New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-19
THE SPINNING WHEEL.
BIZ B. y. TAYLOR

white pine floor and low ceied roop,
wheel and a reel and a great browr loom,
The windows out. and the world Ii ploOm-
A pair Of "swifts" in the corner, where
Ana Rnisd nj the d;s,afTs tan gled hair;
And sang to herself as she spun the tow
While The little wheel ran 50 soft and low
As nuffi.d brooks where the grasses grow
And lie one way with the waters flow.
Al Cbr;st's field lilies free from sin
So she grew ike them wber she cease to spin
Coup ted her knots" and handed them in
THE great vheeV rugged in its harness stsnds-
A .hree-legge thing with its epndle in bands
And the slender spokes. like the willow wsnds
That spTlDg 90 thick in the low wet lands,
Turn dense At the touch of a woMans hands
As the wheel whirls swift, how rank they gov.
But bow sparse and thin when the wheel run
slow,
Forward aid backward and to and fro
There's heap Of roll. like clouds in cnrl,
And a bright faced springy, barefoot gIl;
She gives o touch and a careless Wilt
She holds q r. Il in her shapelv hand
That the eun has kissed and the wind hae famed
And its mate oteys the wheels command
There must be wings Cd her rosy heel;
And there nust be bees in the spindle steel!
A thousand spokes i'll the dizzy wheel!
Have you forgotten the left-breast knock
Wheb you bag ged the bee in the holly hook.
And the angry burr Of al ancient CLOCK
All ready to strike-came ont of the mill.
Where covered with meal the rogue was stu,
Till il made your thumb and finger thrlu!
Il 10 one two, three-the roll is caught;
IT'S backward step and the thread is taut,
hurry Of wheel and the roll 10 wrought!
IT'S one tive, three, and the yarn rms on,
And the spindle shapes like wmtepne coEe'
. A even and still as something grown
The bare foot m aiden follows the thread
Like somebo caught and tetEeied and LED
Up to the buzz OF the busy head
With backward sweep and willowy bend
Monarch would OrIow il maiden could lend
She draws out the thread to the white wOos end,
From English sheep of the od.time farm.
With their legs fair as a woman's arm,
And faces white as gin rs alarm.
She breaks her thread with An angry twanR
Just as IL at her touch q harp-striDg rang
And keyed to the quaint old song she sang
That came to a halt on her cherry lip,
While she tied one knot that lever cnnld slip.
And thought Of another, when her ship
All laden with dreams in splendid guse-
should sail tight out Of The azure skies
And lover bring with great tsOvn eyes!
All, broad the day but her work was done
Two "ruDs' by reel She EdC twisted anu spun
Her two score knots by set OF sun,
With her one two, three the wheel beside,
And the three two, one OF her backward glide,
80 to and f. in calico pride
Till the bees went home and daytime died!
In apron white as the white sea foam
She gathered the wealth of her velvet gloom.
And rallied it in with tel bsckcomb.
She crushed the dew with her naked feet.
The track of the sun Was golden street,
The grass WAS cool and the air sweet.
The girl gazed up at the mack<reJ sky,
And it looked Ike pattern lifted high;
But she never dreamed OF angels nigh
And she spoke right out: DO just see there!
What a blue and white for the clouded pair
Cm going to knit for my Sunday wear"
And the girl is dressed IN a silver lawn,
aud her feet shod with golden dawn.
From wrdswung tree that waves before
a shadow is dedging in at the door
Fickering ghost Oh the white pine floor
And the cat, unlearned in the shadows law.
Just touched its edge with a velvet paw
10 hold il still with al ivory CLAW!
fut it's spectral cloak 10 blown about
And moment more and the ghost is out.
And leaves us all in shadOwy doubt.
II ever il fell on floor at all,
Or if ever it swung along the wall,
Dy whether q shrOud a phantsM shawl
oh, brow that the old time morning kissed!
Good night my girl OF the double and twist
Oh. barefoot vision Vanishing mist!
-scribners for July.