BOYHOOD.

BOYHOOD.

‘I was a boy; and she was fairAs you are when you smile,And her voice came forth like the summer air,With a tone that did beguile,And her two blue eyes refreshing wereAs two trees on an Indian isle.’Etonian.

‘I was a boy; and she was fairAs you are when you smile,And her voice came forth like the summer air,With a tone that did beguile,And her two blue eyes refreshing wereAs two trees on an Indian isle.’Etonian.

‘I was a boy; and she was fairAs you are when you smile,And her voice came forth like the summer air,With a tone that did beguile,And her two blue eyes refreshing wereAs two trees on an Indian isle.’Etonian.

‘I was a boy; and she was fair

As you are when you smile,

And her voice came forth like the summer air,

With a tone that did beguile,

And her two blue eyes refreshing were

As two trees on an Indian isle.’

Etonian.

I love fresh feelings—it is so unlikeThis olden world to meet them; and they comeUpon my heart like music so, or likeSome passage that is new in poetry.I walked one eve by moonlight. I had seenSome fourteen summers, and my cypheringWas all the thought I had; and as the worldHad come to me so pleasantly, I tookA wayward temper for my manual,And kept it to the letter. It was nowA mellow eve of summer, and a girl,Who laughed forever like the birds and hadLong eyelashes and very dangerous eyes,Was leaning on my arm. I did not knowI was in love; but it seemed naturalTo think of all she said, and she’d a wayOf coming to one’s dreams; and then her nameWas always in the lesson like a word,And half the time I studied it. This eveWe had been very gay, and I had watchedThe deep, half shaded dimple in her cheek,Till I forgot to answer; and as sheOf too much mirth grew serious, I beganTo act the lover playfully. My capWas carelessly thrown back, and on my cheekI shook some dew for tears, and as she curledHer lip in mimic scorn, I knelt to her,And begged for her sweet favor, touchingly.She answered coldly first, and then relented,As wiser maids have done; but with a lookOf something so like earnest, that I didHer hand some violence; and then she blushedAnd said I must not tell, but ladies’ lips,By some, were counted prettier.The moonShone just as soberly, and I went homeAnd kept the secret; but I do not knowThat she would let me touch the seal again.

I love fresh feelings—it is so unlikeThis olden world to meet them; and they comeUpon my heart like music so, or likeSome passage that is new in poetry.I walked one eve by moonlight. I had seenSome fourteen summers, and my cypheringWas all the thought I had; and as the worldHad come to me so pleasantly, I tookA wayward temper for my manual,And kept it to the letter. It was nowA mellow eve of summer, and a girl,Who laughed forever like the birds and hadLong eyelashes and very dangerous eyes,Was leaning on my arm. I did not knowI was in love; but it seemed naturalTo think of all she said, and she’d a wayOf coming to one’s dreams; and then her nameWas always in the lesson like a word,And half the time I studied it. This eveWe had been very gay, and I had watchedThe deep, half shaded dimple in her cheek,Till I forgot to answer; and as sheOf too much mirth grew serious, I beganTo act the lover playfully. My capWas carelessly thrown back, and on my cheekI shook some dew for tears, and as she curledHer lip in mimic scorn, I knelt to her,And begged for her sweet favor, touchingly.She answered coldly first, and then relented,As wiser maids have done; but with a lookOf something so like earnest, that I didHer hand some violence; and then she blushedAnd said I must not tell, but ladies’ lips,By some, were counted prettier.The moonShone just as soberly, and I went homeAnd kept the secret; but I do not knowThat she would let me touch the seal again.

I love fresh feelings—it is so unlikeThis olden world to meet them; and they comeUpon my heart like music so, or likeSome passage that is new in poetry.

I love fresh feelings—it is so unlike

This olden world to meet them; and they come

Upon my heart like music so, or like

Some passage that is new in poetry.

I walked one eve by moonlight. I had seenSome fourteen summers, and my cypheringWas all the thought I had; and as the worldHad come to me so pleasantly, I tookA wayward temper for my manual,And kept it to the letter. It was nowA mellow eve of summer, and a girl,Who laughed forever like the birds and hadLong eyelashes and very dangerous eyes,Was leaning on my arm. I did not knowI was in love; but it seemed naturalTo think of all she said, and she’d a wayOf coming to one’s dreams; and then her nameWas always in the lesson like a word,And half the time I studied it. This eveWe had been very gay, and I had watchedThe deep, half shaded dimple in her cheek,Till I forgot to answer; and as sheOf too much mirth grew serious, I beganTo act the lover playfully. My capWas carelessly thrown back, and on my cheekI shook some dew for tears, and as she curledHer lip in mimic scorn, I knelt to her,And begged for her sweet favor, touchingly.She answered coldly first, and then relented,As wiser maids have done; but with a lookOf something so like earnest, that I didHer hand some violence; and then she blushedAnd said I must not tell, but ladies’ lips,By some, were counted prettier.

I walked one eve by moonlight. I had seen

Some fourteen summers, and my cyphering

Was all the thought I had; and as the world

Had come to me so pleasantly, I took

A wayward temper for my manual,

And kept it to the letter. It was now

A mellow eve of summer, and a girl,

Who laughed forever like the birds and had

Long eyelashes and very dangerous eyes,

Was leaning on my arm. I did not know

I was in love; but it seemed natural

To think of all she said, and she’d a way

Of coming to one’s dreams; and then her name

Was always in the lesson like a word,

And half the time I studied it. This eve

We had been very gay, and I had watched

The deep, half shaded dimple in her cheek,

Till I forgot to answer; and as she

Of too much mirth grew serious, I began

To act the lover playfully. My cap

Was carelessly thrown back, and on my cheek

I shook some dew for tears, and as she curled

Her lip in mimic scorn, I knelt to her,

And begged for her sweet favor, touchingly.

She answered coldly first, and then relented,

As wiser maids have done; but with a look

Of something so like earnest, that I did

Her hand some violence; and then she blushed

And said I must not tell, but ladies’ lips,

By some, were counted prettier.

The moonShone just as soberly, and I went homeAnd kept the secret; but I do not knowThat she would let me touch the seal again.

The moon

Shone just as soberly, and I went home

And kept the secret; but I do not know

That she would let me touch the seal again.


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