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 Only one hundred and fifty copies of this Edition 
 have been printed, each copy numbered and signed by 
 the author, and the type distributed. 
 
 This copy is Number ^c^t<y ^^ 
 
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A 
 
 book of twenty-four 
 ^onnets by laurens 
 'maynard 
 
 PRINTED FOR FRANK P. CHAMBERLAIN 
 AND PUBLISHED BY HIM AT 39 OLIVER 
 STREET BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS MDCCCXCIV 
 
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 Copyright 
 
 LAURENS MAYNARD 
 
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Of the twenty-four Sonnets herein contained all but 
 eight are now published for the first time, '"''My IdeaV 
 aj)peared originally in The Cosmopolitan Magazine; 
 " The City of the Dead'*'' in The New England Magazine ; 
 " The Boy Columbus^'' and ^^ Budding Morrow''^ in Kate 
 Field'' s Washington; ''^The MagVs Gifts'''' in The Catholic 
 World ; " Madonna Mia " in Worthington's Magazine, 
 and '''■In Sunsef'' in Far and Near; while '-'' Sunrise 
 Land'''* was written as a proem for a guide-book to the 
 Maine and Canadian coasts, by Mr. H. D. Young, entitled 
 " Toward the Sunrise,^'' 
 
A BOOK OF TWENTY-FOUR SONNETS 
 
MV IDEAL 
 
 I ASK not radiant beauty for her face, 
 Nor perfect contour for her cherished form; — 
 If but with love sincere her heart be warm 
 Each line will seem to me of matchless grace; 
 Nor care I though she lack a cultured mind, \ 
 In lore of bygone sages deeply learned — 
 Full many a soul Life's truths hath well discerned 
 By pureness made an eye among the blind. — 
 Let her be simple, sweet, and true in heart; 
 Neither too good to sense the joys of earth 
 Nor yet too sordid Heaven to understand; 
 With calm reliance in her soul's command; 
 Able by her example to impart 
 Her virtues to the children of her birth. 
 
II 
 
 EVE'S DAUGHTERS 
 
 SHE wanders through the city's crowded streets ;- 
 With eager eye she scans the passing throng, 
 Alert to read desire in those she meets; 
 Her lips half-conscious of a careless song, 
 And shameless pride seems all her mind to hold. — 
 But as she passes, yon poor girl, whose face 
 Speaks purity, draws back from one so bold 
 And looks with scorn on her unholy grace. — 
 She sees the glance; — the careless song has ceased; 
 Her fallen eyes in shame their drooped lids hide: 
 And like to life before her seems to rise 
 Her mother's face and form from death released, — 
 Herself a pure child standing by her side, — 
 And quick the bitter tears bedim her eyes! 
 
Ill 
 
 THE CITY OF THE DEAD 
 
 THE green field widens out from where I lie; 
 The grass waves idly in the Summer breeze; 
 The squirrel scampers through the bending trees,— 
 And to and from their nests the robins fly. 
 From every side the perfume of bright flowers 
 Mingles its sweetness with the balmy air, 
 While many a butterfly of colors rare 
 Darts in and out the blossom-laden bowers; — 
 Yet, save the stir of leaves there come no sounds 
 Except the twittering of birds, which seems 
 A half-heard echo in a land of dreams; — 
 A mystic hush the hallowed place surrounds 
 Where peaceful sleep, each in his narrow bed. 
 The dwellers of the City of the Dead. 
 
IV 
 HELEN OF TROY 
 
 WAS she whose dazzling beauty long ago 
 Filled a young world with strife and sorrows keen 
 Of stature queenly, with commanding mien 
 And haughty features? Nay, I think not so; 
 But, rather, she was soft, and sweet, and small; 
 With baby features, and bewitching smile 
 So innocent, that seems to know no guile 
 Yet hides a heart unprincipled in all; 
 And with clear eyes, — false, false in everything ! — 
 Could look her lover in the face and ask 
 "Canst thou then doubt me?" and her feelings mask 
 And seem to speak with truth's sincerest ring. — 
 For such the women are since time began 
 That have beguiled the strongest hearts of man. 
 
