Isabella Valancy Crawford

“ And Katie, when he said it, thought of Max—
Who had been gone two winters and two springs,
45
And sigh'd, and thought, "Would he not be your son?"
But all in silence, for she had too much
Of the firm will of Malcolm in her soul
To think of shaking that deep-rooted rock;
But hop'd the crystal current of his love
50
For his one child, increasing day by day,
Might fret with silver lip until it wore
Such channels thro' the rock that some slight stroke
Of circumstance might crumble down the stone.
The wooer, too, had come, Max prophesied;
55
Reputed wealthy ”

“ Their native strands—so stem, so dark, so dear!
0, then, to see the troubl'd, groaning waves,
205
Throb down to peace in kindly, valley beds,
Their turbid bosoms clearing in the calm
Of sun-ey'd Plenty—till the stars and moon,
The blessed sun himself, has leave to shine
And laugh in their dark hearts! ”

“ Wise, wise and strong the man
140
"'Who poisons that fond haunter of the mind,
"'Craving for a hereafter with deep draughts
"'Of wild delights—so fiery, fierce, and strong,
"'That when their dregs are deeply, deeply drain'd,
"'What once was blindly crav'd of purblind Chance,
145
"'Life, life eternal—throbbing thro' all space,
"'Is strongly loath'd—and with his face in dust.
"'Man loves his only Heav'n—six feet of Earth!'
"So, Katie, tho' your blue eyes say me 'Nay,'
"My pangs of love for gold must needs be fed,
150
"And shall be, Katie, if I know my mind." ”

“ Why, you have never told
120
"Us of the true soul that the true Max has;
"The Max we know has such a soul, I know."
"How know you that, my foolish little lass?"
Said Malcolm, astorm of anger bound
Within his heart, like Samson with green withs—
125
"Belike it is the false young cur we know!"
"No, no," said Katie, simply, and low-voic'd;
"If he were traitor I must needs be false,
"For long ago love melted our two hearts,
"And time has moulded those two hearts in one. ”

“ What sickness seizes on your soul?"
Max laugh'd, and swung his bright axe high again:
"Stand back a pace—a too far-reaching blow
180
"Might level your false head with yon prone trunk—
"Stand back and listen while I say, 'You lie!'
"That is my Katie's face upon your breast,
"But 'tis my Katie's love lives in my breast—
"Stand back, I say! my axe is heavy, and
185
"Might chance to cleave a liar's brittle skull.
"Your Kate! your Kate! your Kate!—hark, how the woods
"Mock at your lie with all their woody tongues. ”

“ Malcolm had follow'd with his flocks and herds
When Max and Katie, hand in hand, went out
From his old home; and now, with slow, grave smile,
15
He said to Max, who twisted Katie's hair
About his naked arm, bare from his toil:
"It minds me of old times, this house of yours;
"It stirs my heart to hearken to the axe,
"And hear the windy crash of falling trees;
20
"Aye, these fresh forests make an old man young."
"Oh, yes!" said Max, with laughter in his eyes ”

“ Where nothing shades the sun; nor quite believed
Those blue peaks closing in were aught but mist
Which the gay sun could scatter with a glance.
120
For Max, he late had touch'd their stones, but yet
He saw them seam'd with gold and precious ores,
Rich with hill flow'rs and musical with rills.
"Or that same bud that will be Katie's heart,
"Against the time your deep, dim woods are clear'd,
125
"And I have wrought my father to relent."
"How will you move him, sweet? ”

“ What, Katie, were he dead—
"A handful of brown dust, a flame blown out—
"What then would love be strongly true to—Naught?"
75
"Still true to Love my love would be," she said,
And, faintly smiling, pointed to the stars.
"O fool!" said Alfred, stirr'd—as craters rock
To their own throes—and over his pale lips
Roll'd flaming stone, his molten heart. "Then, fool—
80
"Be true to what thou wilt—for he is dead.
"And there have grown this gilded summer past
"Grasses and buds from his unburied flesh.
"I saw him dead. I heard his last, loud cry,
"'0 Kate!' ring thro' the woods ”

“ Why, he will rage
"And fume and anger, striding o'er his fields,
"Until the last-bought king of herds lets down
"His lordly front, and rumbling thunder from
130
"His polish'd chest, returns his chiding tones.
"How will you move him, Katie, tell me how?"
"I'll kiss him and keep still—that way is sure,
Said Katie, smiling. "I have often tried."
"God speed the kiss," said Max, and Katie sigh'd,
135
With pray'rful palms close seal'd, "God speed the axe!" ”

“ A mighty man,
"Self-hewn from rock, remaining rock through all."
"He loves me, Max," said Katie. "Yes, I know—
"A rock is cup to many a crystal spring.
"Well, he is rich; those misty, peak-roof'd barns—
60
"Leviathans rising from red seas of grain—
"Are full of ingots, shaped like grains of wheat.
"His flocks have golden fleeces, and his herds
"Have monarchs worshipful, as was the calf
"Aaron call'd from the furnace; and his ploughs,
65
"Like Genii chained, snort o'er his mighty fields. ”

