Man's Devotion

A lover said, "O Maiden, love me well,     For I must go away:     And should ANOTHER ever come to tell     Of love - What WILL you say?"     And she let fall a royal robe of hair     That folded on his arm     And made a golden pillow for her there;     Her face - as bright a charm     As ever setting held in kingly crown -     Made answer with a look,     And reading it, the lover bended down,     And, trusting, "kissed the book."     He took a fond farewell and went away.     And slow the time went by -     So weary - dreary was it, day by day     To love, and wait, and sigh.     She kissed his pictured face sometimes, and said:         "O Lips, so cold and dumb,     I would that you would tell me, if not dead,         Why, why do you not come?"     The picture, smiling, stared her in the face         Unmoved - e'en with the touch     Of tear-drops - HERS - bejeweling the case -         'Twas plain - she loved him much.     And, thus she grew to think of him as gay         And joyous all the while,     And SHE was sorrowing - "Ah, welladay!"         But pictures ALWAYS smile!     And years - dull years - in dull monotony         As ever went and came,     Still weaving changes on unceasingly,         And changing, changed her name.     Was she untrue? - She oftentimes was glad         And happy as a wife;     But ONE remembrance oftentimes made sad         Her matrimonial life. -     Though its few years were hardly noted, when         Again her path was strown     With thorns - the roses swept away again,         And she again alone!     And then - alas! ah THEN! - her lover came:         "I come to claim you now -     My Darling, for I know you are the same,         And I have kept my vow     Through these long, long, long years, and now no more         Shall we asundered be!"     She staggered back and, sinking to the floor,         Cried in her agony:     "I have been false!" she moaned, "I am not true -         I am not worthy now,     Nor ever can I be a wife to YOU -         For I have broke my vow!"     And as she kneeled there, sobbing at his feet,         He calmly spoke - no sign     Betrayed his inward agony - "I count you meet         To be a wife of mine!"     And raised her up forgiven, though untrue;         As fond he gazed on her,     She sighed, - "SO HAPPY!"    And she never knew         HE was a WIDOWER.