THE BOY COLUMBUS 
 
 A PENSIVE youth that haunts the ocean shore 
 Attentive listening to old seamen's tales; 
 Or watching long the fleet of tossing sails 
 Far out beyond the sea-beat coast's loud roar; 
 Or bent with eager eyes some volume o'er. 
 His boyish cheek now flushes and now pales, 
 Reading of barks storm-tossed before great gales 
 In many a wondrous story of sea-lore. — 
 Perchance the child to those old sailors seemed 
 Only an idle listener — although 
 E'en then of great discoveries he dreamed, 
 Which day by day more real to him did grow, 
 Until so clear the path became, he deemed 
 He heard the voice of God commanding, '* Go ! " 
 
VI 
 A PORTRAIT 
 
 A SLENDER form of grace that day by day 
 I watch and see upon my attentive eyes 
 New and maturer beauties dawn, which say 
 That womanhood is born and girlhood dies. 
 Sweet, pensive eyes, that speak a wealth of love 
 As yet all unbestowed stored up within; 
 Such eyes of pureness as a guileless dove 
 May have, as yet unconscious of all sin. — 
 The moist red lips so ripe for kisses sweet 
 Still smile in innocence ; the soft brown hair 
 Beclouds her forehead, while dark tresses meet 
 Loose-braided falling o'er her shoulders fair. — 
 God keep her thus, and in her woman's face 
 May girlhood's purity still hold its place ! 
 
vn 
 
 DELILAH 
 
 MY soul ofttimes would rise to purer air; 
 My wayward feet reseek the upward path; 
 Not that I fear the terrors of God's wrath 
 But in desire that I His peace might share. 
 And then I feel thy hand upon mine own 
 Restraining, and before my prayerful eyes 
 Thy face in dreamy sweetness seems to rise, — 
 And Heaven's pearly gates are turned to stone. 
 My aspirations vanish and again 
 My love for thee supreme holds full control 
 Of all my heart's desires, and my soul 
 Claims only thee in blind, unreasoning pain ; — 
 And with thy lips forever mine to kiss 
 I feel that Hell itself would be but bliss! 
 
VIII 
 
 ''LOKI UND SIGYN'' 
 
 Suggested by Carl Gerhardfs Painting 
 
 OOUND to a rock gigantic which the tides 
 
 ■■— ' In angry surges lash, but break in foam 
 
 Impotent on its everlasting sides, 
 
 Fierce Loki lies — this his eternal home — 
 
 And unavailing as the raging waves 
 
 Struggles to burst his bonds. Above his head 
 
 The poison-dropping serpent ceaseless raves; 
 
 But Sigyn, by a tender wife-love led. 
 
 Stands ever ready with her cup to seize 
 
 The scalding venom. Thus the gods' decrees 
 
 Are overruled ; — and to my mind the thought 
 
 Thence comes that we, when all our life is fraught 
 
 With trials sore of baneful destiny, 
 
 Relief from all our pains in love can see. 
 
IX 
 
 TO GERTRUDE 
 
 An Acrostic 
 
 GRACEFUL and light must verses be to tell 
 Each charm of thine that captive holds my heart. 
 Rarer the gift that could to words impart 
 Thy fairness in my sight, who loving well 
 Read beauty in each feature and dispel 
 Under thy smile all sadness. — How could art 
 Describe thee fitly? — When from thee apart 
 Each hour, in whatsoever place I dwell, 
 With tardy minutes lingers wearily. 
 Could thy dear face forever greet mine eyes 
 All loneliness would vanish — these dull skies 
 In Summer splendors ever clothed would be ; — 
 Nor could I ever fail in love for thee; — 
 Entire in thy hand my future lies ! 
 
X 
 
 THE MAGI'S GIFTS 
 
 NAY, Lord! not thus, not thus!-— It is not meet 
 To bring rich offerings to Thy sacred shrine 
 Who, having all things mundane and divine 
 Created, carest not for incense sweet. 
 These arches towering splendid to the skies. 
 These glided altars and these vestments rich, 
 These costly statues carven in each niche, 
 Are but the world's display in holy guise. 
 Nay, when we offer Thee earth's richest store 
 We but present Thee that Thou hads't before; 
 But when our hearts we to Thy service lend 
 We offer Thee a gift that ne'er shall end, — 
 And Thou hast said, "A broken contrite heart 
 In sacrifice is Mine accepted part" 
 
XI 
 AN INSCRIPTION 
 
 In a volume of Herrick's " HesJ>ertdes.^^—ForJ. P. P. 
 
 TO her whose sweet-voiced song like a pure brook 
 In smooth and sparkling verse flows light and free, 
 Take all the pleasure that thou gavest me 
 When first I read thy words, O little book ! 
 Each mood and inner feeling with her share;— 
 If she be glad rehearse thy liveliest strain; 
 If gay, thy witty lines repeat again; 
 If pensive tell her all thy wisdom rare, — 
 And be thy mission thus to give her mind 
 With thy bright verse enjoyment unconfined; 
 Though if thou canst perform one other task 
 To bring me joy, this be the boon I ask : 
 Let whatsoever on thy page she see 
 Direct her thoughts a moment unto me. 
 
