The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-01-18
POETRY.
HE AND SHE.
BY EDWIN ARNOLD.

"She is dead!" they said to him. "Com,
away;
Kiss her! and leave her-thy love Is clayw
They smoothod her tresses of dark brown
| hair,
On her forehead of marble th0y laid it fair
Over her eyes, which gazed too much, u
Ihey drew the lids with gentle touch
With a tender touch they closed up well
The sweet thin lips that had secrets to tell.
About her brows and her dear, pale face
| They lied her veil and her marriage lace.
And drew on her white feet her white silk
shoes
Which were the whittier no eye could choose
And over her bosom they crossed her hands
Come away" they said, "God under
stands"
And then there was silence, and nothing
But the silence, and scents of eglantere,
And jasmine, and roses and rosemary;
For they said, " as lady should lie, lies She"
And they held their breath as they left the
room,
With shudder to glance at its stiffness and
gloom.
But he-who loved her too we'll to dread,
The sweet, the stately, the beautiful dead
He lit his lamp and took the key,
And turned 1t! Alone again-he and she!
He and she; but she would not speak,
Though he kissed, in the old place, the quiet
cheek.
He and she yet she would not smile,
Though he calld her the name that was fond
est erewhile.
He and she; and she did not move
To any one passionate whisper of love!
Then he said: Cold lips breast without
breath
Is there no voice-no language Of death
"Dumb to the ear and still to the sense,
But 10 heart and TO sense distinctly intense?
"See, now, listen with soul, not ear
What was the secret of dying, dear?
"Was the infinite wonder of all
That you ever could let life's flower fall?
Or was it greater marvel to feel
The perfect calm DER the agony steal?
Was the miracle greatest to find how deep,
Beyond all dreams, sank downward that
sleep?
GO Did life roll backward its record, dear,
And show, as they say it does, past things
clear?
"And was IL the innermost heart of bliss
To hnd out SO what wisdom love Is?
Z" Oh perfect dead oh, dead most dear!
hold the breath of my soul to hear;
" listen-as deep as to horrible hell,
A n hnavpn-anh ID fall
+" There must be some pleasure in dying
sweet,
To make you so placid from head to feet!
{" would tell you, darling, If l were dead,
And twere your hot tears upon my brow
shed
: would say, though the angel of death had
His sword on my lips to keep it unsaid.
q You. should not ask, vainly, with stream
l ing eyes,
Which, in deaths touch, was the chiefest
surprise.
'' The very strangest and suddenest thing
ofall the surprises that dying must bring"
oh! foolish world Oh! most kind dead!
Though he told me, who will believe 1t was
said?
Who will believe that he heard her say,
With the rich, soft voice, in that dear old |
way:
' The utmost wonder in this-I hear,
And see you, and love you, and kiss You, |
dear;
t can speak, now you listen with soul |
alone;
If your soul could see, it would all be shown
What a strange, delicious amazement 10 |
Death,
To be without body and breathe without |
breath.
. should laugh for joy If you did not cry;
Oh, listen Love lasts Love never will die. |
. am only your angel who was your bride;
And know that, though dead, / have never
died"