Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-12-12
AND ,,ow HER LIPS MET MINE.

fore, save thou thy reasons and We'll be
merry. What shall we do4 I could dance
to ~thee-none there are who can dance SO
| well-but it would scarce be queenly. Nay,
| lave it: l will sing.' And, leaning for
ward, s. raised herself, and, bending the
harp toward her, struck some wandering
chords. Then her low voice broke out in
perfect and most sweet song.
| And thus she sang:
| Night on the sea, and night upon the sky,
And music in our hearts, we foated there,
LuIled by the low sea voices, thou and /,
| And the winds kisses in my Cloudy hair;
| And thou didst gaze on me and call me lair
| Enfolded by the starry robe of night
| And then thy sing ng thrilled upon the air,
| vo.ce OF the hearts desire and YES de-
light.
Adrift, with starlit skies above.
With starlit seas below,
We move with all the suns that move,
With all the seas that flow;
For, bond or free, Earth. Sky and Sea
Wheel " tn one circling Will,
And thy heart drifteth on to me,
And only Time stands still.
Between two shores OF Death we drift,
Behind are things forgot:
Before the tide is driving swift
To lands beholden not
Above, the sky is fair and cold;
Below, the moaning sea
Sweeps DER the loves that were OF old,
But, Love! kiss thou me.
Ah, lonely are the ocean ways,
And dangerous the deep,
And frail the ia ry bark that strays
Above the seas asleept
All. to l no more at sail nor oar;
We drift, or bond or free;
IN yon far shore the breakers roar,
But, OLove!k!ss thou me.
And ever as thou sangest 1 drew near,
| Then sudden silence heard our hearts that
beat,
\ Fer now there was an end of doubt and fear,
Now passions filled my soul and led my feet;
Then silent didst thou rise. thy love to meet,
Who, sinking on thy breast, knew naught
but thee.
And in the happy night I kissed thee, Sweet,
| All Sweet! between the starlight and the
The last echoes of her rich notes foated
| down the chamber and slowly died away;
but in my heart they rolled IN and on.
have heard among the woman singers at
| Abouthis voices more perfect than the
| voice of Cleopatra, but never have / heard
| one SO thrilling or so sweet with PASSIONS
| ~honey-notes. And indeed twas not the
voice alone; twas the perfumed chamber
wherein was set all that could move the
sense; twas the passion of the thought
and words, and the surprising grace and
loneliness OF that most royal woman who
sang them. For, as she sang, almost did
| / seem to think that we twain were indeed
floating alone with the night, upon the
wide, dark, summer sea. And when she
| ceased to touch the harp, and, rising, sud,
denly stretched out her arms toward me,
and, with the last low notes of song vet
| quivering upon her lips, let fall the wonder
of her eyes upon my eyes, almost did she
draw me to her. But / remembered, and
would not.
.tHast thou, then, no word of thanks for
my poor singing, Ha~rmachisa" she said at
length.
"Yea, o Queen" 1 answered, speaking
very low, for my voice was choked; "Sui
thy songs are not good for the sons Of mel
to hear-of a truth they oyerwhelm mer'
"Nay, Harmachis; for thee there is NJ
fear" she said, laughing softly-''seeini
that / know how far thy thoughts are Sc
from woman's beauty and the commoI
may safely toy
thought within myself that coolest iroi
a be brought to whitest heat if but th,
FIRE be fierce enough. But ! said naught
and, though my a trembled, ono more !
grasped the dagger's hilt, and, wild with
fear at my OWE weakness, set myself to find
, means to STAY her while yet my sense re
NAMED.
Come hither, Harmachis," she went on
In her softest voice. "Cone, sit by me, and
we will talk together; for l have much to
sell thee" And she made place for me OF
her side upon the silken seat.
And I. thinking that l might the mors
swiftly strike, rose and seated myself some
little way from her, while. fiinglng bacs
aer head, she 8 led on me with her sium
! serous eyes.
Now was INV occasion. for her white