XII 
 BUDDING MORROW 
 
 " There is a budding -morrow in midnight.'''' — Keats 
 
 ALTHOUGH at midnight's chime all light from earth 
 Be fled, and through night's shadows to the eyes 
 Of us, the weary watchers of the skies, 
 No sign appears of a glad morrow's birth; 
 Yet at that moment the receding sun 
 Starts on his course returning to our sight, — 
 Though it be long ere any rays of light 
 Announce his progress on the path begun. 
 Therefore, O Soul, in trial's darkest hour 
 Have faith; — for now, thy deepest sorrow past. 
 The sun of joy, his steps retracing fast, 
 Journeys to meet thee with increasing power; 
 And soon his light shall to thine eyes appear, 
 Dispelling gloom and shaming all thy fear. 
 
XIII 
 
 TO L. A. C. 
 
 JVritten after seeing her illmtraiion/or *'The Dance of DeatK^ 
 
 TO thee, who hast so fully grasped the thought 
 Which my imperfect verse essayed to speak, 
 My thanks are due. — The inspirations caught 
 By thine artistic pencil show how weak 
 My own conceptions were, and are become 
 The matchless gem which, mounted e'en in dross. 
 Attracts our wondering gaze and makes us dumb 
 With admiration. — I shall feel no loss 
 If thy work draw the greater share of praise ; — 
 Contented I if but a single glance 
 Rest on my unskilled verse, and that glance be 
 One having favor for my weird " Death's Dance." 
 Ungrateful am I not — I would be he 
 Who honor to the one deserving pays. 
 
XIV 
 MADONNA MIA 
 
 SHE has a face in which you might not see 
 More fairness than is common to her sex; — 
 Although each feature her pure soul reflects 
 In lines of sweet perfection unto me. 
 She has a form which to your searching eyes 
 Might show no more than ordinary grace; — 
 And yet to me, e'en as her peerless face, 
 Discloses beauty such as never dies. 
 She has a voice which you indeed might hear 
 Without emotion ; — yet, the truth confessed. 
 An ecstasy of pleasure fills my breast 
 If but its slightest whisper strikes mine ear. 
 Face, form, and voice, my heart enchain through life; 
 The reason, do you ask ? — She is my wife. 
 
XV 
 IN SUNSET 
 
 THE setting sun has sunk into the west; 
 On fleecy clouds the tints of dying light 
 Grow ever fainter, fading from my sight, — 
 And sleepy chirping birds have sought their nest. 
 The world in sombre grey of twilight drest 
 Seems strangely silent as the approaching night 
 Follows with darkness on the daylight's flight; 
 And weary Nature sinks into her rest. 
 I turn to thee, dear one beside me here, 
 In loneliness, but in thy features see 
 Love's glorious light all unbedimmed still shine, 
 Flooding my heart with radiance divine ; — 
 And quick I feel that I should know no fear 
 Since that sweet sun shall never set to me. 
 
XVI 
 GHOSTS 
 
 AND why should I his simple faith deride 
 Who holds the soul released from bonds of earth 
 May quit the shadowy realms of its new birth — 
 What while it stands some earthly mate beside, 
 Seen but of him and by none other eye? 
 Since souls have (as ye say) eternal life 
 Can aught be strange amid this endless strife 
 Where Time still hurries to Eternity? — 
 Not while to me more wondrous shades appear 
 Which ne'er had mortal form, yet which I see 
 In outline clear before me, while I hear : 
 "We are the deeds of love undone by thee, — 
 Thy wasted hours of rejected light; — 
 And while thou livest we may not quit thy sight!" 
 
XVII 
 AFTER SLEEP— WAKING 
 
 THE day is gone; — the sun has sunk from sight; 
 And with the day is gone the loud turmoil — 
 Voices of joy and sorrow — sounds of toil, 
 All gone and silence follows with the night. 
 Now all the weary that in this day's fight 
 Strove bravely onward o'er the stubborn soil, 
 And halted not through many a bitter foil. 
 Sleep peacefully awaiting morning light. — 
 As now in grateful trust of coming dawn 
 We close our eyes and sink into sweet rest, 
 E'en thus, when at the close of Life's long day 
 Our weary hearts the call to sleep obey, 
 In steadfast hope enfolded to Death's breast 
 We'll wait the advent of eternal morn. 
 
XVIII 
 SUNRISE LAND 
 
 BY the warm breath of Summer gently fanned, 
 Away from home and thoughts of care we steal 
 Within the wide-decked ship, whose eager keel 
 Spurning our shores, steers forth for " Sunrise Land."- 
 Now vast and multitudinous on each hand 
 The restless surging ocean billows reel. 
 And o'er their foam-capped crests to us reveal 
 The outlines of a panorama grand : — 
 Passamaquoddy's shores and islands green; 
 The rugged sea-girt cliffs of Grand Manan 
 Forever washed by Fundy's mighty tides ; 
 Acadian fields, and Blomidon's steep sides ; 
 And Breton's cape —whereon the sun to man 
 New rising in the western world is seen. 
 
