Volume 14 — STEVENSON

VOLUME FOURTEEN

LONDON: PUBLISHED BY CHATTO AND WINDUS: IN ASSOCIATION WITH CASSELL AND COMPANY LIMITED: WILLIAM HEINEMANN: AND LONGMANS GREEN AND COMPANY MDCCCCXII

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

CONTENTS

A CHILD’S GARDEN OF VERSES

PAGE

I. Bed in Summer In winter I get up at night 3

II. A Thought It is very nice to think 3

III. At the Sea-side When I was down beside the sea 4

IV. Young Night Thought All night long, and every night 4

V. Whole Duty of Children A child should always say what’s true 5

VI. Rain The rain is raining all around 5

VII. Pirate Story Three of us afloat in the meadow by the swing 5

VIII. Foreign Lands Up into the cherry-tree 6

IX. Windy Nights Whenever the moon and stars are set 7

X. Travel I should like to rise and go 7

XI. Singing Of speckled eggs the birdie sings 9

XII. Looking Forward When I am grown to man’s estate 9

XIII. A Good Play We built a ship upon the stairs 9

XIV. Where go the Boats? Dark brown is the river 10

XV. Auntie’s Skirts Whenever Auntie moves around 11

XVI. The Land of Counterpane When I was sick and lay a-bed 11

XVII. The Land of Nod From breakfast on all through the day 12

XVIII. My Shadow I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me 12

XIX. System Every night my prayers I say 13

XX. A Good Boy I woke before the morning, I was happy all the day 14

XXI. Escape at Bedtime The lights from the parlour and kitchen shone out 14

XXII. Marching Song Bring the comb and play upon it 15

XXIII. The Cow The friendly cow, all red and white 16

XXIV. Happy Thought The world is so full of a number of things 16

XXV. The Wind I saw you toss the kites on high 16

XXVI. Keepsake Mill Over the borders, a sin without pardon 17

XXVII. Good and Bad Children Children, you are very little 18

XXVIII. Foreign Children Little Indian, Sioux or Crow 19

XXIX. The Sun’s Travels The sun is not a-bed when I 20

XXX. The Lamplighter My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky 20

XXXI. My Bed is a Boat My bed is like a little boat 21

XXXII. The Moon The moon has a face like the clock in the hall 22

XXXIII. The Swing How do you like to go up in a swing 22

XXXIV. Time to Rise A birdie with a yellow bill 23

XXXV. Looking-Glass River Smooth it slides upon its travel 23

XXXVI. Fairy Bread Come up here, O dusty feet 24

XXXVII. From a Railway Carriage Faster than fairies, faster than witches 24

XXXVIII. Winter-Time Late lies the wintry sun a-bed 25

XXXIX. The Hayloft Through all the pleasant meadow-side 26

XL. Farewell to the Farm The coach is at the door at last 26

XLI. North-West Passage 27

1. Good Night When the bright lamp is carried in 27

2. Shadow March All round the house is the jet-black night 28

3. In Port Last, to the chamber where I lie 28

THE CHILD ALONE

I. The Unseen Playmate When children are playing alone on the green 31

II. My Ship and I O it’s I that am the captain of a tidy little ship 32

III. My Kingdom Down by a shining water well 32

IV. Picture-Books in Winter Summer fading, winter comes 33

V. My Treasures These nuts, that I keep in the back of the nest 34

VI. Block City What are you able to build with your blocks 35

VII. The Land of Story-Books At evening when the lamp is lit 36

VIII. Armies in the Fire The lamps now glitter down the street 37

IX. The Little Land When at home alone I sit 38

GARDEN DAYS

I. Night and Day When the golden day is done 43

II. Nest Eggs Birds all the sunny day 44

III. The Flowers All the names I know from nurse 46

IV. Summer Sun Great is the sun, and wide he goes 46

V. The Dumb Soldier When the grass was closely mown 47

VI. Autumn Fires In the other gardens 49

VII. The Gardener The gardener does not love to talk 49

VIII. Historical Associations Dear Uncle Jim, this garden ground 50

ENVOYS

I. To Willie and Henrietta If two may read aright 55

