Page:The Galaxy, Volume 5.djvu/564

His heart is in his iron safe,
His thoughts are with his ships;
But when the twilight gathers
Adown the dusky street,
The little housewife listens
For sounds of coming feet;
And by the gleaming firelight I see a figure tall
Bend down to kiss a shadow, a shadow on the wall.

My garden palings, broad and high,
Shut in its costly spoils,
And through the ordered paths all day
The silent gardener toils;
My neighbor's is a grass-plat,
With a hardy buttercup,
Where children's dimpled fingers
Pull dandelions up.
Where on a baby's silken head, all day the sunbeams fall.
Till evening throws its shadows upon the cottage wall.

My petted lapdog, warm and soft,
Nestles upon my knee;
My birds have shut their diamond eyes
That love to look for me;
Lonely, I watch my neighbor,
And watching can but weep,
To see her rock her darlings
Upon her breast asleep.
Alas! my doves are gentle, my dog comes at my call.
But there is no childish shadow upon my chamber wall.

My beauty is the talk of fools.
And by the gaslight's glare,
In glittering dress and gleaming gems,
I know that I am fair;
But there is something fairer.
Whose charm in loving lies.
And there is something dearer,
The light of happy eyes.
So I return triumphant, queen of the brilliant ball,
To envy the sweet shadow of the housewife on the wall.

My earthly lot is rich and high,
And hers is poor and low;
Yet I would give my heritage
Her deeper joys to know;
For husbands that are lovers
Are rare in all the lands,
And hearts grow fit for heaven.
Moulded by childish hands;
And while I go up lonely, before the Judge of all,
A cherub troop will usher the shadow on the wall.