“ The high, solemn walls
"Of hoary wins—their foundings all unknown
" (But to the round-ey'd worlds that walk
75
"In the blank paths of Space and blanker Chance) —
"At whose stones young mountains wonder, and the seas'
"New-silv'ring, deep-set valleys pause and gaze,
"Are rear'd upon old shrines, whose very Gods
"Were dreams to the shrine-builders of a time
85
"They caught in far-off flashes—as the child
"Half thinks he can remember how one came
"And took him in her hand and shew'd him that,
"He thinks, she call'd the sun. ”

“ O bounteous mothers they!
"Beck'ning pale starvelings with their fresh, green hands,
"And with their ashes mellowing the earth,
"That she may yield her increase willingly.
35
"I would not change these wild and rocking woods,
"Dotted by little homes of unbark'd trees,
"Where dwell the fleers from the waves of want,—
"For the smooth sward of selfish Eden bowers,
"Nor — Max for Adam, if I knew my mind!"
40
This work was published before January 1, 1928, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago. ”

“ And Katie at the sound of Max's name,
First spoken for such a space by Malcolm's lips,
Trembl'd and started, and let down her brow,
80
Hiding its sudden rose on Malcolm's arm.
"Max Gordon? Yes. Was he a friend of yours?"
"No friend of mine, but of the lassie's here—
"How comes he on? I wager he's a drone,
"And never will put honey in the hive."
85
"No drone," said Alfred, laughing; "when I left,
"He and his axe were quarr'ling with the woods
"And making forests reel—love steels a lover's arm." ”

“ And here, in season, rush'd the great logs down,
40
To seek the river winding on its way.
In a green sheen, smooth as a Naiad's locks,
The water roll'd between the shudd'ring jaws—
Then on the river-level roar'd and reel'd—
In ivory-arm'd conflict with itself
45
"Look down," said Alfred, "Katie, look and see
"How that but pictures my mad heart to you.
"It tears itself in fighting that mad love
"You swear is hopeless—hopeless—is it so?"
"Ah, yes!" said Katie, "ask me not again."
50
"But Katie, Max is false ”

“ Malcolm's Katie: A Love Story Part I
Max plac'd a ring on little Katie's hand,
A silver ring that he had beaten out
From that same sacred coin—first well-priz'd wage
For boyish labour, kept thro' many years.
"See, Kate," he said, "I had no skill to shape
5
"Two hearts fast bound together, so I grav'd
"Just K. and M., for Katie and for Max."
"But, look; you've run the lines in such a way,
"That M. is part of K., and K. of M.,"
Said Katie, smiling. "Did you mean it thus?
10
"I like it better than the double hearts."
"Well, well," he said, "but womankind is wise! ”

“ Became a closer marble than before.
"—Why I suppose he loves—his lawful wife."
"His wife! his wife!" said Malcolm, in amaze,
100
And laid his heavy hand on Katie's head;
"Did you two play me false, my little lass?
"Speak and I'll pardon! Katie, lassie, what?"
"He has a wife," said Alfred, "lithe and bronz'd,
"An Indian woman, comelier than her kind;
105
"And on her knee a child with yellow locks,
"And lake-like eyes of mystic Indian brown.
"And so you knew him? He is doing well."
"False, false!" said Katie, lifting up her head.
"O, you know not the Max my father means!" ”

“ When she stirr'd
"Her vast limbs in the dawn that forc'd its fire
"Up the black East, and saw the imperious red
"Burst over virgin dews and budding flow'rs,
110
"She still forgot her molder'd thrones and kings,
"Her sages and their torches, and their Gods,
"And said, 'This is my birth—my primal day!'
"She dream'd new Gods, and rear'd them other shrines,
"Planted young nations, smote a feeble flame
115
"From sunless flint, re-lit the torch of mind ”

“ She, with the flow'r-soft pinkness of her palm
Cover'd her sudden tears, then quickly said:
"Fears—never doubts, for true love never doubts."
Then Alfred paus'd a space, as one who holds
65
A white doe by the throat and searches for
The blade to slay her. "This your answer still—
"You doubt not—doubt not this far love of yours,
"Tho' sworn a false young recreant, Kate, by me?"
"He is as true as I am," Katie said ”

“ Nay, none of these.
"It means—four walls, perhaps a lowly roof;
"Kine in a peaceful posture; modest fields;
105
"A man and woman standing hand in hand
"In hale old age, who, looking o'er the land,
"Say: 'Thank the Lord, it all is mine and thine!'
"It means, to such thew'd warriors of the Axe
"As your own father;—well, it means, sweet Kate,
110
"Outspreading circles of increasing gold,
"A name of weight; one little daughter heir,
"Who must not wed the owner of an axe,
"Who owns naught else but some dim, dusky woods
"In a far land ”