II. To My Mother You too, my mother, read my rhymes 55

III. To Auntie Chief of our aunts—not only I 56

IV. To Minnie The red room with the giant bed 56

V. To my Name-Child Some day soon this rhyming volume, if you learn with proper speed 58

VI. To any Reader As from the house your mother sees 59

UNDERWOODS

BOOK I: IN ENGLISH

I. Envoy Go, little book, and wish to all 67

II. A Song of the Road The gauger walked with willing foot 67

III. The Canoe Speaks On the great streams the ships may go 68

IV. It is the season now to go 70

V. The House Beautiful A naked house, a naked moor 71

VI. A Visit From The Sea Far from the loud sea beaches 72

VII. To a Gardener Friend, in my mountain-side demesne 73

VIII. To Minnie A picture-frame for you to fill 74

IX. To K. de M. A lover of the moorland bare 74

X. To N. V. de G. S. The unfathomable sea, and time, and tears 75

XI. To Will. H. Low Youth now flees on feathered foot 76

XII. To Mrs. Will. H. Low Even in the bluest noonday of July 77

XIII. To H. F. Brown I sit and wait a pair of oars 78

XIV. To Andrew Lang Dear Andrew, with the brindled hair 79

XV. Et tu in Arcadia vixisti (to r. a. m. s.) In ancient tales, O friend, thy spirit dwelt 80

XVI. To W. E. Henley The year runs through her phases; rain and sun 82

XVII. Henry James Who comes to-night? We ope the doors in vain 83

XVIII. The Mirror Speaks Where the bells peal far at sea 84

XIX. Katharine We see you as we see a face 85

XX. To F. J. S. I read, dear friend, in your dear face 85

XXI. Requiem Under the wide and starry sky 86

XXII. The Celestial Surgeon If I have faltered more or less 86

XXIII. Our Lady of the Snows Out of the sun, out of the blast 87

XXIV. Not yet, my soul, these friendly fields desert 89

XXV. It is not yours, O mother, to complain 90

XXVI. The Sick Child O mother, lay your hand on my brow 92

XXVII. In Memoriam F. A. S. Yet, O stricken heart, remember, O remember 93

XXVIII. To my Father Peace and her huge invasion to these shores 93

XXIX. In the States With half a heart I wander here 94

XXX. A Portrait I am a kind of farthing dip 95

XXXI. Sing clearlier, Muse, or evermore be still 96

XXXII. A Camp The bed was made, the room was fit 96

XXXIII. The Country of the Camisards We travelled in the print of olden wars 96

XXXIV. Skerryvore For love of lovely words, and for the sake 97

XXXV. Skerryvore: The Parallel Here all is sunny, and when the truant gull 97

XXXVI. My house, I say. But hark to the sunny doves 98

XXXVII. My body which my dungeon is 98

XXXVIII. Say not of me that weakly I declined 99

BOOK II: IN SCOTS

I. The Maker to Posterity Far ’yont amang the years to be 105

II. Ille Terrarum Frae nirly, nippin’, Eas’lan’ breeze 106

III. When aince Aprile has fairly come 109

IV. A Mile an’ a Bittock A mile an’ a bittock, a mile or twa 110

V. A Lowden Sabbath Morn The clinkum-clank o’ Sabbath bells 111

VI. The Spaewife O, I wad like to ken—to the beggar-wife says I 116

VII. The Blast—1875 It’s rainin’. Weet’s the gairden sod 116

VIII. The Counterblast—1886 My bonny man, the warld, it’s true 118

IX. The Counterblast Ironical It’s strange that God should fash to frame 120

X. Their Laureate to an Academy Class Dinner Club Dear Thamson class, whaure’er I gang 121

XI. Embro Hie Kirk The Lord Himsel’ in former days 123

XII. The Scotsman’s Return from Abroad In mony a foreign pairt I’ve been 125

XIII. Late In the night in bed I lay 129

XIV. My Conscience! Of a’ the ills that flesh can fear 131

XV. To Dr. John Brown By Lyne and Tyne, by Thames and Tees 133

XVI. It’s an owercome sooth for age an’ youth 135

BALLADS

THE SONG OF RAHÉRO

A LEGEND OF TAHITI

I. The Slaying of Támatéa 139

II. The Venging Of Támatéa 148

III. Rahéro 159

THE FEAST OF FAMINE

MARQUESAN MANNERS

I. The Priest’s Vigil 169

II. The Lovers 172

III. The Feast 176

IV. The Raid 182

TICONDEROGA

A LEGEND OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS

I. The Saying of the Name 189

II. The Seeking of the Name 194

III. The Place of the Name 196

HEATHER ALE

A GALLOWAY LEGEND

From the bonny bells of heather 201

CHRISTMAS AT SEA

The sheets were frozen hard 207

Notes to The Song of Rahéro 211

Notes to The Feast of Famine 213

Notes to Ticonderoga 214

Note to Heather Ale 215

SONGS OF TRAVEL

I. The Vagabond Give to me the life I love 219

II. Youth and Love—I Once only by the garden gate 220

III. Youth and Love—II To the heart of youth the world is a highwayside 221

IV. In dreams, unhappy, I behold you stand 221

V. She rested by the Broken Brook 222

VI. The infinite shining heavens 222

VII. Plain as the glistering planets shine 223

VIII. To you, let snow and roses 224

IX. Let Beauty awake in the morn from beautiful dreams 224

X. I know not how it is with you 225

XI. I will make you brooches and toys for your delight 225

XII. We have loved of Yore Berried brake and reedy island 226

XIII. Mater Triumphans Son of my woman’s body, you go, to the drum and fife 227

XIV. Bright is the ring of words 227

XV. In the highlands, in the country places 228

XVI. Home no more home to me, whither must I wander 229

XVII. Winter In rigorous hours, when down the iron lane 230

XVIII. The stormy evening closes now in vain 230

XIX. To Dr. Hake In the beloved hour that ushers day 231

XX. To —— I knew thee strong and quiet like the hills 232

XXI. The morning drum-call on my eager ear 233

XXII. I have trod the upward and the downward slope 233

XXIII. He hears with gladdened heart the thunder 233

XXIV. Farewell, fair day and fading light 233

XXV. If this were Faith God, if this were enough 234

XXVI. My Wife Trusty, dusky, vivid, true 235

XXVII. To the Muse Resign the rhapsody, the dream 236

XXVIII. To an Island Princess Since long ago, a child at home 237

XXIX. To Kalakaua The Silver Ship, my King—that was her name 238

XXX. To Princess Kaiulani Forth from her land to mine she goes 239

XXXI. To Mother Maryanne To see the infinite pity of this place 240

XXXII. In Memoriam E. H. I knew a silver head was bright beyond compare 240

XXXIII. To my Wife Long must elapse ere you behold again 241

XXXIV. To my old Familiars Do you remember—can we e’er forget 242

XXXV. The tropics vanish, and meseems that I 243

XXXVI. To S. C. I heard the pulse of the besieging sea 244

XXXVII. The House of Tembinoka Let us, who part like brothers, part like bards 245

XXXVIII. The Woodman In all the grove, nor stream nor bird 249

XXXIX. Tropic Rain As the single pang of the blow, when the metal is mingled well 254

XL. An End of Travel Let now your soul in this substantial world 255

XLI. We uncommiserate pass into the night 255

XLII. Sing me a song of a lad that is gone 256

XLIII. To S. R. Crockett Blows the wind to-day, and the sun and the rain are flying 257

XLIV. Evensong The embers of the day are red 257

ADDITIONAL POEMS

I. A Familiar Epistle Blame me not that this epistle 261

II. Rondels 1. Far have you come, my lady, from the town 2. Nous n’irons plus au bois 3. Since I am sworn to live my life 4. Of his pitiable transformation 263

III. Epistle to Charles Baxter Noo lyart leaves blaw ower the green 265

IV. The Susquehannah and the Delaware Of where or how, I nothing know 267

V. Epistle to Albert Dew-Smith Figure me to yourself, I pray 268

VI. Alcaics to Horatio F. Brown Brave lads in olden musical centuries 270

VII. A Lytle Jape of Tusherie The pleasant river gushes 272

VIII. To Virgil and Dora Williams Here, from the forelands of the tideless sea 273

IX. Burlesque Sonnet Thee, Mackintosh, artificer of light 273

X. The Fine Pacific Islands The jolly English Yellowboy 274

XI. Auld Reekie When chitterin’ cauld the day sall daw 275

XII. The Lesson of the Master Adela, Adela, Adela Chart 276

XIII. The Consecration of Braille I was a barren tree before 276

XIV. Song Light foot and tight foot 277