom he fought; He knew devoutly what he thought Of us and of our ridicule; He knew that we must all be taught Like little children in a school. We gave a glamour to the task That he encountered and saw through, But little of us did he ask, And little did we ever do. And what appears if we review The season when we railed and chaffed? It is the face of one who knew That we were learning while we laughed.