XIX 
 FIRST MEETING 
 
 AS one red rose within a garden fair 
 Blossoms sometimes, and to perfection blown 
 Amid the wealth of flowers stands alone ; 
 (For none can with its matchless hues compare) 
 And coming on the beauty unaware 
 We watch it enviously where it has grown, 
 Yet hesitate to pluck and make our own 
 So rich a bud of loveliness so rare ; — 
 E'en so amid a throng of maidens sweet, — 
 Whose fairness seemed when matched beside thy grace 
 As light of stars before the queenly moon — 
 Thou stoodst when first I gazed upon thy face ; 
 And though I dared not hope so great a boon, 
 With eager longing quick my pulses beat! 
 
XX 
 
 PLIGHTED TROTH 
 
 STILL in my memory lives that long-past day, 
 Radiant with all the beauties of new Spring, 
 When with a burst of rapture seemed to sing 
 Each feathered chorister, and all the way 
 Through woodland paths the dainty flowers of May 
 Bloomed at our feet, and in my heart did ring 
 Responsive harmony, — each living thing 
 Seemed clothed with heavenly light. — I heard thee say: 
 " Where'er thy journey tend I will be thine ; 
 Though dark the way, though clouds o'ercast the sky. 
 Sunshine must follow storm with thee near-by; — 
 Lead but thou on,— thy pathway shall be mine." — 
 And at the word I sensed new joys divine 
 And read my Heaven in thy love-lit eye. 
 
XXI 
 HONEYMOON 
 
 AT length the long expected day is past; 
 What seemed a dream of happiness too rare 
 For man this side of Heaven's gates to share 
 Is realized by me. At last, at last 
 Thou'rt all mine own! — No clouds of doubt o'ercast 
 Our wedded life; serene the peaceful air 
 Breathes round us and thy loving smile so fair 
 Sheds sunlight in my heart to thine bound fast. 
 Gone are the maddening raptures which I knew 
 When love and trust with fear and doubt made strife; 
 Instead, a holy calm fills all my life, 
 For perfect knowledge hath cast out all fear; 
 And while thine eyes I see, thy voice I hear. 
 What can I do but ever know thee true! 
 
XXII 
 NUPTIAL SLEEP 
 
 AS in the dusky night I ope mine eyes 
 And gather back my thoughts from idle dreams, 
 Thy sleeping face beside me pillowed seems 
 Such phantasy as in my dreams did rise ; 
 And I a moment wondering gaze and fear 
 Thy form will fade. — I touch the silken hair 
 Which like an aureole frames thy features fair 
 And wonder still thou dost not disappear; 
 But as I fold thee to my breast and see 
 The wealth of love within thy wakened eyes, — 
 (As waters deep reflect the boundless skies) 
 And crush thy lips in kisses sweet to me, — 
 I know my bliss is real, that dreams are o'er. 
 And I am thine, thou mine, forevermore! 
 
XXIII 
 MATERNITY 
 
 HOW can I tell with what grave fears possessed 
 I watched thee slowly near that fateful day 
 On which I knew not whether I should say 
 Of all men I most cursed or most blest! 
 A thousand dread misgivings filled my breast 
 And oft from aching heart-depths did I pray 
 That thou, mine all, might not be taken away ; — 
 And still my anxious heart could find no rest 
 Until that hour when first within thine arms 
 Close to thy breast I saw my baby boy; 
 Then were the shadows of my mind's alarms 
 Lost in a flood of overwhelming joy, 
 As in thine eyes I saw— Oh, light divine! — 
 The new love make the old love brighter shine. , 
 
XXIV 
 FAITHFUL FOREVER 
 
 CAN it be true that five and thirty years 
 Have passed us, dearest, since our wedding-day? 
 If years bring changes with them (as some say) 
 Their changes were to us but empty fears; — 
 And to my heart no difference appears 
 Although we see our grandchildren to-day 
 Where once we watched our children's happy play: 
 Still the same love unchanged our old age cheers.— 
 When on thy face I gaze it is with eyes 
 That look far deeper than the outward form, 
 And seeing all the beauty of thy soul, 
 Will not admit one flaw within the whole 
 Of thy dear being, since thy heart is warm 
 With all that holy love which never dies. 
 
Here ends the Book of Twenty-four Sonnets 
 
 WRITTEN AT DIVERS TIMES BY LAURENS MAYNARD 
 AND PRINTED AT THE PrESS OF THE MACDONALD 
 
 Printing Company in Boston in Massachusetts 
 
 THIS twelfth day OF MAY MDCCCXCIV 
 
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