The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-12
NEW ORLEANS BULLETIN
NEW ORLEANS, MARCH IL, 1870.
YHE ElIHEI.
n XAEIFFA.

Warm from her waist her girdle she unwound,
And cast 1t down on the in-cnsatc turf;
Then cUp.e and cove and deep secluded vale
She scruenized with keen though timid eyes,
AID stood with ear intent to catch each STIR
OF Leaf or twJg, or birdwing rustiing there.
Her startled heart beat quicker even to hear
The wild bee WOO the blossom with hymn
Or hidden insect break it, lance Of sound
Against the obdurate silence. Then she smiled
At her own fears amused, and knew hcr:ef
Gods only image by that hidden pool.
Then from It's bonds her wondrou5 hair Eli
lOosrd
Hair glittering like spun glass, and bright a
though
Shot tu.l of golden arrows Down below
Her supple waist the soft and ghlmmering COLI
Rolled "a their bright abundance, goldeHer
Thar wa- the golden wonder Jason sought.
Her fair hands then, Ike white doves in net,
4 moment tiuttered mid tie shining threads,
As with deXterous touch she higher laid
The cleaning tresSrs on her sha pey head,
Beyond the reach " rudey amOrou- waves
Then from her throat her light robe she IN
elapsed.
And dropped IT downward with blush that rose
The higher as the garment lower FIJI.
Then She cast off the sandals from her feet
And paused upon the brink Of that blue lake,
A sight too far for either gods Or men
An I've interrupted IN her Paradise.
The waters into which her young eyes looked.
Gave back her image Will 50 true tluih
She blushed to look, bur, bldshing, looked again
As maldens to their mirrors Oft return
With bash!ul bJdncsa once gain to gaze
Upon the crystal page that renders back
Themselves unto themselves until Their eycs
Confess their love for their own lovellnesa
Her rounded checks, in each Of which had grown.
With sudden blo,soming, fresh red rose
She hid an instant in her dimpled hands
Then met her pink palms up above her head
AND Whelmed her white shape III the welcoming
wave.
Around each lthc5ome limb the waters twined,
And with Their lucent raiment robed her form
And, as her hesltaIing bosom sank
To the c4resseS Of bewlldcred waves,
They toamy pearls from their own foreheads
gave
For her fair brow, and showed in her hair
The evanesccnt diamonds Of the deep
Thus dallying with the circumtluent tide
Her loneliness half hidden, half revealed
An Undne with a soul she plunged and rose
Whilst the white graces of her +, unded arms
She braided with the blue Of wandering waves
And saw the shoulders Of the pillows Yell
Before the even strokes of her small hands
And laughed to see, and held her crimson mouth |
Above the crest Of each advancing surge
Like red blossom pendent Ger Il pool
I'LL done with the Invigorating play
)nce more She gain the btnk and once again
saw her twin image in the waters born.
rom the translucent wave each beauty grew
% strange perfection. Never statue wrought
By cunning art to fitness of all grace
n kissed to life by love, could farer seem
han che vino God upon that grassy slope
70 fresh, 50 human, so immaculate.
INT from the dusky cloistcr5 Of the wood.
he nun-likc winds stole with santlv step
md drled the bright drops from her painting form,
- she with hurried hands once more let down
he golden drapery OF her glorious hair,
hat fell about her like come royal cloak
'ropped from the sunsets rare and radiant loom
New Orleans, December, 1873.