BY FREDRIKA BREMER. I was in company With men and women, And heard small talk Of little things, Of poor pursuits And narrow views Of narrow minds. I rushed out To breathe more freely, To look on nature. The evening star Rose grave and bright, The western sky Was warm with light, And the young moon Shone softly down Among the shadows Of the town, Where whispering trees And fragrant flowers Stood hushed in silent, Balmy bowers. All was romance, All loveliness, Wrapped in a trance Of mystic bliss. I looked on In bitterness, And sighed and asked, Why the great Lord Made so rich beauty For such a race Of little men? I was in company With men and women, Heard noble talk Of noble things, Of noble doings, And manly suffering And man's heart beating For all mankind. The evening star Seemed now less bright, The western sky Of paler light, All nature's beauty And romance, So lovely To gaze upon, Retired at once, A shadow but to that of man! WE-HAR-KA |